Saturday, January 23, 2010

un-cocooning


elva weaver, my mom. age 13 in the 1920s. after her first bob.
.
my mom was a weaver, the baby of her family. she made all her own clothes, using the sears catalog as her fashion guide, and sewed everything by hand. she did no fancy work other than embroidery, and she didn't care to quilt. mom taught me to sew on kleenex with thread, before i was allowed to use up rags. eventually i had access to the rag bag to make barbie and troll clothes and whatever i wanted. this meant that by the time i was in seventh grade i was sewing most of my dresses and skirts. i made a quilt for college when i was sixteen. at school i walked past the weaving studio and the looms shouted out to me and i knew i needed to weave. those early connections to textiles are embedded deeply, but also to utility. but i don't often make useful things, even in school my textiles were mostly decorative. 

at sunset today, i was thinking how life moves us in directions we can't even imagine. i came to this northern place, where january really can get drag you down. but all i feel like today is books. books and cuddling up for a nap. 


 
this small case holds some of my favorite books, several i made, some made by friends. these books were made by carol blinn, aimee lee, shanna leino, roberta lavadour, joanne kaar, amanda burnham, margo ecke, hannah stevens, susan porteous, mark mcmurray. and most of these books hold stories. stories that connect to me through their makers, a thread, part of the cloth of my life. 

9 comments:

  1. I like that you have what looks like a handknit sock in with the handmade books!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your mom was a lovely looking girl.
    Extreme weather is not good for our creativity is it? This end of the world it is so hot and humid that I have no energy to do anything besides blog hop and flop on the bed feeling like a beached whale.

    ReplyDelete
  3. yep--that's a little book hannah made for a college project "happiness is a warm sock". she started making me socks because i have issues with patterns.

    my mom, as my sweetie says, was a babe. really.
    i love winter, but mid winter despair can set in for a while, not every year, but it sometimes happens.

    ReplyDelete
  4. a nice glimpse. i totally love how that screen shot distorts one's view and sucks you into the computer screen like you are on your way somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  5. poor me i just saw this awesome weaving ...;)
    but then again i'm one track minded.

    ReplyDelete
  6. and you saw a tapestry! of course you did!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely glimpse of your book shelves, Velma.

    ReplyDelete
  8. i call this my library, but in truth i have bookshelves or piles in most rooms. i loved seeing your sketchbooks!!!!

    ReplyDelete

be in touch!

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *