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| One Crow Feather |
Here is his story, in his words:
"First, I helped Grandma dye the fabric in purple cabbage.
Next, I helped Grandma take out the cabbage. It smelled very bad.
Then, we put the fabric in the the freezer.
When we took it out, the fabric was silverish-white!
Last, on comes the feather."
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| The Back |
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| Where Quill meets Shaft |
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| He practices drawing crow feathers. When I ask him, "Are you ready to draw?" (meaning the feather on the cloth), he responds, "Nope, you can't rush art". |
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He decides to use the purple cabbage fabric. You may remember it from
here. After the rinse, the sun and the freezer, there is not much purple left! He whips out the invisible stitch and attaches it to a piece of muslin. He loves doing this stitch and completes the X in record time! He chooses to make a crow feather. He begins by practicing the shape of the crow feather. We discuss the coloring of it, all black. He draws the outline and away he goes! He notices that where the quill meets the shaft, it is both black and white. I suggest that he use one strand of each color and he agrees. You may be able to see this if you enlarge the photo on the right. He has already taught himself the wrap stitch after watching a moment of
Jude's teaching video.
I must say, I love this little feather. I love the tight bunched up little stitches, the mistakes cut and/or covered up with more stitches. I love the cabbage fabric that will one day show no color at all, faded away like stories of our past. This cloth feels so good to hold...it is so soft and it holds the gentle touches of his hands, stitched with his generous spirit and his own way of understanding that this will be sent to Jude for a quilt project for children.
"For the homeless children", he keeps saying.
It is stitched with the long lashes of his down-turned eyes, focusing on this one single creation. This one that will become one of many, a part of something bigger...for someone else. This fills my heart and I hope that this experience, that will become but one in a lifetime filled with experiences, will stay with him in some way.
It will stay with me.
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| Big Crow Feather & Little Crow Feather |
Then it was my turn. I had a few ideas and false start or two.
But, then I came across a square of orange cotton fabric in my stash. I had gotten it years ago, too many years to remember now. It was a giveaway square from a local quilt shop, one of those - free with purchase - choose a square. I looked at it and thought of all the eco-dyeing going on these days. I loved all of the variations of color and the markings on it. I didn't even notice the butterflies until I started to stitch! Orange...not my usual color choice...but it reminded me of the sun and the heat...or lack of heat and rain instead, that has been such a topic of conversation in the stitching community this summer. It made me think of community and the ways we come together and support one another...how we all need the same basic things.
-Sun-Food & Water-Shelter-Loving Care-Mental Stimulation & Growth-Emotional Support-
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| Feather Finds the Sun |
In this stitching community...the spiral is to symbolize either spiraling down towards the warmth of the sun or up and away from too much heat. It's a circling around, a gathering...an open-ended movement...
These are some of the ideas associated with the spiral found on the web:
"Ancient symbol
of the goddess, the womb, fertility, feminine serpent force, continual
change, and the evolution of the universe."
From radio liberty
"Balance, Progress, Direction, Initiation, Centering, Expanding, Awareness, Connection, Journeying, Development."
From What's Your Sign?
" Celtic artists used the spiral symbol as a mind-altering creative process in which the act of
creating a spiral in their work released their minds into a creative splendor."
From What's Your Sign?
"Represents ethereal energy radiating out (or inward depending on your
perspective) Also symbolizes growth, birth and expansion of
consciousness."
From What's Your Sign?
In terms of astrology, mysticism and myth the spiral translates into
meanings of spirituality and rebirth.In terms of spirituality, the
spiral symbol represents the path leading from outer consciousness
(materialism, external awareness, ego, outward perception) to the inner
soul (enlightenment, unseen essence, nirvana, cosmic awareness).
From Symbolic Meanings Blog by Avia Venefica
The spiral is one of the oldest
pagan symbols in existence. It represents the perpetual
motion of life, with the spring-like coils suggesting
latent power, presenting a picture of life as an
endless, evolutionary process bound within the cycles
of time. Although each loop of the spiral brings
us back to the same place, it takes us to a higher
and more evolved level.
From Exotic India Art
So many of the ideas, in particular the single words themselves really spoke to me. But, I have to say I didn't do this mini-research until after the feather and spiral were already spinning and winging their way to Jude! Although, I may have to use some more spirals in upcoming work!!! I designed it by intuition, by gut, by artistic flow.
However, I did make 'design' choices inspired by what I wanted to communicate.
I chose the 'magic feather' in Jude's traditional style of black and white because I wanted this first (or only?) feather to be a representation of Jude's generosity and the spirit of the
Magic Feather Project. I loved how striking it looked on the bright orange fabric! When I went to add the spiral, I decided to keep the feel of the magic thread, but mute the color, so the focus would remain on the feather itself...and sort of float off into the spiral.
Thank you Jude for the opportunity to participate in such a worthy project. Not only is the chosen cause of the nurturing & education of children close to my heart, but I was fortunate to share this experience with my grandson. For this, I am grateful.
Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2011
