My selfish DIY xmas

In November I bought aaaaaaall this felt. Two very big bags full. I would make Xmas tree decorations as gifts this year, I said. Yes. And I made one. One felt xmas tree gift. Why? Maybe I got freaked out by what happened to it/her (see Seasons of love post) and lost my present making drive. Or maybe I just got selfish.

So I love sugar skulls and all the Day of the Dead decorations. I love the idea that once a year you celebrate those who have passed, with food and parties. So I took a piece of felt and stitched this sugar skull onto it. And I liked it so much I wanted to wear it, somehow. So at the advice of the very talented Loukia Richards (check out her work at http://www.myprecious.gr/designers/loukia-richards-2/ ) I made this bracelet. It being my first time making something like this it took me ages. And it totally devoured my present making time. But it gave me something to focus on through a month which brought the loss of three loved ones. The writing reads Those who live deeply have no fear of death- Anais Nin. For me that means be true to your heart and your dreams and be in the moment. I finished it on Xmas morning. So here it is, my Xmas present to myself and the reason that handmade gifts to others by moi didn't happen this year. I don't regret it coz...I like my new bracelet!

And a Happy New Year!

Well she made it to the tree! And not just our tree but a really big tree in another house altogether, and her new owners think she's fabulous. So wishing all of you a sensational continuation of Chrismas holidays and thanking you lots and lots for visiting my little blog. XXXXX

Seasons of Love

I made this felt matryoshka to hang on the Christmas tree this year. She was pretty simple. Just simple stitches. Split stitch and back stitch for the face and body and blanket stitch all the way round.

Still I managed to screw up big time! I had run out of fabric glue when it came to sticking on the white felt face. So I thought 'hey, big deal, whatever I'll just use a teeeeny bit of super glue'. Then suddenly my fingers were stuck together and I was shouting and running around aimlessly, madly washing and blowdrying the face until large parts of it had turned into felt cement. Shit.

Somehow I managed to save her. There were parts of her face that the needle could go through, and I added red pom poms to hide the glue. She still looks kind of like she's been thumped, with a blotchy eye that thankfully you can't see very well in the photo. But her destination is the tree, and she's going ahead with it.

Its been quite a rough spell. But I've seen all the riches of the world in love. I guess its kind of like how you see the most beautiful colours at sunset. Kind of like how we decorate our houses to celebrate on one of the darkest days of the year. So slightly battered I too am going ahead, dressing up my house and wishing you all happy holidays! :)

It must be love

I was going to give her away but I can't. She lifted me out of the shit in August and I feel we are in it for life!

Sometimes it pours. At the moment I have some personal stuff to wade through, and it doesn't help that when I look out the window all I can see is crooks and corruption. Its not easy living in Greece sometimes. Sometimes I fantasize about fleeing. Then I think 'where would I go?' I'd be so homesick. Thats the trouble with being Greek: you're pissed off if you live here, but you're missing it so much when you don't. So my yoga girl takes me back to the moment and the things here that I love.

I feel I can really relate to our foremothers who stitched their way through wars and dictatorships. 'Oh but they only did it because they had nothing else to do!' People tell me and I beg to differ. They loved it! It gave them immense pleasure and satisfaction. I know of a lady who made beautiful crochet lace who pressed her stitching kit into her granddaughters hands before she died, begging her to carry on the tradition. My own sweet grandmama took great joy in making stunning rugs, stitching, crochet, knitting just about anything. Everyone that knew her well knew how much she loved making things, and how these things gave her comfort in the toughest of times.

I like to look at my yoga girl. She is not a work of art, but I made her, and she and I have a history:)

Going to California

I didn't want to do this as a wedding present. I actually didn't want to do this at all! What I did want to do was a portrait of Anna and Panos, two of the most talented and stylish people I know. When I say stylish I don't mean like VOGUE. I mean that these two are so unique and charming in a way that I wanted to capture, somehow. Capture and hang on my wall! Not possible it seems. It wasn't happening.


I stalked the We Govern We and Anna's Facebook page to find the right photo. It wasn't there. She emailed it to me! It wasn't right. All I could see was her big gothy eyes from the We Govern We poster. And I wanted to stick them into the face of a big sunflower. And the sunflower made me think of the lyrics from their beautiful song 'Fields' so I stitched 'In my dreams glittering gold' under the small leaf. So a gothic sunflower, if you please.


What I find captivating about Anna's artwork and We Govern We's lyrics is this fine balance between darkness and light. She says it quite well herself in this interview: http://www.society805.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=51:wav-artist-anna-kararkalos&Itemid=32&lang=


Do click on the gigantic link and go look at her artwork! I apologise for being a computer moron and not knowing how to make a word a link. You mustn't hold that against her! Also do go to http://www.myspace.com/wegovernwe and listen to the music from their new album, produced by Daniel Ash (the Bauhaus and Love and Rockets guy). My favourite song is Come Atlantis. It makes me cry, in a good way.

It also makes me cry that I won't be able to make their wedding this month. So I will send this sunflower. Its my favourite flower. My Dad sent me a massive one when I left for Uni. I held a bunch of them when I got married. I unwittingly stitched one to send to California to ABC and the Bear:)

Come out and play

This blog started as an indirect result of my leaving my job to be at home with my baby boy. HORROR! What are you going to dooooo? Women would ask me with their noses a bit wrinkled up and eyebrows a bit raised. What are you going to do all day at home with the baby? You'll get bored, you'll see. Three years later the questions haven't changed much. What do you do all day? They still ask. This is what I do:

I cook. I go to the supermarket. I try to squeeze in some yoga. I embroider. I play. I play with cars and trains and trucks. Sometimes I am a dog, others an elephant. And I like it!

Extensive studies have shown that it is not in a child's best interest to start school early. In England they are considering adding a year to the school starting age. In Finland they don't start till they are 7, and they have an exemplary educational system with the highest results in Europe. They believe that a child's early years should not be marred with lessons. The greatest lesson is play play play.

My friend Natalie is a play expert. She is a certified playtherapist and dramatherapist and she works with parents and children, teaching them how to play. Its not easy to enter a child's world. We carry so many judgements with us, so much don't do this and don't do that. Playing is a skill that teaches children about life, and learning how to play effectively is vital for healthy mental development. If you are a parent, take a look at her website http://www.homeplay.gr/ She was also recently featured in babyspace.gr and the link is here http://www.babyspace.gr/Article/interview-natalie-samba/444-2204.html

I for one can't wait to start!

Breathe the Pressure

A couple of weeks ago I reached what felt like the edge of my sanity. I was saved (I think). I went to a village high in the mountains away from the Athens in August heat that was steadily melting my brain. Other than the village (and anyone who baby-sat) I would like to thank three things for the resurrection of my mental facilities.

• My embroidered yoga girl


• 'The Man who fell in Love with the Moon' By Tom Spanbauer
  
• Yoga

I haven't practiced Ashtanga Vinyasa for ages. I had said in a previous post that this was due to embroidery obsession but the truth is its mostly due to a knee injury that has me skipping postures and focusing mainly on breathing. But thats ok! Breath is the most important part of yoga practice anyway.

My Breath has prevented me from having horrible stupid arguments with people. 'Just go somewhere and breathe for a bit' I ordered myself as my mind spiralled out of control with egomaniac thingys. After sitting in lotus position for a minute or two I would open my eyes and- ping! Not even the slightest inkling of a desire to go for the jugular. Magic!

''Most folks are damned fools," Dellwood said, "and have no idea they're making themselves up. But you're different, Shed. You live with the knowledge and understanding that who you are is a story you've make up to keep the moon away,''*

Our stories keep us sane, its true. But I think we need to be careful not to get too caught up in them, keep our distance a bit. Taking some time to breathe consciously helps do that. I don't want to be preachy about yoga and I feel I'm on thin ice here so I will stop. And finish by saying that I made this breathing** girl to hang on my wall as a reminder of what to do when I start feeling a bit bonkers. She is my idol!

The hands are 2 year old ones trying to get in the picture, so you can see its small. All my works are little cause I don't have the stamina for anything too extensive.

*THE MAN WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MOON 1991 Tom Spanbauer pg 218 The English student in me is still alive and wanting to reference.

**For those who may be wondering the writing says inhale exhale (ees-pno-ee_ek-pno-ee).