Month: January 2009

The description of orientation didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. When I saw the word, I thought of the way I orient pieces in a quilt (one track mind, I know).

“Most of us embody disparate aspects in our personalities; these are our forms, the way we take shape. If we aren’t careful, we can become confused by such complexity. We should not deny any part of ourselves. We should arrange them. All elements are valid – they must simply be placed in the right context.”

I know that I have different aspects to my personality. The description of orientation in the book is a good passage to think about in relation to achieving balance with all of those different parts. Within quiltmaking alone are the following aspects: the art quiltmaker, the quiltmaker who is inspired by old quilts, the quilt historian, the machine appliquer, etc.

“…a diverse personality problematic only if some aspects dominate to the exclusion of others.”

I think what happens is that we try to feed all the different aspects of our quiltmaking personality and don’t see projects through. I am facing this a bit with the Tarts Come to Tea. I feel strongly that I should have powered through that project back in the day and to move forward with it now will mean incorporating the updated, new and emerging aspects of my personality that have changed and developed since I started the project. That means lots of ripping. I think though, that, after deciding it needs to be finished (versus abandoned) that I need to let those new aspects of my personality have some time in the sun and if that means ripping, so be it. I am reminding myself to be about the process and not the finished product right now.

“Just as the sun is the center of our solar system, so too must the mind of wisdom be the center of our diverse personalities. If our minds are strong, then the various parts of our lives will be held firmly to their proper courses, and there will be no chance of deviation.” There will be balance.

Oooh! Scary, love and sex in a quilt blog! I guess that is the breaks with a Word of the Day type project.

“Too many layers of meaning have been imposed upon sex. Religions straitjacket it, ascetics deny it, romantics glorify it, intellectuals theorize about it, obsessives pervert it. These actions have nothing to do with lovemaking. They come from fanaticism and compulsive behavior.”

“Making love is something mysterious, sacred, and often the most profound interaction between people. Whether what is created is a relationship or pregnancy, the legacy of both partners will be inherent in their creation. What we put into love determines what we get out of it.”

Another difficult word….

“Throughout our life, but especially during our youth, many scars are inflicted upon us…Others arise from bad education…Unless we recover from these injuries, the scars mar us forever.”

and

“The only way is through self cultivation…The true course of healing is up to us alone.”

I think that poor teaching, and thoughtless comments are the root of scars and lack of confidence in the quiltmaking world. People are flexible and can learn anything. If one is told s/he can’t, shouldn’t, won’t, or musn’t, the small nicks and cuts that lead to scars are inflicted and internalized. Often these comments come from the utter’s own lack of confidence. I must avoid the possibility of getting more scars or inflicting scars on others by gaining confidence in my own skills and being supportive and not critical of other works.

“Eventually, someone has to be at the top. And who will that person turn to? Let us invoke not deities but pragmatism. It is experience that is the ultimate teacher. That is why wise people travel constantly and test themselves against the flux of circumstance. It is only in this way that they can truly conform their thoughts and compensate for their shortcomings.”

I think that the jist of this passage and word of the day is that being a leader means that you have to guide people through uncharted territory and not let your ego lead. It is easy for me to let power go to my head, but is definitely not best for most situations. I think that quiltmakers who have achieved some success forget what it is to lead. In quiltmaking, participants need leaders to guide through the creative process while allowing participants to head off on their own as well. Participants need to respect their accountability as well and not suck the leaders dry.

When I saw this word, it conjured up a bunch of knights in shining armor around a big table covered with food having a grand time eating and toasting some victory.

“In the past, feasting was a way to bind. Whether they are cultural gatherings, times of group worship, or even special dinners with friends, we all need moments where we come together and reaffirm the importance of our group.”

On the CQFA quilt retreat we had a big dinner at Ma Maison in Aptos. the table was set up like a big square donut so we could all see each and talk together. It was a celebration of our group, the retreat and our creativity, in my mind.

The ‘feast’ part is so simple, too. Everyone has to eat, so celebrating while eating makes sense.

The book talks about adoration in terms of imagery and icons in religion. The author says “external worship is merely a means to point within the true source of salvation.” When I saw this word and read the associated piece I immediately got an image of sitting at the sewing machine ripping out a bit of stitching and then sewing it again. For me, stitching is a meditative process that allows my mind to swirl around touching on parts of my life that need attention.

“Useful trees are cut down. Useless ones survive.

The same is true of people. The strong are conscripted. The beautiful are exploited. those who are too plain to be noticed are the ones who survive. They are left alone and safe.”

This gives those of us whose specialness has not been validated by the media the opportunity to do great things. As a blogging-quiltmaker I can share what I know so others can enjoy this creative process.

This is a great word for today, because we need more laughter in our lives. I have been noting how I feel when I laugh and smile and am trying to do both more. Got any good jokes? 😉