10.31.06
Posted in Articles at 6:50 pm by Administrator
Today’s mail brought my subscription copy of The Quilter magazine with the banner headline for my latest article: “After the Taliban: An Embroiderer’s Life in Afghanistan.” My article is on pages 52-55.
I am so thrilled to see this article in print, just as I am enchanted by the compelling story that is detailed in my description of the life of Hafiza Malikbaba, an Afghan woman and master embroiderer, whom I had the pleasure of meeting this past summer.
The magazine will be available on the newsstands within the next ten days or so, I suspect. I will never understand the vagaries of magazine distribution, but this one seems to appear by the 10th of any given month (and is published seven times per year). I hope that you enjoy reading this current issue.
For subscription information, visit: www.thequiltermag.com or check the front page of my website for the toll-free number for the magazine, published by All-American Crafts, Inc.
http://www.quiltersmuse.com
Pat
Permalink
Posted in World Textiles at 2:28 pm by Administrator
Photo by James Cummings
I am in awe of the intricate details of the small piece of fringed, Egyptian, tapestry art, above, that measures only 17 3/4″ square. The yarns are worked so that the windows look three dimensional. Attention is paid to the most minute of details. From the camels, to the men, and how they are dressed, to the tents, the buildings, and the palm trees, all speak of a glimpse of Egyptian life as I envision it to be.
Weaving can be as plain or as simple as one wants to make it. As for me, I’ve been content with weaving potholders since childhood, on those metal looms that were so popular in the 1950s. That has been the extent of my effort in that craft.
Therefore, I admire those who have the talent to combine warp and weft threads to create a pictorial scene.
For the price of a candy bar, I now own this magnificent piece, someone else’s unappreciated discard that is now my treasure.
Happy Halloween!
Pat
Permalink
10.30.06
Posted in Musings at 9:00 pm by Administrator
Some wise person once said that it matters not what happens in life, the key is in how you deal with it. Our greatest daily challenges can be in dealing with other people.
One reason I enjoy the new TV show, “Desperate Housewives,” is that it portrays the things that can go wrong in relationships. The wacky scenes, involve scheming and plotting revolved around stealing someone else’s guy, or money, or gaining or keeping prestige. While the characters are exaggerated, and not like anyone whom I presently know, they are not so far-fetched that they are outside the realm of possibility. We are left feeling that people like this exist…somewhere!
Strangely enough, to watch shows that demonstrate a level of conflict is a bit comforting. We are an imperfect species. Yet, while I know that some children are overbearing and are accustomed to telling off their parents and bad-mouthing them, it is a shock to see this behavior portrayed as entertainment, on TV. If children are using shows like that as a model for behavior, it is no wonder that teachers and parents are having trouble with them in school.
Our society is becoming less polite and less couth. I sometimes wish that I lived in another age when there was more respect in place, when there was less violence, and when there was less immediate knowledge of the bad events happening. Now, we have the expediency of news delivery but the news is never good. This fire, that robbery, this pedophile priest, that rapist, this war, more casualties, that drunk driver…the list goes on and on.
Isn’t it good that we have hobbies into which we can escape the fray and do something creative and useful? We can make a date to spend time with ourselves. We can play music, loudly, if we choose to do so. Or, we can stitch in silence, with just the hum of the sewing machine, or no sound at all, if we are sewing by hand.
I would say that creative people have it all. Making something beautiful that did not exist before we came along, and that will continue to give joy to ourselves or others, as the years progress…what more could we ask?
For a moment, all the troubles of the day can be set aside, all the snide remarks of co-workers, all the snippiness of sales clerks, and all of the encounters with rude people whom we seem to encounter in this society, on any given day, can be shelved. Alone with our thoughts and our projects, we can turn our attention to more pressing matters…thoughts of how we are living our lives, decisions we need to make, and ultimately, the brevity of our personal existence and how we can make every day count.
For something a little different, tomorrow, I am going to tell you about a very special Egyptian piece I just collected. I love it! In the meantime, I’ll ask Jim to take a photo of it so that you, too, can appreciate it.
Remember not to let a black cat cross your path tomorrow, and avoid stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. Plan to get in plenty of “treats,” and enjoy those visits from ghosts and goblins. Until then,
Pat
Permalink
