Today is Hari Kuyo or The Festival of the Broken Needles in Japan. Once a year on February 8th, people, mainly women and in particular needleworkers and those in the textile industry gather at Buddhist temples to pay homage to their needles and pins. Alters are laid out with various gifts of thanksgiving and a container of tofu is set up so that people can bury their broken and bent needles in thanks for their service and to bring good luck to their stitching endeavours in the coming year. Traditionally women used to wear their best kimonos to this ceremony but this has taken a back seat to more contemporary dress. However, many young apprentices of needlework schools and textile houses are attempting to bring back this tradition and in fact, there is a renewed interest in general by the younger Japanese generation in the kimono and in these traditions.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Hari Kuyo - February 8, 2010
Today is Hari Kuyo or The Festival of the Broken Needles in Japan. Once a year on February 8th, people, mainly women and in particular needleworkers and those in the textile industry gather at Buddhist temples to pay homage to their needles and pins. Alters are laid out with various gifts of thanksgiving and a container of tofu is set up so that people can bury their broken and bent needles in thanks for their service and to bring good luck to their stitching endeavours in the coming year. Traditionally women used to wear their best kimonos to this ceremony but this has taken a back seat to more contemporary dress. However, many young apprentices of needlework schools and textile houses are attempting to bring back this tradition and in fact, there is a renewed interest in general by the younger Japanese generation in the kimono and in these traditions.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Creativity, Childhood and Arts Education
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
LEST WE FORGET
" They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them. "
........Laurence Binyon
Please pause today to honour the memory of the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, offer prayers for the safety of those still struggling to maintain peace in the world and give thanks for their unselfish sacrifices in order that we many continue to enjoy the rights and freedoms they have fought for and continue to fight for.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Blog Action Day - Climate Change and Textile Recycling
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Ta Da .....at last......
Cover Design "Days of Wine and Roses and You..." by Barbara Blankenship
Please check out our new site at: http://www.artbra.org/
The 2010 WTWW ArtBra Calendar will feature all newly designed ArtBras, complete with stories, and three spectacular crazy quilts. Net proceeds from the sale of the calendars will be donated to two cancer centers in Pennsylvania. A portion will be donated to the Fox Chase Women's Cancer Center mobile Mammography van, which will provide free mammograms to Philadelphia, PA neighborhoods. Proceeds will also be donated to the Lehigh Valley Breast Health Center in Allentown, PA for Survivor Services.
We expect this year's calendar to sell-out! Over 50% of the calendar printing has been sold to date so please get your orders in early to ensure your copy. Calendars are $14 US, printed with heavy-laminated covers and gorgeous photography.
MEET THE DESIGNERS at the WTWW ArtBra opening
exhibition at
BYERS CHOICE, October 2, 2009
in Chalfont, PA
All proceeds from the Exhibition Opening Cocktail Party will be donated to Fox Chase Women's Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA for breast cancer research. The WTWW ArtBras and Crazy Quilt Exhibition will be open through October 31, 2009.
Event Info
October 2, 2009 Cocktail Party
7 - 9 PM
Byers Choice, County Line Road, Chalfont, PA
Exhibition will be open from Oct 2-31, 2009
October 3, 2009
Calendar signing at the James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA
October 4th
Calendar signing at Byers Choice, Chalfont, PA
Designers attending ~ Barbara Blankenship, Victoria Brown, Leonie Hartley-Hoover, Laurel Mazziotti, Stephanie Novatski, Brenda Wilson, and Julie Yonge.
Start your holiday shopping early and have the designers sign a calendar for you!
A Way to Women's Wellness, Inc
http://www.artbra.org/
info@artbra.org
Friday, August 28, 2009
Busy Month
I will be home a couple of weeks and then off for three exciting days to the American Sewing Expo in Novi where I will spend some time with Koos van den Akker. I hope some of his glorious talent will rub off on me a little and inspire me to new heights. I also hope while there to meet up with my old mentor, Kenneth King, who has inspired and influenced my beadwork for many years.
In the interim, classes will commence at CEG where we are hoping for a wonderfully creative , stimulating year and the joy of being with old friends.
Not home long from the expo and it will be off to Pennsylvania for the grand opening of the WTWW Art Bra exhibit at Byers Choice along with the James A. Michener Art Museum events and a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my amazing friends and fellow Art Bra designers.
My go-to guys will be cat sitting and looking after affairs here in my absence ,bless them and probably enjoying a nice break from my female presence and the general chaos I seem to create. Thanks guys! Love you.
I hope to spend the rest of the year tying up loose ends, taking care of some family business and spending some quality time in the studio designing new
work and creating new classes.
So I will be quiet for a short time here on the blog but will be back soon with lots of news, inspiration and updates. In the meantime, stay well and continue to enjoy creating.
Byers Exhibit and James A Michener Art Museum
The art bras are once again stirring up a great deal of interest as we look to the fall and the month of October, which many of you are aware is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Byers Choice Ltd. in Doylestown PA. USA, is hosting a month long exhibit of the Art Bras featuring 35 WTWW ArtBras and three spectacular crazy quilts with some of the ArtBra designers, including myself, in attendance the weekend of October 2nd, 2009.
Friday, October 2nd at 7 pm join us for the Grand Opening of the Art Bra exhibit. Reservations are required and tickets can be obtained at 215-822-6700. There will be 2010 calendar signings at The Byers Choice gift shop Oct. 3rd from 10 a.m until noon and on Oct. 4th from 1pm - 3 pm. where you will have a chance to meet and chat to the artists.
On October 3rd from 1 to 3 pm the designers will be at the beautiful James A Michener Art Museum in Doylestown for a calendar signing and there you will get the opportunity to see Barbara Blankenship's "Grape Expectations" and my newest piece " Who's the Contemptible Scoundrel who Stole the Cork from my Lunch?" It will be a busy but fun time for sure and if you are in the area please drop by to see us and say hi. I'll keep you all apprised of the goings-on in further posts as the time draws near. I have been asked to keep " Contemptible Scoundrel" under wraps until the 2010 Art Bra calendar is ready to go but I think you will like this year's offering when it is finally unveiled.