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The Shirt I call Nine
So this audio format seems the most reliable. More work but not too much in the scheme of things. It did delay my post a bit later though. I can adjust. Someone asked about podcasting. I could check that out but it probably costs something.
It's raining again.
Later: like this morning, Friday, Ha, Grace!
I am having issues with the internet again so I cannot upload video today. I am not going to dwell on it really.
On the heels of yesterday then...pinned to Sanity. A Wom(b)man's Cloth.
Womb Woman's Apron. I added the red fringe (continuing) and some old garden ties (holding) from my old garden back there, I think to stake the sunflowers before a big storm. I was going to weave some ties but this seemed an act of kindness to some old cloth. It can rest here for now. It has inspired new direction for a robe called Wind.
What if a field of stitch will ground this thing?
Whispering, the Man had a sleepless night and is finally resting, hope you can hear me. Too cold for the porch this morning.
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The circles are drawn.
In permanent ink.
These are new circles but really they seem like old circles unearthed.
I have more of a sense of that.
That they have always been there.
Wednesday. Robe day.
I've been enjoying the pics on Instagram and seeing where you are.
Where am I?
I ask that a lot. Sometimes as soon as I rise in the morning. But here, today, I am still at where was I. ? .
I use the term Design Mending to describe a form of real time design. It's really about continuing from where you are. Reconsidering based on what is. Not returning to check if you are on plan. Where you should be. Everything is new at each moment. From a creative standpoint I think Boro can be used as an example of moment to moment problem solving, going, as each moment changes the shape of what was, and what you need, and what you have to work with. And ultimately what you get.
So that morning, so long ago, Wind was hanging. On a stick in the home I no longer live in. I noticed how different it was from my original drawing but how my original needs had still been met. I thought about what I may have done differently to begin with, but how that didn't matter as long as I ended up with a light weight summer robe that I might throw on as I jumped naked from the bed on a hot summer morning. Maybe just to go out to watch the sunrise. Maybe to feed the goats if I had some. Probably just to put out the trash. And if it was today, just to gaze out the window and wonder where I am.
Anyway, back in June of 2012... I looked at where I was. I talked out loud to myself. (And oddly, I am talking to you now)
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Then, Now What? Where I was and a way to continue:
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Hey, large just became small again!
I think it's time to be here and now with this robe. Because so much unrecorded work has been done. And still there is so much more I could do to make this more into a finished garment. Next Wednesday I will ask myself where am I? In real time and get on with it.
Just a few moments to reflect.
I did not plan to focus on the Robe thing in such detail here in "Large Cloth".
But how it goes is simply how it is. And I let you lead me my friends. Lead me and accompany me at the same time.
You might recognize this robe "Without End" from one of the videos I published from the Contemporary Boro class in the last few days. It's the one made from grandma's linen curtain. With the binding made from scraps of my son's baby quilt. It was patched and dyed and mended and worn. My first attempt at ROBE. Dates back to 1975 or so. And then the cloth began to weaken. To honor it I undid the seams and attached it to a foundation cloth for support. To take the strain of tension away. It is now a wall cloth. And I renamed it Temple. It is not a religious statement. It is symbolic of a dwelling place for an aging deep seated feeling of honor. I have only begun to put this together, it has been hanging on walls for a while and needs more stitch.
I put this here today simply to emphasize how one thing might become another. And still be useful. It could have become a blanket. Maybe it is now an art cloth. One I wanted to create , wanted it to make an impact. Maybe just a Ceremony. Because I needed it as a reminder of how I feel about cloth. In a new way it is still a robe. It wraps me in peace. And tells, to me, my own story.
How strange,it has grown larger now, Larger than Life.
This, again, is the bird robe. Today. A large cloth project from way back, that I still shelter in. Just appropriate for the times.
Some folks have expressed interest in making a simple robe. Have asked about the method.
I will be talking about using old garments when I get to pre-existing bases. Of course this has become one over time.
But if you want to start from scratch, I will share my method here, for making a simple pattern. And robe base. These videos are from my Contemporary Boro class which has never been re-released as part of feel free, mostly because there were some glitches in the media that needed to be resolved. At one point I will make the whole class available.
The garment, for reference, some older pics here.
Anyway, below is my pattern making a approach for a robe base, because you asked. That is what I am doing here.
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my measurements...
What if? I don't have a large piece of cloth to cut from? Patchwork. Sew what you have together to make a bigger cloth. Yup, that's the point. Starting with patched cloth will yield unexpected and delightful results when cut to shape.
Because this is such a loose boxy thing, perfect alignment and seam allowance doesn't make much difference, you can add a bit extra to allow for seams but it has never mattered much to my making.
Once it is basically stitched together it becomes a base to play with. I was wearing mine right from the beginning.
or you can just play paper dolls.
General Note: I have decided some sort of social media will be more inclusive, so I have chosen Instagram and the hashtag #ragmates2020 for sharing if you are there. Because a lot of you are there, I know. It's fairly easy for me to be there too. Feel free to share anything you are working on. Pics there but Lessons still here, of course.
I've not been sleeping well.
Counting sheep is not working.
Ok, I thought, maybe counting something else.
When you are counting, trying to measure a lot of something that's already there, you might start anywhere, just going through them all.
Last night I counted all the pages that need repair on the Feel Free site. There were 47. I tried to fix one, it took about an 1/2 hour. Knowing me, I might get to 3 a day considering the current state of affairs. I estimated about 15 days. So maybe 2 weeks. Not as long as initially imagined. So the site will reopen in 2 weeks. So I ask all you Patchwork in Perspective folks, either part 1 or part 2 or both, can you hang in there? I am learning that I have bitten off more than I can chew with this website thing, but I am willing to get through this...and I think it will be OK.
This counting did not help me sleep.
So I moved on to counting Cloth. I tried to remember, one by one, all the cloths still here with me, the ones I never call finished. I fell into a deep sleep and here I am. This one, above, the WIND Robe, was for convenience sake, #1. It was on the wall, so I started there. This process will bring me peace and has given me an idea for the Thought Catching segment, once I get back to it.
And so... I woke up and hemmed the sleeves and bottom this morning. I will not pack this one, I will wear it to the new place. If we find one.
And as always, summer fades...
...whether I count days or not.
Just waiting for it to snow.
Before it, shortly after, rains.
Filled the feeders. Stacked wood on the porch and indoors. Went to the market at dawn to avoid the storm rush.
Now, stitching. Can't believe there was no Snow Globe on this one. This is my winter robe now. So many layers. Toasty.
That Robe. Continuing.
Robe weather is approaching.
To catch them. The symbols.
And repair at the same time.
The magic dot. Was #1. The first consciousness of component/symbol as a way to build story cloth...
Just one old example... and a new way of doing it with a loose dyed patch. A dot is a place to begin.
The need to make it more human has come over me.
The bird robe, it needs mending.
And I think it might be a home for all my symbols. A way to carry them. Forever. For surely this garment will outlive me.
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Notes:
Feel Free is alive and well and the format will be finalized soon.
I am considering one final online workshop before I walk off into the sunset. If you are interested send me an email. And specify your contact email. I will be putting together a newsletter with details. This one is not free, but free enough.
I reopened the Spirit Cloth Shop to sell some finished work and clear some space for new work. Updates are twice a month with the new and full moon. Loose dyed patches and supplies will still be available at ThreadCrumbs until I run out of scraps of self.
At a loss for anything to say today.
But then there is always something to do. And then something to say about it.
So. These old jeans. They are well worn and often neglected but loved even more because they still fit. After all these years. I use them to measure that. Fit-ness.
At no loss for loose patches, obviously. I always take note of wear. Linen is not good when folded or stretched. Like on the knees. I heard that about linen, how it abrades, weakens when bent. But to see it is to know it. To almost be it. We live and learn and patch holes. Or not.
Also at no loss for quiet company.
If the path before you is clear,
you are probably on
someone else's.
-Carl Jung