Spirit Cloth

Celebrating need

The once named Magic Feather Coat, also known as Without End  hangs there.

A small tear along the neckband needs attention.  I am admiring its staying power just a little longer.  I have decided to alter this garment a bit.  Well, a lot.  Let it become a curtain, maybe,  or a blanket.  Let it be more useful.  I have too many robes. 

The less I have, the less I need. (she thought to herself,  finding the time to jot that down) Perhaps simplicity is all about transformation, the clarity in that.  Perhaps transformation is simply making do.  A form of recycling, re-self-ing, sympathetic evolution?  Becoming what you need to.  How is it we come to need more while celebrating less.  In these years of the revival of mending and celebrating making do,  it seems it has all become about art, business and money and not at all about what it is.

An unspeakable sadness washed over me while walking yesterday. Not the kind that poisons you, but the kind that enriches.  Something quite clear but without words.  It will stay like that I suppose, until  it becomes something utter-able.  Until then I will just try to keep wandering off.  Walking about.  Let my journey  become itself.  ( TYiBO 2013  j.a.h ) 

Saskia has been  living her life and also letting her work become quite  simple with a deepening sense of quiet and confidence I can clearly admire.  She shares her work over at Diaries but also on her blog.  I really like this.  If you stop by, please do, say hi for me.

no end in sight

so last night i decided to launder. and the results are as expected. the garment, this human wrapper, has been warmed by the walnut tone.  the same but oh so different.

early morning. dry. the dye held well considering the quick application and heavy laundering. i feel it will work well now as i apply more layers to specific areas as i go. it is grounded.  the weaving has bloomed nicely and is ready for more stitch.

and the thinnest linen has given away where weak, calling my attention back to mending. these points give me some feather ideas.

and there will be more feathers, this IS the magic feather coat. the first of many special human wrapping cloths.

it is still raining.

i have decided to put together a small free workshop in cloth weaving especially for kids education.  if you are a teacher and have internet access in the class, please send me a group photo with your class and i will send you access to the workshop once it is up and ready. this is part of the magic feather project.

i really love this her blog here.

to dip or not to dip

in the walnut pot ?...or the oak pot? that is the question. stay tuned for the answer.

continued from here....

later this same day:

what's that smell she was wondering?

i opened the walnut pot...

this is a sign. walnut it is.

i'll be back.

so a bit later:

the walnut vat is not big. and i have used a lot of it already.  so the first issue was dipping the jacket in the pot which was not going to happen. so i asked myself what if i paint the dye on. and i had a moment of cold feet. so i pulled out a sample i had hanging around with some weaving on it and i tried it.

i was going to let it dry and then see how much color remained. because usually i lose about 50% after washing, but hey, i couldn't wait.

 

so then there was no turning back. i must have looked funny out there in the rain painting my jacket brown. it was thrilling to watch all the different cloth suck up the dye differently.

i am definitely going to lose color after washing. but i will let it dry and soak in for a while. some dye is settling to the bottom and making  the hem darker. but that could be cool. it stopped raining for a bit. and it will get rinsed when the rain starts again.



i will let the day decide.

alternative audio link if you see no player

 

the rain has stopped again. i am looking.

portrait of a jacket called 'without end'

this project which i worked on a bit in 21st century rags ( the name i have chosen for my book by the way) , also continued from here, has become my magic feather coat. i thought i might work on it in sympathy with the project....

so i have it hanging around. i'm looking at it.

working on it slowly.
i added some old gifted linen scraps . thank you elizabeth! i decided these pointy pieces can hang loose, more added. overlapped like feathers, maybe i can fly away. when i get around to it i will line it with some brown silk i plan to dye with walnuts and acorns. at least that is what i am thinking  today.

 i had a long deep sleep last night and i feel good.

i won't be posting here until monday.  just check on the feathers once in a while.

and to day i just love this.