I made the belt on a whim, because I happened to have four feet of canvas-covered felt left from another project.
Four feet! That's a long way to embroider, all the way out and back, then out again down the middle, and back again on the reverse side.
But that is pretty much the way this summer went, traveling out and back several times to France, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama. The long plane rides and the road trips forced me to slow down, in the same way that embroidering the belt forced me to sit and make the same repetitive movement, hundred and hundreds of times.
I did not mind the repetition. I was tired from a year of work. I needed to play, think and experiment without having to make too many decisions. Embroidering a belt is very much like driving down the freeway; there is a bit of excitement, but mainly it's a work of patience.
The overall feeling was meditative and fun.
Also, I had to hunt long and hard for the superb belt buckle which I finally found at my local thrift shop. I hand-printed the canvas with a mix of stamps I had carved last spring (I've really been into printing lately).
And the best part: I have another four feet of leftover felt begging for a second belt to be born. Belt anyone? Let me know.
Glad to be back and sharing with you again!
