What we have here is a study in black and white (mostly). Look closely. Can you see the pooch? He’s in the garden. There’s still “a bit of snow” here. Rumi was loving it: it’s been warm so it’s melted down into this brick that he can run across. He was cooling off after his run – just back from Boston. No snow there.

In Boston, I picked up my animal alphabet art pieces, all spiffed up in their new frames. I have known Stephanie at Jameson and Thompson Framers for years – she is AMAZING at determining how to present a piece so that it becomes even better in its frame.

So I brought along with me that piece I had just sewn:

I wanted to share with her this idea that I have been mulling over for a while now: how to set my delicate silk elements against something opposite. I suggested to Stephanie, how about steel? I know it sounds crazy, but in fact, silk is stronger than steel. I read that years ago when researching silk – it’s the tensile strength, I understand. Regardless, I love the idea of the stark line, the metal feel juxtaposed with these soft, unruly pieces of cloth.

Stephanie was – “YES! – and let’s think about this!” (since there isn’t enough time to do this before DC anyway). I loved her response and I do need someone who I can work with to create the frame, an unusual one that really sets it up. I think we’ll come up with something that takes it from something too delicate to present into … I don’t know – something with more “force field” .

It’s odd, knowing that silk is, in fact, already so strong. How deceptive is that softness…