after a recommendation from heather (thank you) ......i finally found a copy of this marvelous book... BORO rags and tatters from the far north of japan by yukiko koide & kyoichi tsuzuki. and i purchased it directly from someone in japan, a gift it seems, since it really cost close to nothing compared to the prices i have seen here.
as you page and read through this book, you might think a bit. although boro has become a bit of a trend these days, the raggedy edges and patching and primitive approach to cloth making... there is a subtle reminder that this was not an intended art form. this was life, mending, thrift, respect for cloth. this is the result of living small with consciousness of means. the need to stay warm, the patience to repair, restore and to keep going... and the resulting beauty in that.
...in all the pictures you might notice that indigo moon. i was lucky enough to purchase a few small pieces of new work from glennis dolce. she is in my sidebar under the heading shibori. i think she has a wonderful sense of honest craftsmanship. she is dedicated to preserving yet developing the shibori method of dyeing. she lives small and gives so much through her work. she has brought an age old craft into a contemporary market with integrity, something we have been discussing over at slow cloth. today i am thinking that true craft eventually takes the shape of persistence, and that is an art.
...i have a piece of grandma's quilt on my worktable, ready to be repaired. i look at it as symbol of where i am right now. keeping company with pieces of my past, being held together by thin threads, seeing the evidence of intended pattern with lots of gaps to be filled. a dream of preserving something, the hope of continuing something, a reason to get up in the morning. the respect for cloth. and i am wondering about the shape of persistence....and how it might be related to problem solving.
(another link to a review of this book with some related video)
and of course you should always visit here.
now its time to pick up the needle.
