Crafting mends....to see the Plant Echoes of these leaves, imagining each a sentient being, species...moving with the breezes made me smile deeply. After placing some 100s of individual ones onto the silk fabric, and cooking in the cauldron for 3 hours....watching over the flame of the cranked up camping stove from nearby, like a guardian of da flame. Praying that the gas bottle wouldn't blow with me in the she shed...ha ha. Still here. Me, bottle and heart colours in the breezes. Go da hills hoist, I feel it makes things just right...
Friday, March 17, 2023
Crafting mends n gatherings on ambles that worx....
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
You're 'Rooted' the reframe in Witchin Stitchin.....
As the moon builds, the stitches and patches are growing...
It began as an experiment with using an embroidery hoop, after free styling, with a touch o puckering going down. It would appear there's a reason these simple gadgets have been used for some 100's o years by embroiderers n stitch makers, crafting became easier to a degree, dare I say, flatter too. Which in turn means you can work other pieces alongside and onto....
The word that came, within this re-frame was 'Rooted'. It's kinda slang for well, pretty fucked, and indeed is used this way. That said it's also a term for connection to the Great Mother of us all, beneath our feet, that grounds and centers us into incarnation. Betwixt sky and earth we walk, sing, dance, play, work, indeed grow n such....
My base fabric was a Plant Echo using leaves from the Farm, land stewarded by Dianamum with and by George, her fella. The reference wasn't lost on me, we are all from the wombyn who come before us in lineage, literally. As I put down the fabric piece, bigger than the hoop by far, I began to lay out other bits n bobs upon, pinning, shuffling, tacking and sewing through. All upon a fab n sturdy table top gifted by the lovely Annie, trestle legs from Miles. Beloved life partner of 7 years, shifting into friendship, he has entered this piece inevitably as a massive part of story journey in the now. Patches cut from his cooking apron to get the length right n practical, and a rust painting experiment where he channeled a Zen calligrapher. Sister patches to those sent and gifted to dear friends. Windfall foundling leaves prints and local colours from the Yaegl country where Mushcat and me now reside....
We are becoming Rooted here. Dropping in with love to our new home as we explore land and community. Integrating how we have ended up where we find ourselves, literally and metaphorically. Now feeling it was meant to be thus, bigger picture thing....
Blessings n good vibes, chloeopal
Friday, April 16, 2021
Roadside Rose experiments....
When on a gallery trip with a friend, we pulled up at a roadside stall, selling bunches of Roses. There, in the wet grass nearby, were stacks o discarded leaf trimmings! Merrily I gathered handfulls! Roses are so evocative of healing (and kick ass protection), especially of the heart chakra, and I felt in combination with Eucalyptus she could evoke the layering of birthplace land, and witchery traditions. Also matching the rambling wild Rose I've managed to grow from cuttings in our garden. The mother plant of whom I adore, and who I have wild crafted tinctures from for a number of years. So, I knew Rose could touch in exquisite n unexpected ways...
Driving home with the scent of 2 bunches of old school Rose flowers, divine!
Once back at the Nook, I popped the leaves in a bucket to soak, and began to stitch a top slash jackety thang. With cotton, linen, wool and silk parts to see how they took on different materials. It was the first experiment! Admittedly. I got a lil excited and didn't wait to allow the bundle to cool in the pot till the following morning. So, the results could have perhaps been darker, if'n I had. However as unexpected things sometimes do, the soft colours delighted me (picture from back)...
I could see the leaves could produce a green on the wool and silk, a black /grey on linen /cotton. :) So I proceeded to begin to craft an emerging 'Soul skin shawl' for the Hedgewitch in one. This time waiting till the following morning to unfurl....
Mushcat n I both meditated on the results, indeedy. Now, the stitchin' begins....



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