Lovely World

snow lace

Lovely antigue lace fabric: a gift from my mother.

Reminds me of the snow finally blanketing the ground. More snow expected tomorrow evening.

Merry Christmas.

xo Maribeth

textiles, with a touch of imperfection

:: My mother gave me two vintage linen tote bags: one with peacocks done in a knot stitch, the other a border motif in cross stitch. They are both so well executed. I can see a few "extra" stitches on the cross stitch. You can too if you look carefully.

:: These extra stitches remind me of the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi, which in general means the acceptance of imperfection and transience. How freeing is that, particularly set next to some of the Western ideas about beauty and perfection?

:: Here are some other words I came across to describe the qualities of Wabi-sabi: simplicity, economy, austerity, asymmetry, modesty, irregularity, and appreciation of natural objects and processes.

:: I one time made some Raku pottery. In Raku, the vessels are fired at a low temperature. When you remove them from the kiln, they are immediately submerged in cold water (traditionally maybe even tea water!) or smothered in material, such as sawdust, which catches on fire and then finally cools. This dramatic process from hot to cool causes very unexpected, uncontrollable results: crackling of the glaze, marks from the smoke and fire. Raku is a very good example of Wabi-sabi in action.

:: I also like to think about Jazz music and the quilts I have seen made by African American women (see here and here). Improvisation leaves lots of room for imperfection and happy accidents.

return

I have been away from this space for quite a while. From my last post, it appears that I went away on holiday and simply never returned!

But, I now turn again to my Lovely World to collect and record my creative efforts and those things that inspire me.

I have continued to read, and be inspired by, the blogs of many of my dear readers. I hope some of you will find your way back here!

Above:

3 images currently posted on my bulletin board

A new animal I made in November: "Circus Elephant"