97. Take the titles of any amateur art exhibit and illustrate them. For instance such titles as Ah, Toro!, Autumn Leaves, Mexican Patterns, Xenogenisis #2, Xanadu, Wharf Enchantments, French Restaurant, Boat Patterns, blah, blah.

(From Draw It With Your Eyes Closed by Paper Monument, which I am currently enjoying)

It’s not fraying at all, and it’s a great(read: my) colour. I guess you might remember that I ordered some predyed wool to use, but I had no idea how much to order, and it was expensive. It turns out it wasn’t nearly enough, so I had to rip that out. I’ll use it for something small. I think this will be fine, though!

But I am easily distracted, so now (because the nice weather made me want to go shopping), I’m finishing a skirt I started sewing months ago. I got mad and tossed it aside after accidentally sewing the waistband on backwards, then realizing that my thread tension was way off and the seams were all pulling apart. Fixed the tension today and just went over the seams I’d already sewn, instead of picking them out. This thing has a mishmash of colours of thread in it. My mom gave me a pile of my grandma’s bobbins that have several colours wrapped on each one. I thought it would be fun to just use whatever is on them. Also, I am lazy. It’s funny because I’m using all these random chunks of her thread and she would probably be horrified. When I first started sewing, my mom would always say, “Don’t show grandma your hem.”

Other developments: My website’s pretty much done! I’m very relieved about that.

But you shouldn't feel like that

Phew. I feel irrational guilt at not dyeing my own stuff, which is met by being pre-defensive about things, as you can see.

Maybe I should listen to my own banner?

Also, I’ve posted this on my tumblr and whatnot, but I’ve been accepted and officially decided to go for an MFA at University of Manitoba. It hasn’t really kicked in yet. Other people seem really excited for me, but I just have a vague sense of terror in the back of my mind. I feel like the best course of action is to make as much stuff as I can between now and then. Also, if you need any art supplies, ask me how I can help! I’ll need to get rid of a lot of stuff before moving.

The artist’s sartorial choices are subject to the same hermeneutic operations as are his work. When dressing, an artist should imagine a five-paragraph review of his clothes—the attitudes and intentions they reveal, their topicality, their relationship to history, the extent to which they challenge or endorse, subvert or affirm dominant forms of fashion—written by a critic he detests.

Communicating an attitude of complete indifference to one’s personal appearance is only achievable through a process of self-reflexive critique bordering on the obsessive. Artists who are in reality oblivious to how they dress never achieve this effect.

From I Like Your Work – Art and Etiquette by Paper Monument

I was listening to a science podcast that was saying that ectoplasm in these old seances was just cheesecloth. The “slime” was from the medium swallowing it and then pulling it out again. Flickr commenters agree that this one is probably a lacey scarf.

(Photo from Vintage Spirit Photography on Flickr.)