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Moving out: a process

.. and a long one at that.

A process that has been keeping me away from my workbench and from my online obligations..

what, with a long list of large-ish scale projects in the pipeline including a wedding dress I'm very excited about and a mural of sorts that'll see me swapping mediums for a month or so; the Easter Holidays from work should have served as well deserved chilll-time.. instead I was to-ing and fro-ing from home no1 to home no2, pestering people for liftage and straining my tendons trying to load suitcases in and out of cars..

putting everything in (relative) order is also headache-inducing.. one has to question the benefits of colour-co-ordinating clothing, test drawer capacities for the most convenient storage of silk scarves and gloves and reserve space for future acquisiton plans such as decent hatboxes.. all this just before or right after one has been trying really hard to understand the manual for a brand new washing machine (I refrained from photographing this just in time!) and hanging clothes that have, surprsingly enough, not only come out from the spinning demon unscathed, but also smelling lovely!

Ultimately, it's a lovely thing indeed to unearth and re-consider stuff from the depths of wardrobes past and display, at long last, odd mismatched items of cutlery and tableware you had been collecting over many years.

Here's a felt Totoro I did however make time for.. he now ranks as the second cutest thing in the house after CAT.

Gin tonics make sewing fun..

I've been a very busy lady lately.. I've finished stuff.. planned more.. turned down several opportunities .. hoped for the best..

here follow photos of stuff I finished lately...

A handbag from the material of an old coat.. the clasp is recycled from a much used bag that a friend kindly threw my way. Thanks you!

This is what I call domni galore! A silver neckpiece with a grey, pale yellow and black colour scheme.

A hair comb to match the 50s style full circle dress with buttoned back.. both made to measure.. this is the kind of dress I would have only dreamt of doing some two years back.

And a feathery occasion hairband to match another dress I posted here before.. Pale pink netting and jade green feathers.. I love this to bits!

Jumble Fever

It's been a truly packed couple of weeks.. worthy of multiple posts.. I came across several bargains, worked my arse off and as if this wasn't good enough.. I was given handmade and second hand belated birthday presents which made my week(s).

A lovely roomy navy blue faux ostrich skin bag with a fully functional clasp and a very forgiving matching velvet blazer.

Canvas heeled pumps and brown leather brogues to tap in (or for work).

as well as an assortment of scarves and ties, doilies and saucers.

This, on the other hand, is a wisely picked assortment of goods .. wisely in light of my current 'moving out' state and being in need of useful yet pretty items for the home.

Thanks Carla Rita Cholita and Rachel from the Bronx.. will fill teh glass container with fizzy cola/cherry sweets and invite you over for much fun!

A vintage pattern book collection brought together within one uniquely screen printed cover.. swell! made by the almighty Alex from www.myspace.com/skimmedtheband

And a 'tattoed' embroidered circuis aide and ballet dancer dolly I named Loretta. Made by Mlle. Micallef of http://esorterceseht.blogspot.com/fame.

It's such fun.. having friends like these!

My hundred-year-old friend

This is my hundred-year-old friend. I found her on a Sunday at a favourite car-boot sale. She came with a story and a dubious pricetag.. but I love her to bits (forgive the particularly bad and unintended pun) .. Apparently hardened papier-mache and straw appendaged dolls like this one here were produced in a factory in Malta a while back but the factory closed down.. and as it usually and unfortunately happens.. once a plastic substitute appears the artisanal option gradually dies out; ... and the only crafts village on the island turns into a ghost town.. but this is a topic to dwell on some othertime when the cat isn't warming my belly and (in turn) pushing my laptop off my knees.

I came to blog with a half hearted intent to lay out an argument about 'acquisitions', not knowing where I stand vis a vis the same topic. But who am I to set a standard.. plus.. I had promised myself (at some point.. I must have for sure) never to argue with myself expecting a reply.. especially via the web.. blogging is sad in this way, sometimes.

Instead..

I turned 23 this week.. I acquired things for myself.. I don't know why I did it .. I guess you could say 'they looked nice'.. small things I don't really need.. but the more I look at and touch these items which I pick up and carry off unquestioningly, the more I understand the 'why(s)' behind it all. During the course of my aesthetic education, the life-long, un-organized kind; I was always far removed from the objects I loved.. objects of such value that I would be lucky if only I ever got to catch a glimpse of them from behind glass cases.. and in a bid to satiate this curiosity I set out to find alternatives at only the fraction of the price. I only got to love kitsch because I had no other option but to..

Here's 16 euro worth of religious pendants I bought for a commission that may or may not happen.. It is the kind of risky acquisition I am willing to make. It is, in itself, quite a special outcome to end up with a paperbag-full of these.. it is special because realistically very few people appreciate such a disappointment.

A silk shirt I bought from a vintage store.. bought only because I liked it and knew exactly what had to be done to the sleeves to make it perfect.. bought because in a fit of self indulgence I erroneously thought no ne else could carry it off as well.. bought because my parents still insist on not getting me something they pick up themselves for what is supposedly a very special day in my year. After years upon years of watching your daughter bring in boxes upon boxes of junk from the street, would one still assume she wouldn't like anything one chose?
In any case the shirt is a wonderful apple green and will keep my shoulders cool in summer.

And a bracelet to accompany it.

What is wonderful however, is what your friends deem worthy of purchase in your honour.. it's a wonderful thing to think about.. people get to know each other in particular detail.. they often start falling in love with the same things. The little effort one puts into giving away something they loved in the first place is often an underrated gesture. Being one who loves almost everything save for cheese and pink ski-pants, I'm often the glad reciever of really diverse and lovely stuff. This year I even got handpicked dried porcini muchrooms in the post. Above are two postcards and below is a cute woolly creature I refuse to give to the cat to have its way with it.

An old cameo that came with a precious lot of hand made lace and crocheted items for the home.. a kind of 'dota' I acquired in honour of my moving out.. and my working really hard lately. I invent all kinds of excuses to justify what's already a bargain and most importantly.. what's ultimately an eye's soul soother.

A black and white beaded collar. It's so cool it sends shivers down your spine.

Enough doilies to cover a wall and a black embroidered tulle affair for which I've already made handsome plans.

And a hand and machine embroidered bird piece to turn into one super special cushion; as well as a particularly useless yet beautifully embroidered nightdress pocket. It is nice to know that someone somewhere had/still has the time to put on a nightdress and not only take it off in the morning, but also fold it and have their initial embroidered onto it's pocket. I bet they even have time to make their bed.

Japanes usually = better

Let's start off from a lovely corner. Unearthed from a much loved folder here's a picture simply named 'corner'new'orleans'. I will not dwell on its provenance, there's nothing particularly special about happening upon a photo article and 'stealing' all the pictures for future salivating reference one sad lonely night in bed. All I'll say is that it's a lovely decadent corner I'd easily trade four corners of a room in my house for. Just imagine me sitting with legs dangling over the egde of this unearthed corner in space. Ok, maybe I should have taken some breakfast before daring to write this post.

Here's a brooch I just finished for a friend. My aunt generously donated a bagful of 80s and 90s earrings and in a bid to satiate my greed I set my dirty paws (I use glue and paint you see) on them to come up with something as a belated birthday present. I don't usually do belateds.. I'm the kind who's always on time with 'things'.. but luckily for myself and those close by I'm relaxing substantially and therefore, for example, I've stopped chiding people for being too late for appointments (sometimes!). Back to the brooch.. a piece with an art-deco twist on Gaddaffi's uniform adornments which have been regaling our screens of late. I loved it and wanted to keep it as much as I wanted to give it away.. and that's a sure sign that I'm happy with the result!

Carla reference number one: thank you for forwarding that lovely article from Vanity Fair about the new fuhrer's wardrobe!

And now to the intended fulcrum of the post.. and to Carla reference number 2: old japanese posters from a link that the aforementioned kindly forwarded to me yesterday evening in between bouts of assignmenting on her part. Why are the japanese so good at everything they do? These posters and many more are currently featuring, on rotation, on my desktop and I think they're impeccably designed. The one below is from 1928 for the Kyoto Grand Exposition to Commemorate the Showa Imperial Coronation and the one above is a sheet music cover for 'Rejin' from 1930. I'm currently waiting for a pair of embroidered pillowcases I had asked a very capable Sarah to design in the Japanese style for me; complete with curly text and other lovely bits. I'll upload a picture (as I'm sure she will as well) the minute they're ready. I know you girls are busy with university stuff so hip hip hooray for Sarah and Carla. You'll come out victorious at the end..

And just because even mantels have aspirations.. this picture is my mantelpiece's aspirational picture. we are slowly getting there but we must make sure no one dares leave unopened bills or stray stationery lying about. Balance is key and a couple more visits to the flea market wouldn't hurt anyone, I'm sure. Save for my pocket, as I do not know how to haggle and will never learn!

(*aaaaa) background is back!

Thank you Alex for the technical help and here's a poem I read yesterday.. a fitting piece by Baudelaire which, surprisingly enough, managed to escape me all this while.

(*by 'fitting' I mean particularly encapsulating of the current theme in my creative and imaginary/parallel life)

A Une Madone

Ex-voto dans le goût espagnol


Je veux bâtir pour toi, Madone, ma maîtresse,
Un autel souterrain au fond de ma détresse,
Et creuser dans le coin le plus noir de mon coeur,
Loin du désir mondain et du regard moqueur,
Une niche, d'azur et d'or tout émaillée,
Où tu te dresseras, Statue émerveillée.
Avec mes Vers polis, treillis d'un pur métal
Savamment constellé de rimes de cristal
Je ferai pour ta tête une énorme Couronne;
Et dans ma Jalousie, ô mortelle Madone
Je saurai te tailler un Manteau, de façon
Barbare, roide et lourd, et doublé de soupçon,
Qui, comme une guérite, enfermera tes charmes,
Non de Perles brodé, mais de toutes mes Larmes!
Ta Robe, ce sera mon Désir, frémissant,
Onduleux, mon Désir qui monte et qui descend,
Aux pointes se balance, aux vallons se repose,
Et revêt d'un baiser tout ton corps blanc et rose.
Je te ferai de mon Respect de beaux Souliers
De satin, par tes pieds divins humiliés,
Qui, les emprisonnant dans une molle étreinte
Comme un moule fidèle en garderont l'empreinte.
Si je ne puis, malgré tout mon art diligent
Pour Marchepied tailler une Lune d'argent
Je mettrai le Serpent qui me mord les entrailles
Sous tes talons, afin que tu foules et railles
Reine victorieuse et féconde en rachats
Ce monstre tout gonflé de haine et de crachats.
Tu verras mes Pensers, rangés comme les Cierges
Devant l'autel fleuri de la Reine des Vierges
Etoilant de reflets le plafond peint en bleu,
Te regarder toujours avec des yeux de feu;
Et comme tout en moi te chérit et t'admire,
Tout se fera Benjoin, Encens, Oliban, Myrrhe,
Et sans cesse vers toi, sommet blanc et neigeux,
En Vapeurs montera mon Esprit orageux.

Enfin, pour compléter ton rôle de Marie,
Et pour mêler l'amour avec la barbarie,
Volupté noire! des sept Péchés capitaux,
Bourreau plein de remords, je ferai sept Couteaux
Bien affilés, et comme un jongleur insensible,
Prenant le plus profond de ton amour pour cible,
Je les planterai tous dans ton Coeur pantelant,
Dans ton Coeur sanglotant, dans ton Coeur ruisselant!

****

To a Madonna

Votive Offering in the Spanish Style

I want to build for you, Madonna, my mistress,
An underground altar in the depths of my grief
And carve out in the darkest corner of my heart,
Far from worldly desires and mocking looks,
A niche, all enameled with azure and with gold,
Where you shall stand, amazed Statue;
With my polished Verses as a trellis of pure metal
Studded cunningly with rhymes of crystal,
I shall make for your head an immense Crown,
And from my Jealousy, O mortal Madonna,
I shall know how to cut a cloak in a fashion,
Barbaric, heavy, and stiff, lined with suspicion,
Which, like a sentry-box, will enclose your charms;
Embroidered not with Pearls, but with all of my Tears!
Your Gown will be my Desire, quivering,
Undulant, my Desire which rises and which falls,
Balances on the crests, reposes in the troughs,
And clothes with a kiss your white and rose body.
Of my Self-respect I shall make you Slippers
Of satin which, humbled by your divine feet,
Will imprison them in a gentle embrace,
And assume their form like a faithful mold;


If I can't, in spite of all my painstaking art,
Carve a Moon of silver for your Pedestal,
I shall put the Serpent which is eating my heart
Under your heels, so that you may trample and mock,
Triumphant queen, fecund in redemptions,
That monster all swollen with hatred and spittle.
You will see my Thoughts like Candles in rows
Before the flower-decked altar of the Queen of Virgins,
Starring with their reflections the azure ceiling,
And watching you always with eyes of fire.
And since my whole being admires and loves you,
All will become Storax, Benzoin, Frankincense, Myrrh,
And ceaselessly toward you, white, snowy pinnacle,
My turbulent spirit will rise like a vapor.

Finally, to complete your role of Mary,
And to mix love with inhumanity,
Infamous pleasure! of the seven deadly sins,
I, torturer full of remorse, shall make seven
Well sharpened Daggers and, like a callous juggler,
Taking your deepest love for a target,
I shall plant them all in your panting Heart,
In your sobbing Heart, in your bleeding Heart!