Maria Wulf Full Moon Fiber Art

Emily held the drawing she made with the words, “Be Your Original Self” written on it up to her computer screen so I could see it.  We were having our first video chat.  She told me she was starting to add more words to her art and this was her latest.

Then I moved my laptop so she could see the Kimono hanging on my studio wall.

I’ve had the Kimono hanging on my wall for over a month, ever since I received it from Ann.  It was given to her by a friend who died in the Aids epidemic and she’s had it all these years.  She sent it to me hoping I could use it in my art.

I wasn’t sure how to use it until I showed it to Emily and she suggested I do my free-motion stitching on it.

As soon as she said it I knew it was right.

I thought how obvious an idea it was and how I never thought of it.  Somehow it almost seemed too easy too obvious.  But then I thought of the words from Emily’s drawing.  I could not be more originally me than to free-motion stitch on the Kimono.  It’s so much what I do, who I am.

So I decided I would stitch on the Kimono every day during the virus, like marking off the days on a calendar.  Of course, I have no idea how long this will go on and how quickly I’ll “fill up” the Kimono with drawings.  But like I usually do, I’ll figure it out as I create.

I find the connection between the Aids Virus and Coronavirus poignant.

Today I pulled fine handsewn hem out of the Kimono and slipped cotton batting between the outside of the Kimono and the lining.  I need to have batting or interfacing behind the fabric to sew on it.

The back of the stitching will show up on the inside of the Kimono so I’m thinking when I’m done I may line it with another fabric.

Tomorrow I’ll do my first drawing.  I’m going to start on the bottom back and see where I go from there.

Marsha left a comment on my blog saying that she finds it important to have a daily goal to make it easier to get through her day.  And Uta said that she appreciates my videos of the country since she’s locked in her house right now.

Making and posting my videos and photos and writing on my blog have taken on new importance for me.  Knowing that you all are there and that what I post is helpful to many of you during this pandemic, gives me that daily goal that Marsha wrote about.

It’s far from selfless.  Each time I see something that has meaning for me or just makes me smile and feel a little lighter I want to share it with all of you.

I get to experience the joy of creating and the joy of knowing that I’m doing something for someone else.

So thank you all for being there through this strange and difficult time.

And thank you to everyone who has continued to make donations to my blog and to everyone who has made a donation since this all began.  I’ve had a hard time focusing while continually adjusting to everything that is happening and find myself taking photos, videos and writing more than creating art in my studio.   So your support has been especially important in the past month.

I’ve been having lunch with my friends Mandy and Athena every week for over five years.  Two weeks ago when they wanted to talk on the phone instead of getting together, I was annoyed that they didn’t want to figure out a way to get together face to face.

But two weeks seems like a long time ago, and so much has changed.  Now I’m just glad to talk to any of my friends on the phone.

For the past two Fridays Mandy and I have kept that lunch date. I’m in my studio and she’s in her house.

Mandy closed her Massage Therapy Studio at least three weeks ago. She built her business up over the past 20 years.   And now, like many people, she can’t work, (which is bad enough) and she’s worried about what her business will be like when she can get back to it.

It made me once again grateful that I can continue doing my work.

We talked for over an hour, and a while after we got off the phone Mandy texted me and thanked me for our conversation.

I’ve never had an easy time making friends.  But I found it especially hard as an adult who works at home alone.  I’ve really had to make an effort to reach out to people and keep friendships going.

But I find that during this time, I’m reaching out to my friends so much that Jon has noticed it and mentioned it to me. I do feel that we find out who we really are and what is important t us when there is a crisis such as we’re all in now.

My friends and my community feel essential to me now.  I need them as much as I want to be there for them.

I texted Mandy back, There’s something nice about needing each other”.

She wrote back that she had been thinking the same thing.