Recently Maternalspark.com asked readers when they felt most creative. I have been wrestling with finding more time to be creative. More and more I realize that it doesn't matter when I am most creative, if I want to accomplish anything I have to push myself during those times that I don't necessarily feel creative but have a little window of time. I am learning to work piecemeal which is hard for me, I like big bulks of time. So i cut a sleeve now, pin later, later on, i sew it, etc. It's not ideal but I recently have been accoplishing more like this instead of waiting for the kids to fall asleep. Many a times I have headed to my sewing machine bleary-eyed only to plop my head on whatever I was working on.

By the way, maternalspark.com is an amazing blog. Please go and read it, it will not disappoint.

Second attempt at reconstructed men's shirt

Okay, here's my 2nd attempt. A little better, a little looser but i do like the drama of the first one. This one is a bit too tame. I will definitley put an image on this one, will post that when it's ready. I am having a lot of fun with these so I think I am going to make a bunch of them and list them in my etsy store, http://www.nelesc.etsy.com/.

First attempt at reconstructed mens shirt

So here's my first attempt at the reconstructed men' shirt. It is still not finished. J had given me a bunch of his old shirts to work with so I have lots of practice fabric. I like it, i just wish i would have made it a bit looser, too snug in the middle but i do like it and would definitely wear it. What do you think?

Frida reconstructed men's shirt

About a year go I made this reconstructed men's shirt and screen printed Frida Kahlo on it. I recently went to the school I used to teach in and one of the teachers absolutely loved it. She asked me to make her one. So i am now on the journey to remember how I actually made the thing.

Back from long hiatus

Sorry for the long hiatus. M was home from summer school starting August 11 and I had to constantly think of trips and stuff to do to keep the kids busy. We had a good time, lots of museum, Bronx Zoo and playground trips. Then M started school and I was busy with that. But things are now getting back to normal and I am soooo ready to start sewing again. I did print on new and recycling clothes this summer and added them to my shop, http://www.nelesc.etsy.com/. I also did a couple of t-shirt recons too.

My Friend's Art Opening tonight

Well, it has again been a while. A lot has been going on but I'll update you on that later. For now, I want to talk about the art opening I went to tonight . My friend Kirten Springer-Delgado is an artist. I met her at the Museum of the Moving Image where we lead tours together. She's a really interesting person. Although we've talked about art a lot, I've never seen her work. Mostly my fault. She is constantly inviting me to her open studios and I was never able to make it, until tonight.

Well, the minute I walked into the walkway of the studio spaces I see a big screen with images of various asses. No I don't mean donkeys, I mean human butts, right there in your face and not just with the cheeks closed, you could see the whole ass hole and everything. "Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore!" Or better yet, "Nellie, you are definitly not in the Children's Museum of Manhattan!" Well, although I don't love that kind of art, it did feel good that a big giant ass was welcoming me into the world of adulthood. When you have 2 young children, it's easy to get lost in the land of Never Never land, in endless Blues Clues episodes, in countless Legos buildings, in Mr. Potatohead conundrums. It was just nice to, again, be immersed in the sometimes self indulgent world of art, if just for a moment.

Kirsten's work is pretty adult. She's a photographer so she had these beautiful photos of women, some naked, some in intimate apparel, shot in bedrooms. However, they were either hidden by a wall or a door. They were very intimate and vulnerable, yet very guarded. She's also working on a series of naked men which she showed me some photos of. Her work was definitely edgy yet more subtle than what I was greeted with.

I had a great time. Even the train ride to and fro was great. I just love riding the subway, people don't get that about me. Nowadays it has become a symbol reminiscent of who I was before kids. The first time I took the subway on a consistent basis was to get to Laguardia High School of Music and Art. I then took it to go to Hunter College where I studied art history, then to my first museum job, etc. So the subway has a deep connection to my love of art. After M was born, I continued to take the train but I ended up more and more uptown, first to Queens where I worked at the Museum of the Moving Image and then to Harlem where I taught at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Right before I had D, I began working in the Bronx as a teacher and then with the birth of D, I am now home. So, as I had children, I progressively worked closer to home. So going all the way downtown today, to 14th street, was a way of reconnecting with my old self. Now don't get me wrong. It's not like my old self was a trip to Disney Land. I have grown so much since those days, I have actually transformed into a pretty insightful, interesting person. I would never give that up, not for a minute, all that I have gained today. A great husband, two wonderful kids, being able to stay home with my children, being able to rediscover my love for sewing, the insight I have now, etc. However, I do feel like I need to reconnect with her, my old self. I miss her. She's still part of me and I need to repect that and aknowledge that she once existed.

Anyway, it was great to see Kirsten. I talked to her, she introduced me to her friend who is an interior designer, we talked for a while. I then ran into a mutual friend from our museum job and we shared, I met an artist who would be perfect for my middle schoolers, if I ever decide to go back to art teaching. In total, I had a wonderful, rejuvenating time. If you are an artist, and a mom, it is imperative that you get out and look at art, talk about art, even write about art. It's urgent that you occasionally take time to recoonect to your old self, the self before kids. I came back home with so many ideas for, not only my clothing line, but for two dimensional work. I came back home feeling like an artist, a person with an opinion about art, a person, feeling like my old self.

DIY style today and project I worked on

So first off, I got dressed quickly this morning because I realized that I had run out of milk and when I glanced at what I was wearing, I realized that it was all my own clothes, that is, I made them all. The vest is grey, i made this recently but the pants were made a while go, maybe 6 years ago, wow! That's a great feeling when your creations become so much part of you, your life. That's when I realized that I would like to sell the stuff I make, cause I like them so much, so maybe someone else would too. Oh, wait a minute the tank top underneath the vest is not mine. I did purchase it.

Also, this is what I worked on today. It's a dress made from three different t-shirts, a grey one that was given to my son but did not fit him, the blue with stripes was also given to him but didn't fit him either and the blue from the skirt was a purchased one. It is still quite unfinished. Needs some type of binding on the neck and sleeves and the back is longer than the front for some reason. It came out shorter than I wanted to so it could either be a beach dress or a tunic worn with jeans. I think I'll add a graphic and have it go towards the Nelesc line. I keep keeping the stuff I make, it's time to start creating towards the collection again. I had to take the pic while leaning back because the straps are still not attached in the back.