Spirit Cloth 101: Work In Progress
6.11.2014 [Cont'd from 6.6.14, Spirit Cloth 101 project, aka "Pocket Haven") Between work sessions, I fold the cloth up along the breaks between the pockets, horizontally, then vertically. When I unfold it, it feels like a ritual -- a priest unfolding his stole. Maybe I should kiss it or murmur an incantation before proceeding to work. My only prayer these days is: "Energize!," the first word in my journal every morning after the date and time. But maybe unfolding and refolding the pocket haven needs a prayer of protection for all of you anxious souls who need a safe resting place, a respite from life's woes, to re-energize before fighting on.
Border. Working on the border (see above) slowed me down. It looks pretty good, but I'm distrustful of what turned out to be loose stitching --the unraveling between the little squares and then the herringbone attaching the border to the main area. The edges are all so ragged. The anti-chaos impulse in me wants it all nailed down. Borders are always dangerous places, aren't they? Our edges do unravel.
The three rows of running stitches help, and the blanket-stitched edge -- but I won't be tossing this into the washing machine.
Pocket 4 (middle left): I attempted to enhance this pocket with sashiko-style running stitches. The stitches are supposed to be beautifully even. Damn. Excuses: the fabric of this old shirt is very densely woven; and it might have been easier to do before the pocket was all stitched down to the base cloth.
Pockets 6 and 9 (bottom). I decided to add some pebbles, or stones (per Jude Hill) -- see photo at top and below -- little roundish forms. They are sweet... and giving me practice on my needle-turn applique. (See top and below.) They are filling up space. I'm not sure when this work will be "finished."
