taking risks is vital. pushing a piece too far, making a mess, is the only way you'll ever be able to learn materials. working today on the text for changed. i don't know if i'll make tackets yet, or what kind of closure. or if i'll like the poem tomorrow, though i wrote it weeks ago.

sewing vellum text blocks on shifu pages with rust dyed spun lokta thread.

these pages were ecodyed last winter. a sandwich made of hollyhock and rusty metals. wrapped and put into hot water for several days. the woodstove the heat source. while i was sewing, hannah was unknitting her sweater.

beautifully made, however, she disliked it. and decided to make another use of the yarn, a lovely wool/mohair blend. it''s curly from unbecoming a sweater.

making a sweater or an artists' book requires taking risks and maybe trashing the work. it doesn't matter how you feel about it. it matters if it's good.

and sometimes your risks are a disaster. this shifu was made from pattern paper. spun 25 or so years ago. and it eventually just shredded as i was removing it from the loom. this is after salvaging what i could. it just didn't work. i learned a lot. that's fine.

there's an article over at hand eye i haven't read yet, but it's about jude hill. go take a look.