Off to the fair

"Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will you set you free."

- I don't know where I got this from

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

-Maya Angelou

Even if I grew up making little things to sell at school or in front of my mother's shop I never had a table at a fair. I had always thought about it, but I was always too scared to put myself "out there." 

At the beginning of this year I told myself I would just do it and not think too much. Just do it, the thoughts can come up later. And then the timing wasn't right (when is it ever?).  I had only 15 days to make things as I had been traveling quite a lot, and I can never really find the time or energy to make things when I'm out and about. 

Of course many thoughts came and went like; Will I sell? Will people like what I do? Would people even notice the table?

Many things happened those two days, mostly in mind. The reality is always very different from what we imagined. I did sell. The people that approached my table did like what I do. And yes some people noticed my table.

The fair was the wrong fair for me and my work, it ended up being very different from what I had perceived the year before, but that has even made me more excited to find another fair that is actually better suited for me and my work. I think the first step is always the hardest, but once you're "out there" you simply are, and there is no turning back.

I have added this embroidered tree to my Etsy shop, and will be adding a few more things this week.

If you have ever thought of having a table at a fair or market, I really can't recommend it enough. Find the strength, do what you love and show it.

Lots of love, and happy spring,

Giova

Getting a grip

It has been more than a while. I didn't expect this break to take so long, but I sort of let it slip by, and the more time I was away the harder it was to come back.  Strange… I would have thought that after that "resting period" it would've been easier to get back, but no!

I'm rusty. I thought I was done and had nothing more to share, plus a lot of past demons kept resurfacing and I needed to be strong… to make them go away. But they just won't go away, they are there and perhaps they will always be, as a reminder of sorts…

Sometimes I think I am so fragile -handle with care- at other times I surprise myself with the strength that I have -unbreakable- but it is never the two at the same time -what a shame- … anyway this is starting to look like a never ending story… I'll just say that my hair fell out in chunks which led me to a doctor that said; "you have a thyroid problem take this medicine probably for the rest of your life." which made me look for an alternative route, but during this search I've been visiting the dark abyss of what used to be my old depressive self. Oh, boy!! I thought I will never have to see that self again, not look at her scared eyes in the mirror and ask her, NOW WHAT???

I will find a way out, this time with out any medicine (crossing fingers), I'm writing on my journal again, and I'm back at my sofa stitching, doing what I love, little by little, hoping, praying…

This is one of my recent works. Very personal... not at all what I usually show here, but what the heck! I'm all about opening up and confronting my "demons."

I hope you are well where ever you are, and thank you for still being here - if you are-
Giova

Indigo Dyeing and beyond

I have been dyeing everything in sight for the past few days - all the small pieces of fabric I have been collecting for the past 4 months- and trying with different kinds of fabric (even paper), to see how well they absorb the indigo. 

This is my first time doing this at home. I did try to do this before here, but there was really no explanation on how to care for an indigo vat, how long to keep your fabric inside the vat, or how long before you wait for it to turn the blue you need, so on and so forth. There are so many questions that I would like to ask a professional indigo dyer… anyway…

I have been stitching my days away for the past months, being inspired by Japanese boro, sashiko, and of course the color blue. Some of the work you can see here if you like.

Since I use little pieces of fabric for my work, I wanted to search for the perfect blue. There isn't really a perfect shade of blue, just a perfect shade for me, that is, as I do have a lot of the very dark shades, I simply needed a somewhere in the middle kind of blue.

Not an easy task at all, especially this being my first time dyeing at home.

So far this is the whole collection, but there are still more things that need to be dipped in that vat. They really need it, I can assure you that.

 This is the mini set up in my mini balcony.

The light blues. Plus a piece paper that refused to be dyed ;(

The bit darker blues.

And the perfect blue for me!! Hooray!!

I loved doing this. Everything about it, even that strong, pungent smell is absolutely amazing. To watch the fabric come out of the vat looking bright yellow and then slowly bit, by bit turn into a beautiful blue color, is just magic. And I LOVE magic!!

I bought my DIY kit from here, but there are so many kits out there. I really can't recommend this enough.

As you probably figured by now, I have turned into an occasional blogger. It just happened naturally, the same way I blogged 3 times a week, now I simply can't and won't.  Perhaps it will come again, you never know.

I'm always here if you want to find me.

I wish you a beautiful blue and warm day today, where ever you might be.
Giova
P.S: I'm a terrible self promoter, but I would be really grateful if you check out my new things here and perhaps tell me what you think?