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| "Halloween Cat" © 1998 by Ben Pahls - age 6 |
seed pod #033
© Copyright 1997 Maria Pahls
the fence post
(editor's letter)
dear friends:
let me begin by saying... apple cider, colorful leaves,crows,pumpkins,gourds and scare crows! ahhh it's harvest time. putting the garden to sleep, planning for next year and starting to think of christmas time. of course those who craft for a living have been making christmas things since july but its hard to believe that it is just around the corner.so sit back with some cider, iced or hot (depending on your season!) and enjoy this issue "witch" includes that promised interview with the kindred spirits gals.
primitively yours,
maria
miscellaneous letters sent in by readers
its a small world down under in australia where rosalee runs into fellow member june:
" Now I just had to share this with you. There was a big quilt show in Melbourne and I went with some friends and was looking at the cloth doll exhibit when this lady asked permission to jump the fence to take some photos. I thought that it must be someone I should know and it turned out to be June! We were talking later, June is a member of a few doll lists as well as being involved with patchwork. She said how very much she enjoyed EVERY issue and what a wonderful job she thought you were doing in keeping things focussed and together! and I agree - well done!" Rosalee
debby n wrote in about her current project:
" I've wanted to do a Betty Duz from the Kindred Christmas book ever since I saw her picture. Maybe this year... I also took the plunge lately (speaking of kindred spirits) and made one of their "tops & bottoms" dresses from the "Gatherings" book. I took an OLD homespun skirt that is too small in the waist, cut off the waistband, and attached it to a cut off shirt. Added a few of those neat (and expensive) Apple Creek buttons - and I ended up with a comfortable (first priority for me) and cute dress. I never wanted to part with that skirt - it was a 70's thing that I just couldn't get rid of even while it was screamingly out of style."
primitive ponderings
questions asked by readers, then replied upon in later issues.
on what is primitive:(#31)
Nancy: " I don't want to step on anyone's feelings, but I don't think primitive means the same thing as crude. Seems like a lot of people around here equate the two, which I don't think is fair to true primitive art, which could be more equated with folk art. They don't all have to look alike--some have complete faces, some have no face or minimal face, etc."
carolyn had this question:
"In pp #31 Pam S was talking about staining muslin. She mentioned a coffee and salt mixture. I'm not familiar with the addition of salt. Could she elaborate on that. I'm a die-hard (no pun intended) tea staining person but I like to try different methods if they work and aren't too tedious. Also, when she uses the Gravy Master to dye, does it have a smell afterward. " Thanks.
(carolyn i think the salt activates the tannic acid making the tea or coffee cling to the fabric)
tips & techniques 
project idea...rose hips garland ~ each fall, after the first hard frost i am fortunate enough to have a husband that will do the dirty work of harvesting rose hips for me. the hips are the casings that contain the seeds and in many rose varieties they turn an attractive crimson or orange as winter approaches.
armed with heavy gloves, long sleeves & pant legs he sets out with pruner and bushel basket to clip away until he has a trunk load of them. soon after he returns home we pluck them from the branches to dry for arranging around candles. some we string for garlands and others are left on the thorny branches to use in fresh or dried arrangements and wreaths.
the easiest way to get them is to clip the entire branch, then remove the hips carefully one at a time. when first picked they are still rather firm and if you intend to string them for garlands its best to allow them a few days to start to shrivel up. this process can be sped up by placing in a dehydrator for a few hours or setting them in a glass bowl atop your refrigerator. they should be strung as soon as possible (after they start to wrinkle or soften) and left to dry undisturbed for several days (depending on humidity). they make beautiful garlands for a primitive tree, nice buttons for large snowmen,and if left on the branch, pretty embellishments for a doll too. maybe you can just manage to get a few to make a special necklace for a doll.... if you have access to rose hips, give them a try. they come in many shapes and sizes and your creations with them are only limited by your imagination.
ARTIST INTERVIEW 
kindred spirits alice strebel & sally korte.
PPals: In your own opinion, what is the difference between "country" and "primitive"?
Kindred Spirits: the difference between country and primitive can be the degree of cuteness and detail. country is often "cute"and full of detail. primitive is most often pointedly not cute and very simple-sparse even.
PPals: What makes the best subject matter for primitives?
Kindred Spirits: the best subject matter for primitives are simple shapes that are not man made. i would not call scarecrows or snowmen primitive material. stars,dogs,plants,birds,trees,bunnies (bunnies can be primitive but not bunnies with clothes on). what interested people 100 years ago, those are the things that look primitive.
PPals: If you were to create a starting up kit for a primitive artist, what would be the "must have" items it would include...What colors and fabrics do you most associate with primitives?
Kindred Spirits: Homespuns,muslin,wools,textured woven fabrics-we of course use lots of dark colors-dull versions of every color.
PPals: Tell us about you as designers, what are your favorite things to design (dolls, wall hangings etc)?
Kindred Spirits: we enjoy mixing textures-wool with cotton-hooking with piece work-clay with fabric.
PPals: How long have you been designing/have you always done "primitive style" or did it evolve from another style?
Kindred Spirits: we have been designing as kindred spirits for 10 years. we have always done primitive-our houses are filled with antiques and primitive is a way of life. we designed for ourselves and friends and family before we started our business.
F E F E F E F E
burlap sack
mail order resources sectionalice and sally have a large collection of patterns for dolls, clothing, wall hangings,hooked rugs,seasonal decor...their patterns range from small packaged types to large color project booklets. if you have not ever seen their work you are missing out!
kindred spirits
http://www.kindredspiritsdesigns.com>
kindred spirits catalog on Homespun PeddlerMAILING:
kindred spirits
115 colonial ln
kettering ohio 45429SHOP FRONT:
belville house
2025 miamisburg-centerville rd.
centerville, OH
book reviews
&
books of interest
halloween in halloween in america:
a collector's guide with prices
(a schiffer book for collectors),
by stuart l. schneider
(schiffer publishing, 1997, isbn: 0887407072)
phone: 610-593-1777 to place an order
web sites of members & other sites of interest
an article on the quilts that kindred spirits does can be found at:
http://ares.redsword.com/dduperault/kindred.htm
here's a folk art page you may enjoy:
http://www.iswt.com/ufolk/flesher.htm
kindred spirits catalog on Homespun Peddler
O P O P O P
prose
poetry and verses to use for samplers etc.
We can't all be stars but we can all shine
"As we come in from the garden at summer's end, we must harvest and purify our intentions. We must continue to grow inwardly, shed our old ways, like the ritual of autumn. By relinquishing them, we give way to new and much more productive thinking."
All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this newsletter be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means -- electronic, mechanical, photo- copying, recording, or other -- without written permission from the publisher.
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