Grace of Windthread holds a circle of Trust on Thursday mornings at 7am Pacific Time midnight the witching hour here in Oz. I lit a candle thanking the four quarters and entered the circle holding Hope and Love to find the way, in closing I turned the Leunig calendar to hear the angels weep and laugh and sing!
I dream of a world where Love is the Answer
Back in 2019 Beth Brennan of Still Life Pond who made the beautiful Tree of Life pennant for I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer sent me her mother’s exquisitely fine leather gloves with this note. In our e-mail conversation she added, “Ah good! I felt like Cinderella’s stepsister trying to put them on. My mother was impossibly tiny and had elegant taste. I don’t know how much they were worn—not much by the look of them! She was married to my dad in 1940, so they probably date from the late 1930s. You were my first thought for repurposing and I knew you would appreciate the fineness of the leather. But I also absolve you from doing anything at all with them. Set them free if you need to when the time comes.”
The time has come to throw down the gauntlet!
whilst carefully dissecting the seams on the very fine leather I dreamed of merging the two pairs into one pair of starry gloves with contrasting stars as a follow on to Reaching for the Stars
love how the fourchettes with quirks look like birds!
as I explored all the seams and felt the different textures in the leathers I realized these gloves have their own ideas about what each pair wants to be next!
the gloves need to be longer between the thumb hole and fingers for the bigger hands of today & in the width so I cut a 1/2 inch strip from the bottom edge to insert across the knuckles and cut the foredge to increase all the edges with hand stitched button hole lace. I was going to use white silk but have some vintage Silkworm thread that works much better.
last night as I was trembling on the edge of making the first cut, I spoke to my wild artist friend Dotti & she helped me see how I needed to throw all caution to the wind & jump into the stitching so at midnight I did just that! The other challenge was Artsite advising to not share work in process for the Collector’s Choice xmas show on social media this year. I bristled at first, then settled my hackles back down after talking to the director who recognizes this blog as an important part of my process especially with this l-o-n-g Covid lockdown (ongoing here in Sydney since June 26th) I need to communicate what’s going on & with just reading Jude Hill’s latest post and seeing her pocket collaboration revealed I love the magic that happens when minds meet through the ether!
some Cream coloured Cliveas
our gardens are looking spectacular this spring!
“One candle gives light to another without itself ceasing to burn. The light which has been given to us burns all the brighter for being offered to others”
Michelle Slater
Ms Uncertainty Principles
Fly Free!
Michelle told good stories, she would like this one;
“…Then I understood that when someone begins to tell you her story, you are entwined together. Perhaps even more so if the ending hasn’t been divulged. It was exactly like dreaming the same dream, then waking too soon and never finding out what happened. I watched leaves fall as the mourning prayers were recited. People here say that means a spirit is walking above you, in the trees, and that once a soul is free to join with them she can walk all the way to the world to come. That was a story I decided to believe.”
from The Marriage of Opposites (p 216) by Alice Hoffman
Michelle Slater by Michelle Slater
photo courtesy of Jude Hill’s Spirit Cloth post with the sad news of Michelle’s passing on facebook
Barry Smith made this beautiful talisman for I dream of a world where love is the answer
The ripples of love continue to grow as we slow down in the face of this global pandemic, the air is so clean here in Sydney with hardly any traffic on the roads and everyone is being so courteous & kind to each other, this time out is giving our beautiful broken world time to heal and time for us humans to recalibrate and find new ways of working towards cleaning up the mess we’ve made!
This morning Marti sent these photos and words from New Mexico
“With all of the caring, kindnesses, creativity that is being shown all around the world during this time of crisis, I woke up this morning and knew I had to do something beyond staying at home. One of my favorite raggedy cloths was dyed last year with a few leaves from the trees out in our front yard, Chinese Pistache. Along with those leaves, some red and yellow onion skins were also added to the copper dye pot. I found a small yellow Spanish broom dyed strip of cloth so I wrote the word LOVE with an indelible ink pen and stitched it to this cloth, Cut out a portion to make tabs.
At mornings’ light, I tied it to one of the trees out in front. It is very, very windy here this morning and I like the notion that the wind, dancing with my little cloth, will carry my message of love, not only to the people in my neighborhood but across the airwaves, reaching out to all…
Stay safe,
Love,
Marti
PS March 30th Marti made an amulet filled with love and the hope of spring:
“There is a collective sense of the need to make amulets and talismans. This morning I too felt a strong pull to make one and I had the perfect cloth to do so; the square that I had cut out to make my cloth of Love yesterday to hang in one of the trees in our front yard.
Laid out the cloth on the kitchen table and placed sprigs of dried rosemary and lavender from our garden plus salt in the center of the cloth as well as red chile powder from Chimayo. Chimayo is a holy place for many here in New Mexico, pilgrimages are made to the church because there is a room that has dirt said to have healing powers. Pilgrims come with their tiny bottles and containers and fill them with the holy dirt.
“The finishing blessing was a round green bead from a necklace that my granddaughter Rowie had made for me when she was 4 yrs old. The amulet is on my dresser, next to one of my candles. When I lit the candle to do my daily blessing ritual this morning, I held the amulet in my hands for a few minutes, and gave protection blessings to you and Rod, to my family, to other friends, and to everyone in the world. May we all be safe, may we all find levels of comfort and serenity, may gardeners be considered essential for in my world, they are and most of all, may we love and help each other as best we can.”
Marti
namaste
I dream of a world where love is the answer opened a year ago at Artsite Gallery
(the catalogue has all the links reconnected after Yumpu deleted them late last year)
our beautiful broken world needs love more than ever
thanks again to everyone who made the dream real
may the ripples of love keep growing
Dream On!
Visited Sturt Gallery in Mittagong to see Harriet Goodall’s solo show “Circling Back”
“I am forever circling back, not just in my dreams, but literally also to collect materials I find by the roadside or in the paddocks. I weave through these fences and burnt out car panels with naturally coloured fibres that mimic the scribbly lines of insects on bark, striations in granite boulders, wending rivers or sheep tracks in dry paddocks. My heart beats for the decay and beauty of inland Australia and this is an elegy for the loss of feeling that I belong there”.
these mended pieces of old corrugated iron were beautiful
and caught up with my sculptor friend Bronwyn Berman at her new studio space in The SHAC
with a good communal space to relax and get warm
Bronwyn’s display case
working space
so good to Bronwyn’s pennant & talisman for the dream
Marti ‘s pennant for the dream is changing with the elementals
“Thought you might like to see what has become of my pennant from I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer: When I received it back from you, I hung it in my pear tree and sent you photos but over the past few months, it has taken a beating hanging out in our pear tree. Winds have buffeted it, rain has soaked it and that is all to the good but it is our fierce sun that has faded the cloth bits to a delicate patina, if I can use that word when describing cloth! What doesn’t fade is the fact that love while at times, fragile, holds. and is always the answer to helping our world.
I love the idea of keeping the pennant outdoors but it was becoming fragile; I didn’t want to deconstruct it so I did some thinking. As much as I love dyeing with the foraged natural gifts that I find in the land, now and then, I get jazzed by the alchemy of creating rusty cloths. The magic that comes from using steel wool strands, rusty pipes, horse shoes, clamps, files, old nails, is terrific. Recently I worked with all of these rusty bits and came up with a cloth that while industrial looking is also reminiscent of the cliffs and markings here in New Mexico. As I looked at this cloth, a light bulb went off in my head! What if I enfolded my fading pennant in this tough cloth. The idea that it would be intact but hidden also appealed to me. Rust takes a long time to fade, I’ve had rusty cloths outdoors for several years and so, I did just that; tucked it inside the rusty cloth and stitched a new cover for my pennant. Sadly the winds tore away the tree and peace symbol talisman, made by Barry Smith, that I had at the end of the pennant but on a positive note, I like the idea that someone may find it on a sandy trail, on the sidewalk or in an arroyo. I did stitch the little piece of blue armature and of course, the star that you sent to the front of the pennant cover. It holds so much joy and connection from the Gathering. I had dyed the lace and tulle bits that you had sent in tea so added a few pieces of lace also to the new pennant cover. The juxtaposition of the delicate lace with the tough rusty cloth I find quite sentimental and I love knowing that the original pennant that shared so many connections with the Gathering flies once again, free in the New Mexico wind, sending its vibe of connection and caring.”
love holds for our beautiful broken world keeping The Dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 1
ripples post 2
ripples post 3
namaste
“Fluttering and Stars on the altar. The peace of this….such love medicine”
beautiful photo & words from Grace Forrest Maestas of Windthread
Dotti’s LITA is holding her piece of starry palm inflorescence and the section of blue branch
and a formal studio shot, she is dreaming of traveling to Germany soon !
namaste
The ripples of love as the pennants and talismans make their way home are keeping The Dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 1
ripples post 2
The previous ripples post was getting very long and WordPress started getting wobbly about it all so
I will keep updating this post as everyone sends back photos of where their pennant or talisman has settled
to keep the dream alive!
René Walkin’s beautiful pennant has arrived home safe and sound
“Thank you for the return of my pennant and mementos from your beautiful exhibition. It was a privilege to be a part of such an inspirational event.
Thank you again for including me. I wish you and Old Man Crow a wonderful year.”
With blessings to you both, Rene
Beth Brennan’s Tree of Life pennant is home at Still Life Pond where she posted these beautiful photos and words
“The Tree of Life pennant is back home again after her journey to the other side of the world. The circle has opened but remains unbroken.
She rests at the base of the black oak that was our muse.
Thank you so much @mocrow2016 it was an honor to take part in your installation and in such fine company.
I dream of a world where love is the answer. 💙
(And thank you, Mo, for the talismans, lace, and tulle. I’ve been contemplating a piece they might work in, and so might continue…)”
Dana Webb’s alchemical dream is settling in from her travels
Dana posted these beautiful words and photograph on her latest post at Raven & Sparrow
“The tide of love has washed across the world and returned, collecting and focusing bits of imagination, design skill and artistic execution into something larger than themselves. Mo Orkiszewski from Sydney Australia orchestrated this wave, sending strips of satin cut from an old wedding dress to fiber artists in Australia, North America and Europe, bidding them to embellish the fabric in their own ways upon the theme “I dream of world where love is the answer”. Slowly the pennants drifted back to her across the oceans, changed by the efforts of the people into whose hands they had been entrusted. Mo added her own extensive skills to the gathering and amalgamation of these highly varied pieces (including a beautiful selection of tiny talismans) and produced a soaring installation that evoked a proud ship under sail, flying the flags of love. I am so grateful to have been included in this project and so touched by the exquisite individual expressions of a universal principle gathered into a clarion impossible to ignore.
Now, the crescendo has been reached, and the tide is receding. The installation is disassembled and the pieces are wafting back across land and sea to the hands that took them from scrap to statement. Mine came home yesterday, wrapped in clouds of tulle and accompanied by bits of branch still bearing stars from the larger piece. It has changed during its absence, as travel changes us all, and carries the vibrations of its experience which has enhanced its meaning a thousandfold. Thank you Mo. Thank you everyone.”
Marti Weisbrich has been working on her Bosque cloth that will include the lace from the dream
“The lacy bits from the dream have been swaying in the wind behind my pennant but they are starting to tear a bit at the bottom so I brought them inside. Looking at them, holding them up to a window has given me an idea on how to use them in a cloth:
I’ve been working on a cloth that I have named, Bosque. Bosque is the Spanish word for woodland and in New Mexico, we have many bosques; they are defined as forest habitat along river banks in the southwest. I’ve pinned a cloth that shows my interpretation of the undergrowth, the rich riverbank soil and on top, the trees and vegetation that grows from the riverbank. In looking at this pinned cloth, I wondered how it was years ago when settlers built their homes, some I’m sure, along the river. What did they see as they looked out of their windows? If they had curtains on their windows, were they made out of prized lace? Your lace pieces reminded me of curtains so they are now floating in a glass jar, infused with tea and will solar dye for a few days to get an old, weathered look. My intent, once my Bosque cloth is stitched, is to then assemble these gossamer bits of cloth, over the top, stitching only the top so they can float like curtains caught in a breeze, overlooking the bosque…fanciful to be sure, but maybe I can pull it off!!
Here is a photo of my pinned Bosque cloth on my clothes line. I use my clothes line as my studio wall. On top of the ledge is the glass jar with the tea dyeing lace cloth and you can see some grapevines that I pruned and left to dry. I use them to hang my cloth collages.”
For continuing the dream, Marti
Susi Bancroft’s beautiful dream of a pennant is home
she posted this photo and words on her blog
“I was so honoured and delighted to have work in Mo Crow‘s extraordinary and magical project I dream of a world where love is the answer and Exhibition Have a browse through the posts which give the story and journey and there is a catalogue of work to view. What an achievement Mo! It is a richly rewarding read.. The experience of joining in was wonderful!
I talked about my ‘I dream of a world’ pennant on this blog, and off it went on it’s voyage of love to add to the power and strength of the dream.
Now – here it is after winging it’s way across the world back home to me…
Perfect timing as I am about to start the natural dye cycle again – the dandelions are shining golden and the first solar dye bath is about to begin. The dream lives on around the world, the circles continue to ripple and to sing out to share ways to nurture our beautiful world..”
Hazel Monte’s ‘Love Can Mend’ is enjoying the spring sun in her garden
these beautiful photos and words are posted on her Handstories blog
“The “Love Can Mend” pennant is back from being a part of Mo’s powerful installation of love, “I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer“. Mo’s vision, talents and magic gathered together love and hope from around the world. I wish I could have been in that room and have been surrounded by the energy of it all.
There is some weariness going on here, just as there was in the making this, and remembering what I wrote, back in November, when sending it off to Mo, ‘…maybe this is how it really is. This work and struggle for peace, healing the earth, trying to find a way through- It doesn’t usually happen because everything is a calm and hunky-dory garden of sweet peas and roses. The ripped and rough places show us what’s really going on, and call to us for mending. For most of us, we do what we can with what we have. Piecing together whatever kind of inner scraps we might have within. And just maybe, all of the frayed worn bits can be brought together and worked into a kind of wholeness again.‘
While I’m sad that the gathering is over, it’s been good to have it back, as a reminder that there is love and beauty in mending.
Mo’s generosity continued with the added gifts of one of her brilliant stars, bit of blue and a cloud of wedding cloth (I see some sails in there…). And while wrapping the ties in the tree for photos, there was a sudden movement to the left, turning my head, there was a hummingbird mid-air, eye-level, within arms reach. We looked at each other for a split second before it zipped away, another gift.
A heart-deep thank you to Mo and the Gathering, oxo.”
Patricia Spangler’s wild pennant has arrived home safe and sound
“Your project undertaking/exhibit was absolutely and profoundly beautiful. Heartfelt gratitude for being part of this international community and outpouring of love. Sending much love to you , Mo, … across the water and through the ethers. Part of the same fabric, we are, and so we go…one stitch at a time. She’s home now and the stories she could tell. But for now, I’m happy she’s attached to my spirit stick, bringing Love to our environs. Namaste.”
here’s the link to Patricia’s website Language of Leaves
Saskia van Herwaarden’s talisman is hanging out at home in The Dwelling
Saskia posted the story with wonderfully whimsical photos and words
“…They enter under the talisman I made for Mo’s exhibition, which I now realize as I’m typing this, you can barely make out in this photo; I had not expected it to come back, but there it was accompanied by treasures from Mo, such as the flowery gauze, a handwritten note, the exhibition’s invitation and……..
…..the White Star she made, as can just be glimpsed in the image below, in OBK’s reception room
there’s lots more to see & read over on her latest post!
Jude Hill’s Love Takes Time pennant is home
Jude posted this beautiful photo over on Spirit Cloth
her needle left in the cloth says it all
namaste
Cathy and Sarah’s pennants hanging at home in the Blue Mountains
so good to see Judy Martin’s beautiful Beating Heart back home on her studio wall
namaste
The ripples of love as the pennants and talismans arrive home are keeping the dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 1
ripples post 3
So good to see Martine’s beautiful pennant has arrived home in The Netherlands safe and sound! The circle is complete, the spell is cast, all the pennants and talismans are on their way back to their makers around the world. Making the dream was the most beautiful ride on a huge wave of love that has now brought me gently to shore. The circle will keep rippling with love for our beautiful broken world.
I will keep updating this post as everyone sends back photos of where their pennant or talisman has settled to keep the dream alive!
Nanette Gilbert’s talisman has arrived safely in northern NSW
“I’m just sending this pic of the talisman with the lace and tulle, that for now, I’ve draped and pinned to a couple of my small art quilts, otherwise it all disappears into the cream wall behind. (Actually, now that I look at the photos again, I really like the red hearts showing through from behind) I have an idea of making them into something more permanent, stitching them to a backing so the fine lace and tulle can be clearly seen. I have some silk scarves my son brought me from Darjeeling, that he was given when he stayed in a Nepalese homestay, and I feel to give substance and depth to the finery will be a good use of these.
It was wonderful to be part of The Dream, and for my talisman to be in such good company, soaking up the love and energy, and now returned home.”
Namaste
Nanette
Els put this photo of her pennant and talisman up on her blog today along with some beautiful early spring flowers & wrote in an e-mail;
“Yesterday your package arrived safely here in Holland, Thank you so much ! The piece feels like it brought home lots of vibrations and good will of all the other pieces that surrounded it during your wonderful exhibition and of course of YOU ! I’m so happy with the extra pieces you included : they will surely find their way into other pieces I will make ! LOVE the piece of the blue branch and the many stars it surrounded !!! I will find a special place for them too 😉 You did a wonderful “job”, with your idea, the binding of the stitchers in a loving circle all around the world, and the realization of the artwork itself … magic !
(and I’m proud and grateful that I could be a little part of it)
Lots of love for you and Old Man Crow,
Els
PS Today daughter was here and saw that the pennant was back : she LOVED the heart-talisman with your WONDERFUL tiny stars around the blue branch .. I gave it to her 😉 She has a kind of small altar at home where she keeps several objects that mean a lot to her. She is a “Fire-Keeper”:
makes and tends to the fire needed for ritual sweat-lodges (Indian style) It is a good place for the heart to rest !
Tina Zaffiro’s beautiful talisman is back home, she just sent these stunning photos along with this note;
“Everything about this from start to finish has been magical. My heart is filled with such joy right now looking at how lovingly you have packaged all this OMGOODNESS .. by far being part of this journey has risen me to new highs in ways I cannot find the words for.
Thank you .. thank you!!
Love and Blessings galore to you and all who traveled this journey with me.”
Tina
Elizabeth Bunsen’s talisman has arrived in her lake house safe & sound, she wrote over on her instagram page
“deeply honored to be part of this”
Elizabeth knows how to photograph light!
Louise Watson’s beautiful pennant is home safe and sound in England she posted these photos over on her blog;
“Thanks to Mo the Mending the Sky pennant has come home on a tidal wave of love with some extras that will be cherished and the lace will be incorporated into my work at some point. So glad I took part in this amazing adventure. Thank you so much Mo!”
Dee Mallon’s pennant has arrived home safely too, she posted these photos over on her blog today
love the reflection in the mirror
Michelle Slater’s rose pennant & promise ring have arrived home safe & sound,
she posted these photos over on her blog
Marti Weisbrich’s pennant is home and flying in the winds of New Mexico
she sent these beautiful words & photos
“On this extremely blustery day, winds clocked at over 50 mph last night and almost there today, my pennant has arrived back home and Spirit is full circle. When I received the wedding dress piece, I took it outside, tied it to our ornamental pear tree and let the spirits of New Mexico surround and permeate the cloth. It hung on the tree in sun , in rain and in blustery winds because New Mexico is the land of unbelievable sky and fierce dancing wind. When my dyeing and stitching was complete, I again tied it to the tree to receive a benediction from this place before sending it to you. How fitting that it returns today, to the same windy conditions. After taking a photo of all that was contained in the package, I took the pennant outside to return it to its place, on the limbs of the pear tree but but this time, my pennant has been embellished because I stitched the wondrous little star and bit of blue armature to it and it danced in the wind, with joy, spirit and gratitude.”
“To my eyes, my pennant seems so much larger because it is filled with the love and connections from all who made up the Gathering. Wanting this to be full circle, besides hanging the pennant to the tree, I also hung the lace gifts on the backside of the pennant, completing the ritual forming the Circle of inclusion. We all connected and shared, guided by your vision Mo and now all across the globe, pennants and talismans are filled with an incredible magic and for that, I send you my deepest blessings: Below are some photos showing the return, the placing of the pennant to the pear tree and in one photo, the pennant has been whipped around by the wind as if to embrace the joy of gathered spirits. Thank you so much for the invitation Mo- you shine so much light and love in our world. Blessings from the spirit winds here in New Mexico”
Marti
Liz Ackert’s Mended Shell has arrived home safe & sound, she wrote with these beautiful words & photos over on her blog
“May the circle be unbroken…
The torn and tattered heart that journeyed around the world to be a part of Mo’s dream …
has returned to the nest …
Thank you Mo, for your vision and great heart … I will treasure the memory and the beautiful pieces you sent.
And thank you, Rod, for your music and a heart to match Mo’s.”
Liz’s beautiful pennant with all the words to I dream of a world where love is the answer stitched on the back will make the perfect birthday present for the man in June
thank you (((Liz)))!
namaste
The ripples of love as the pennants and talismans arrive home are keeping the dream alive
here’s links to
ripples post 2
ripples post 3
It's Crow Time 