Prayer Flags for a New Year of Hope

 In Tibetan tradition, flags inscribed with sacred images and phrases are flown outside houses, commercial buildings, or in public places. It is believed that the wind activates the prayers and messages written upon the flags, and carries those thoughts all over the world. Often prayer flags are inscribed with the names of loved ones who have died. The flags are intended to become weathered, tattered, and faded, signifying the ephemeral nature of all life. 

As this year of the Covid Pandemic comes to a close, it seemed appropriate to make a few prayer flags to commemorate some of the phenomenal events of 2020, and to send out hopeful intentions for the entering new year. Pictured are some of those flags Joaquina made, and the themes each represents: enlightenment for those who dwell in darkness; justice for those who endure racism and bigotry; grace and peace for those who have lost loved ones to the Covid 19 virus; radical empathy for the victims of the catastrophic wildfires of the western United States and for all victims of climate change.

These are but a few of the many urgent issues our world must contend with now. The losses of 2020 have been profound. But in acknowledging our weaknesses, our mistakes, we can learn. We can still choose to make a better world going forward if it is in our hearts and minds to do so. Wishing you a brighter, hopeful new year. 

Peacock Embroidery: a Restoration Story

Last summer Joaquina discovered a much faded grain sack at a barn sale in southern Oregon. Despite the advanced fading of the graphics, the intricacy of the beautiful peacock image was evident. Created in the early twentieth century, when great attention was given to logos and advertising images, even on mundane objects such as this, the grain sack begged to be restored to some degree of purpose. Thus was the inspiration for a project that called for embroidery stitching to bring the original printed image and lettering on the grain sack back to life. 

Whenever working with vintage textiles, care must be taken to preserve the fabric. In this case, the weave of the grain sack, which is made of thin muslin, is very fragile. The intricacy of the peacock design and the fragility of the muslin necessitated the use of single strand embroidery floss and a fine needle. Thread colors were chosen to match the colors of the original printed graphics. 

The #slowstitching process required over 36 hours to complete. Then came the extra embellishments: couched ric-rak, a large peacock feather applique, and a ruched strip along the bottom border. The entire piece was attached to a shibori-dyed background. Tiny holes in the grain sack are a testament to the age of the textile and were left unadorned. 

From its humble, utilitarian inception, to an abandoned fate in a barn, this simple grain sack has now become art. Transformation. That's what upcycling is all about. 

Textile Portrait of a Little Saint

Jacinta Marto was one of three shepherd children to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in three apparitions beginning on March 13, 1917, in the fields near Fatima, Portugal. At the time of these apparitions, Europe was devastated by the ravages of World War I, and the Spanish Influenza Pandemic was poised to grip the global population. Mary asked these children to pray the rosary in order to bring peace to the world, and to urge all people to turn away from conflict and seek God.
With a spiritual maturity far beyond her years, little Jacinta demonstrated extreme piety and a deep conviction for the need to save a sinful world through her penance and sacrifice.

Both Jacinta and her brother, Francisco, were victims of the Spanish influenza. Jacinta lingered a year beyond her brother's death. She told of another apparition of Mary in which the Virgin came to her bedside and gave Jacinta the opportunity to live an additional year of suffering for the sake of converting sinners. She bravely accepted the opportunity, and its consequences. In February 1920, Jacinta developed purulent pleurisy. She endured an operation in which two of her ribs were removed. Due to the condition of her young heart, she could not be fully anesthetized. She suffered terrible pain, which she considered an offering. One month later, at the age of nine, Jacinta died.

Jacinta was canonized in 2017. She is the patron saint of sick people, captives, and Portuguese children. This textile portrait by Joaquina Designs pays homage to the spirit of a faithful child who found blessing in her illness, and displayed remarkable courage and altruism. One cannot help but hope and pray that Saint Jacinta now intercedes on behalf of a world enduring this current Corona virus pandemic. May our faith and courage bring us all the way through it.

A Collage of Visible Mending

Joaquina takes visible mending to a new level. The #handstitching in the jeans you see here is a study in textural contrasts. Each component in the mending becomes part of a collage. Whether in the rise of running stitches, or the slight fringe of an appliqued patch, each element brings a different tactile sensation to the wearer. At some point in the process, creating a mending collage becomes more than an act of merely extending the life of a garment, which in and of itself is a worthy thing to do. A mending collage becomes something greater than the sum of its parts. These jeans bring to mind a line from Eric Clapton's classic, Bell Bottom Blues: "I don't wanna fade away..." With this degree of mending, these jeans will never fade away. They'll become a piece of wearable art. Immortalize your own favorite garments with custom stitching. #Visiblemending. Make do. Make it last. Make art!

Joaquina Design Studio believes in building sustainable wardrobes stitch by beautiful stitch.