update

to all of you who read here and especially those who have left comments in the previous posts..thank you so much, your words of support give me courage and strength, they mean the world to me

we keep on getting austerity measures that are harshe and harsher, taxes piled upon taxes, and it doesn't look as if they are getting any results..

the computer is very uncooperative in the heat, it closes after loading sites and pictures, it gets overheated or just fed up..

I will visit individually, but I wanted to say a collective thank you

the japancloth is travelling with me to spain to be stitched down, and it will be presented to the Embassy in December

in between travelling:

I've made a feather for jude's feather project




I wanted it to be special, so I made the "cloth" first-pomegranate dyed crochet yarn, with a few extra strands of indigo added as an after thought
catching the shadows. It;ll go in the post on Tuesday
I learnt how to twine rags into string, and she got a head of hair, made from the mnemonic device I used while composing the tale I'm telling
and a face, and a name..meet ANNA the raglady
making a book of fabrics .. the Odyssey, part b, of course
abit like a vertical quilt- stacked layerson to the next voyage then.. see you soon!

blog for the japancloth

I have opened a new blog to document the wishing/prayercloth for the people of japan project, here: wishingcloth

mythcolour will still be the personal blog

I've reposted the relevant posts from here, and there is an update from the storytelling event.

there is a moment, when someone is thinking about what to write that what is going on is nearly visible- a vortex of stillness and silence is created about that person, and the concentration is palpable.

I am not a religious person in any conventional way, but this I believe in. I can see it happening, and I can feel it in the thumping of my heart in my chest.

Yes, it is a kind of mending.

it makes tears come to my eyes and a smile on my face. it is good.

japancloth

had a sleeping think

no rules for colour.. the idea is to use what we have

scraps with wishes

I have a little pile, and I'm off to Athens with the loom in my bag

lets see if I can collect a few wishes at the coffee shop where I have a business meeting

the cloth for the people

So this is the practical side

I'm proposing to make a cloth of woven "wishes" or prayers written on scraps and pieces of cloth

I will gather these scraps on little looms I am going to set up at storytelling events beginning on Sunday 20th March which is world storytelling day which this year has the theme of WATER. Our event here in Greece will be dedicated to the people of Japan.

The little looms will be set up at a quiet spot with a basket of scraps and an indelible pen. Anyone who wants to can write a wish on a scrap and weave it into the loom. it will be a quiet moment of breathing in and out..a small dedicated doing. A prayer if you wish.

I will gather the little cloths and stitch them together into a larger one, respectfully paying homage to the japanese tradition of "boro" the study of which has nurtured my soul these past few months

I am open to ideas about what to do with the resulting cloth..even only symbolically I am thinking of ways to offer it to the people of japan

I have made this proposal known to other storytellers at the world storytelling day mailing list, and have received a few mails indicating interest in taking part in this project. I thank you.

for anyone interested in making a scrap woven cloth and/or sending a scrap to be patched onto the larger cloth I would be happy to receive them at

pobox66

marathon 19007

attica

Greece

to make a simple frame loom you only need a frame which could be anything strong enough..a shoebox, a tray, a basket, (see pictures)

you can tie strips of cloth to make the warp or use string

the wish scraps are woven "under over" these warps

I propose we use indigo or blue cloth, also white is ok because I can dye them in my indigo vat

it is the colour of the sea, and the varied tones will make a beautiful cloth

please, If you are going to send wishes, it would be better for the stitching if they are from natural fibers(cotton, linen) and not too stiff

I wish to say that this idea has evolved from the "ferment"of ideas shared in the classes by jude hill and the lively exchanges in online conversations with clothmates.

for an idea of what boro is, an introduction, see here and click boro on the sidebar

I will post again about this later

any ideas and comments are welcome