Sewin Studio : Soul Quilts for Mind, Body and Home
Do you journal ? I do, I use my journal to process my thoughts, to work out what and how I think. To gain insight and understanding and to learn.
My journal writing arrives on the page in a stream of consciousness. The writing is swift.
My textile word work on the other hand, is slow and deliberate. Because it takes time, attention and technique to draw, cut out and fasten the letters to the quilted cloth, to bring them into the material plane, these words need to have meaning and truth.
I’m happy to share my ‘Finishing Project’ progress today. 11 finished hand quilted wall pieces with a couple of ideas floating along. And here’s the thing, I’ve been working very slowly through these, with deep chasms of delay along the way. I’ve found that although I get caught up in ‘that dark head space’ I Have made progress and things aren’t as bad as they seem.
If you are stuck in a difficult place, take a step back and look at what you’ve achieved so far, however small. Be kind to yourself, Be encouraged .
I’ve set myself the task of finishing 8 Quilts by 31 December 2019. Admittedly they are small pieces, because of this I am hand quilting them. This makes them portable and easy to take to the ‘in real life’ quilt group I’ve joined. ‘Stitchers’ in Herne Hill are very welcoming ! I’ve also joined an online accountability group which is proving to be equally supportive.
The quilt shown here is quilt number five and is from a small series from way back, that addresses the voice of the inner critic, that negative and silent in your head voice that says ‘no’. The quilt is called ‘Yes I Can’.
I have a strong tolerance for discomfort. I can avoid, ignore, evade or go Vague in regards to the ‘stuff’ that needs to be organised. It still boils down to the fact I cannot and will not move forward easily until I vanquish the obstacles in my way.
But the story of denial is played out through procrastination, unmade decisions, the build up of ‘stuff’ in my life, physical obstacles that stop me before I start. For example, my studio workspace is in a constant state of flux, always needing to be cleared, is cleared, then back to being a tip again. I do make some progress sorting it out and where I have taken control, things have stayed sorted.
I can put a working system into place, organise all the tools together so I know where to find them (and put them away) I can eliminate items that I no longer need.
I can remove old projects that distract from making the art I want to make.
There are so many unfinished compositions of pieced ‘patchwork’ cloth waiting to be quilted, so many cloths created along one theme or another, then so many ideas come cascading down when I start yet another new idea. This has been my ongoing story. It is currently my place in the scheme of things.
So I’ve decided to approach this challenge by taking this Chakra Quest with Anodea Judith alongside my yoga practice, with the intention of unblocking the stuck energy, so as to access the cause of the fear that underpins this procrastination habit. To work with chakra energy to integrate the body, mind and soul. To be able to move forward confidently, competently to finish and create the art that I am to make.
..what colour would it be? Originally, I layed down plain orange letters and stitched around them in a greyish variegated ‘thin’ thread. It created a drab effect and didn’t engage my interest. So I went back to the drawing board, choosing a more vibrant combination of viridian and teal which works well. It’s an improvement and the purpose of teaching is to strive improvement, to do better, to do your best.
What are you striving for today?
A red orange thread enhances the orange letters, turquoise sets off the complementary colours nicely. #Lovelist is growing. More and more words are being made, more bubbles are sewn, more skill is developed as I find new and improved ways to cut the fabrics to fit and more skill sewing them together. Growing in confidence.
Now and Then #1 a reversible improvisational quilt by Maggie Winnall
Affirmation turns up in life as statements to self, in the present tense, to manifest the qualities or things you want in your life. As in ‘I am rich’ or ‘money flows freely to me’ or ‘my life is beautiful’. Affirmations for money status, health status, the status of being alive and here. They are spoken or written to help bring about dreams and desires, to affirm life in all it’s glory.
But what about the every day Affirmations that possibly go unnoticed. Someone calls my name..Maggie…affirms me, a smile from a stranger in the street, on the bus, you are affirmed by their smile, when someone holds a door open for you, you are affirmed, a small child waves to you.. you are seen and affirmed. Simple everyday exchanges that occur between strangers…
I consider the opposite.
You hold the door open for someone and they breeze through with no thanks or acknowledgement – don’t you just feel annoyed about their thoughtlessness? Downright rudeness, as you might see it? Because you have not been affirmed in return- you’ve been rendered invisible.
When I wait for someone running for my bus and they fly onboard, tap in and move to their seat..zilch, di nada, no smile, nothing. I have seen them but they don’t see me..do they think the bus drives itself? Then you have to realise that people are preoccupied with problems, late for a meeting, going to visit someone sick in hospital, getting to work on time.
And there are the times when there is no need to be seen in Driver role, I wait for you running up ..I’m lost in the working day and want to get going, snap the doors shut and race on.
And then there is the best affirmation.
I recently saw street sleepers a kip in a doorway, when another man carrying a Mac D’s strolled past. He gently tapped one of them on the shoulder and got no response, so he stooped down and left his meal beside the homeless man and went on his way. The affirmation of humanity.
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