B is a 40 year old female artisan. Very relaxed about the procedure and questions, as she has had a lot of experience with the needle arts previously, she choose green first as a symbol of life, also her favourite colour. She was ambivalent about the cloth’s appearance, describing it as dirty and raggedy, quite disturbed by that facet as it implied to her homelessness and squalor, but that the feel of it was warm and soft, “like it was comforting itself”. She expressed that if  cloth is/ is to be comforting and  a soft object, it should be clean.

Her next choice was white,  a colour not usual for her, but that contained purity and innocence for this purpose.  Both times she used the 6 strands of floss as one strand. As she stitched, she was very introspective, saying that she felt a connection to the actual  ground beneath her feet and to her friends and to the past, because of the colours on the cloth and that she had chosen. She did say that at first she didn’t know what to stitch, though obviously a design occurred intuitively, a star that to her represented sparks of life and light that are inherent in everyone, but not always recognized. B chose a spot to work based on a circle stitched on the ground cloth. She was quietly pleased with the result and her feelings after completion.

When asked if she would have participated had i been a stranger who asked her, she said yes, she would have been quite interested.

W is a 46 year old male artisan. He has had experience with a needle and thread sewing on buttons and repairing leather items, but never done any actual needlework before. The cloth was thicker than he anticipated, and the colour(s) reminded him of his own work on motorcycles, so he was comfortable with that aspect. He did however find it uncomfortably warm, but that was the present circumstance rather than the cloth itself. He was partially relaxed, but a little anxious about whether or not he could express his own ideas with an unfamiliar medium. “Thread bends, you can’t really make it lie flat or behave as paint, metal or wood would do.”

He chose beige as his first colour because it was right for the job. He stated that was the way to get the job done and how to get on in/with life, do what needed to be done. He felt a connection with the present,  though had a memory of an artistic friend who was inspiring. The six strands of floss were used as one thread here, and he creatively used a mistake as a tail.

The second colour he chose was blue, his favourite, and with intent, as the motif stitched was a personal symbol, the alpaca, and the water embroidered in blue represented where he was currently residing. He was slightly frustrated by the limit of two colours and the length of each piece (24″) as he thought that would not be enough to express his vision. He was accepting of having to improvise then. W chose to stitch near B’s motif, as they are connected in real life, even facing his alpaca to her shining star.

He stated that if i had been a total stranger who asked him to participate, he would have had said no, thinking i was intrusive and possibly mentally ill.

My reactions: I was quite nervous  myself. I hadn’t printed out the questions and i over explained the idea and the concept. This may have lead the participants to presume what they were expected to do: both iterated that some people may have a fear of doing the wrong thing, not being creative enough, or not having the skill set or level of sophistication. I was very involved with the questions and responses, but had to adjust a conception about what was a personal question with intending or taking offense.

My observations: Because these two knew each other personally, they reacted to each others answers and stitching. If W had gone first,  would B have complemented his work with hers?  How? Do/will personal connections with myself and possibly other participants influence the choice of placement, colour and motif? Both of them did not use every inch of the thread as they felt it was not necessary if the motif was complete in their eyes.

What i learned/realized:

Avoid using quotes in their thoughts—–saying it was right for the job is accurate–saying it was “right” for the job is my interpretation of his meaning. Quotes are acceptable as highlighting something said, but not for emphasis.

Some people may not participate due to hygiene issues–A.the cloth looks dirty because of the colours B. if it’s been handled by many, how do i maintain sanitary procedures and what precautionary measures do i need to take?

People are going to ask what *i* am getting out of this, whether it be money, fame, thrills or research. They are also going to ask personal questions, whether about the project or myself. Interaction and reaction are part of the process, on both sides.

Have the list of questions ready and format answers so there is a formula for transcription.

Anonymity can be preserved, though some may ask to be recognized.

What will i do if someone becomes antagonistic?

What will i do if someone wants to participate but not at the moment? This one i figure they will have to come back after their own task is done: if i am still where they saw me, they can then participate. No appointments will be made.

I have asked my “Significant Other”, Greyman, to participate as well, but so far he is quite reluctant.

Perhaps the person was a constabulary zealot having an attitude day?

This week unfortunately is impossible to get out there–Calgary is having one of its usual unusual weather spells, and my fingers and mouth will not brave asking people to stitch in near zero temps in the rain and snow!

Here are a few shots of the cloth as it is now. I’ve added a few stitches in a coral orange to both demonstrate the possibilities to people, but also to hold the layers together. I stuck to very basic stitches: running in circle, line and grid formations, chain stitch, backstitch and a cross stitch. All of these can be combined or used to create “designs” as people choose. And each one here is demonstrated with one length of the thread, 2 and a half feet long.

look at the dye results!!

the whole, so far

When i stitched everything together, i deliberately left some seams on the front, some on the back, tore holes, randomly patched with finished and rough edges, scribbled a bit and then attached the whole at the edges to the backing/batting of the same fabric, dyed at the same time, with a red line demarcating the work area. It feels substantial and warm, but not heavy enough to be awkward or frightening. I also adjusted the size up a bit to 40″ square to accommodate shrinkage when threads are pulled tight (tension), and to leave a border to finish the edges.

I have decided, with Karin’s permission if she gives it, to take the piece with me to her Tuesday KreativeMomentum workshop. I’ll ask the other artists to participate if they want to. Same restrictions as other “artists” when i “go to ground’ next Wednesday—two lengths of the precut thread at most, used anywhere they choose in whatever configuration they like.

If i had a webcam, i could probably have online participation, but i don’t, so i can’t!

PS. Started dyeing the fabric this morning at 1030AM and completed the stitching to date as of a half hour ago (3PM)

What does the cloth remind you of? Does it bring back memories of a specific person or object? How does that feel?

Have you ever stitched before? Was it decorative (for pleasure) or strictly utilitarian? (This could be anything from hemming pants and sewing a button on to more advanced areas.)

Why did you choose a smooth/rough area to work on? Do you think things have to be neat to be beautiful or functional?

Do you have a favourite cloth article? (“Blankie”, pyjamas, shirt, scarf, hat) Why is it important to you?

Was the colour you chose to stitch with symbolic of anything? Is that important?

Do you find this embarrassing or are you enjoying the process? *If you felt threatened, curious, amused when asked, how do you feel after completing the stitching?

Would you do it again, or start something of your own?

Do you think cloth can have a history or significant value in a culture? (flags, banners, ethnic clothing, social status, group marking, affiliation to a mindset or style of life)

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And for me to track and answer:

How many people did i ask?

How many said no?

Did anyone volunteer to participate after seeing others do it?

How many just asked to watch?

Did anyone speak about cloth/stitching/art projects without participating?

Who was most likely to participate–professionals, street, young, old, student, blue collar?

Were there any confrontations?

How many had never/had stitched before?

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Photos of hands and stitches, with first name?