Spirit Cloth

Selling, Sharing and Common Sense

It's been a while since I focused on selling my stitched work. It is everywhere here.

Because I like that really, being surrounded by the history of process. 

It's time to let some stuff go.  I sell/offer the work that is closest to me in order to share something deeper about self and process, maybe just the time it took. And I sell stuff when I need to. When I need money, when I need to clear my head. And clear some space. Right now there is a little bit of all of that going on. I will be closing the Spirit Cloth shop. I left that place for larger works but I doubt I will ever let them go. Or finish them even. Supplies and Small Stitched Works will be available in the ThreadCrumbs Shop.  I think I will skip a lot of the official announcing of shop updates. Perhaps just a whenever dribble might work at this point. Just stop by if you are curious. I do an occasional shout out on Instagram and Facebook.  But not here really.  Let this just be about the going. 

Selling can be confusing. Especially pricing. I have often been "accused" of selling myself short.  It is important for you to know that this selling thing is more about sharing than what I might deserve.  Sharing is what I do. The best I can. Because I can. I put a lot out there. I feel good about it, even though some days I find myself disappointed in how others behave in the context of my sense of community... Sharing openly takes trust. I do not ask for much. And I don't like much that I need to put this here again, but after some shitty stuff this week, here it is:

Some days I can't keep my cool. I get knocked off balance. I think perhaps, well I would like to believe, that most hurtful stuff happens in some innocent way. Still, misunderstanding can never be prevented/resolved without dialog (we might say that about everything). I just recorded a rant to relieve some stress, but then I remembered a calmer time during PatchWork in Perspective-part 1 when I was Thought Catching and addressed a question about the copying issue with more composure. And I listened and I said what I still might say.

 

 

Here is a video link if you see no player above. Videos from this series are not public but I opened this one because it seemed to fit to the day. Of course some of you were right there. 

And here we are...

...

and 9

I was awake at 2 AM anyway.

Suddenly, upload speed.

Protection

I was going to talk today but I feel quiet. Thinking about holding and being held. The idea of amulet and talisman and the history of fear and power. How much of life is shaped by our sense of them. How much imagination plays a part in that sense.

I need a few quiet days.

Adding Space.

Space. Funny how, for me, the concept, or even the word Space, conjures something big. Or at least bigger than what was previously considered. Even though space could be small.

These new squares are larger. 3 x the size of the basic small unit.  3 x 1.75" = 5.25". A ring of these will bring the cloth closer to 5 feet square quickly. (these muslin squares have been cut down slightly from 6" squares once set aside for another quilt long ago. Leftovers rescued.)

I'm not planning, just generally going. And then looking at where I have gone. With no regrets. I like the floor. At least the cloth is at rest horizontally.

Although the grid has begun to shift, I have not yet changed the math. Still using the little squares I had prepared. For filling in the corners of the square ring making.

When I began I was obsessed with keeping my place, X marking the spots I had been.  I gave it up.  Now the corners simply mark my change of direction in new found space.  So I might remind myself of the hug of the rings. Trust it's form.

Snow and then some

We did get snow.

Expecting more today.

He is watching me fill the feeders.

I'm off to the market and then I will stack wood on the porch.

I've not been feeling well. I'm doing an apple cider vinegar fast since last night. Sometimes not eating is good. Give it a rest.  A New Year's purge. Trusting in past experience.

Old Friends and New Friends

Today is warmer but after some chill, new furrry fellows have begun visiting for breakfast.

This is Bob. He is quite young. Fred, well I haven't seen Fred, maybe he has moved on.

Whenever I make squirrel friends, I think of Glennis. I thinking of all these blogging years and how long some friendships have been. Although I have actually never met her, I know her. I know her for her generous nature. Her teaching. Her slow persistence. Her loyalty and clear heart. I trust her.

So today, while sorting through cloth, wanting to talk about that some, I came across a few things here, that I dyed while participating in her shibori class from way back. I should make a section for Shibori over at Feel Free I thought. But really, I am only a beginner. Then Poof! In the spirit of free(r, Glennis pops up and decides to offer that old class. For Free! So a SHIBORI page is coming. You can go visit her blog and see what's up about that.  My shibori page will contain a link to her kind gesture. I've so many ideas based on her introduction to it all. The page will surely fill up quickly. 

Thank you Glennis.

A little journey in December

 

 

 

Safe

Throughout this project, the Magic Feather project, I keep reminding myself what an honor it is to  hold the wishes of others.  What a difficult thing it is to be a parent (or even a good friend)  then.  How frightening it is when you are unable to protect someone from  the awful moments when the simple path to becoming is lost.   How many  forms that takes, the holding.  How the many forms of holding might simply evolve from that caring.  How even letting go is a form of holding. How everything you do is meant to be that. Holding. How  you wish that to be True. Possible  .Acknowledged.

I will add some pockets to this cloth I call HOME.  So some of the feathers might remain free.  But have a place to come back to and hide.  Or at least be alone for a while.  To consider holding.  Being held.

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Soul-o is home

Cold moving in again.  The fresh wood stacked by the fire (and this cloth) seems like home I think.  Nice and warm with a tad of forest.  Fear subsiding.   Ate from my hand today. Gifts have been exchanged.

It's gong to be OK.

The nature of the Cloth, Beast and Sense

This morning, a side trip, another little Catchwork in process.  A nine lives patch to celebrate the arrival and nurturing  of Soul-o.  Because it gives me joy to stitch a simple little thing.  To celebrate another simple thing. The nature of cloth, I get it.  The nature of the beast, I get it.  Human Nature on the other hand, it sometimes baffles me.   Keeps me on the edge of trust that i would really like to move past.. 

If you have signed up for one of my online classes,  it is NOT really  OK to publish the content of the private class site on Pinterest.  Or any other public site. Did I need to say that?  I feel this might be just common sense.  But sense seems quite uncommon these days.  Thank you  for considering my sense of things.