Jordyn's Elephant Cloth

This is what I did during the month of January titled, Circus of Js. The inspiration hit on the eve of the Epiphany with a deadline of January 24th. A companion book was made to go with it and the whole long story of it all is posted on my other Blog, All Norah'S Art.

Just a little daunted by the fact it took me five years to make Tim's Cloth, I was so inspired that I dropped everything and pushed myself. Within days, I'm about to be a first-time Great Grand Mother. 

Josh and Ashley are adding baby Jordyn to the blended family of Joshua, Jalynn, Jazzlyn, Jaclynn, and Jasyk.

And Me, soon-to-be a Great Grand Mother and with the help of nine elephants and their trunks added:

• Jibber and Jabber the chatter bugs
• Jupiter the star gazer
• Jar the milk spiller
• Jelly and Jambo the peanut butter spreaders
• Juggle the milk shaker
• Jogger the memory keeper
• Joy the smile bringer

The whole story in the book includes others. For example there is Jingle and Jangle the bell ringers, Jumper the runner, Jitter the dancer, Jape the joker, Juju the adventure dreamer and Jetty the wall maker. It's a good book made especially for Jordyn the magic maker.
 

One of my favorite pictures reminds me of the dark hours of the early morning when I'm fresh and enjoying the solitude.

The nine patch under Js cloth was my mother's; however, I think it was probably made by one of my grand mothers over 60 years ago.

 Click on the book to read the story.

Elephant blanket I made for Ashley 26 years ago.

A Prologue and Another Epilogue

After all was said and done, I had my own washing ceremony. It is simple. I ran Tim's Cloth through the washer and dryer on all normal settings. I've been anxious to wash it from the beginning. Not because it was dirty but because I wanted to see the "bloom" on the edges of the raw edge applique. It did not disappoint.

Another trip to the Garden Palace for a photo was the final stage of my washing ceremony.

♥♥♥

I do hope you, dear readers, were not bothered by all of the editing I did during this last week on each and every post of this blog. Actually, I edited each post numerous times. It was a nightmarish headache.

You may remember that my intention upon completion of Tim's Cloth was to make a blog book to accompany the gift. In short, I was not happy with the way some things were coming out and my only recourse was to edit on my end. I did and the book is on the way.

♥♥♥

This is the final chapter, another epilogue of sorts, of this project. But first, I wanted to share the Prologue that I wrote. I wanted Dear Timothy, the book, to have a preface to give my explanation about the how and why. To get the prologue at the beginning of the book, I had to trick blogger by back dating the Prologue blog post. It is the very first post of this blog; therefore you may not have seen it.

I'm sharing it again here.
♥♥♥  



Prologue
written October 2015

"Do not go where the path may lead,

Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

                                  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dear Timothy,
I found this quote on my Mother's fridge after she passed away. For many reasons, I hold it close to my heart. Tim's Cloth is where I veered off where there was no path and am now leaving a trail for you. 

When I first started down my own path, May 2010, I considered my audience to be all those known and unknown to me on the world wide web who might happen upon my trail.

On Monday, September 26, 2011, I understood my audience was you. Therefore, I began to address my post directly to you, Dear Timothy. 

Frequently, when I shared my thoughts, photos, discoveries, inspiration and explanations of construction, I found myself giving you bits of my learned experience in the form of advise to you. For example, one day I said, "...keep your eyes and heart open. And give your imagination a place to go." And on another day, "...sometimes we have to let go and just keep the beauty an inside memory." 

I hope you will discover these bits of me that I have left on this trail and know that my personal spirit, heart and soul is also left on the trail. 

I found the song birds and jungle birds; the shooting stars and wishing stars; the green moons and circles; the forest and jungle; the beast and dueling dragons; the flowers and garden path; the seasons and moon trees all there on the path that no one else had gone down. They are the spirit from my heart and soul....... 

And the love I have for you, Dear Timothy.

The Finish

Dear Timothy,

Your cloth is finished!

I was trying my best to finish by the end of August. So I guess going over two days is good enough. I did my best. 

Your cloth turned out quiet large. As a matter of fact I had a hard time getting photos of the whole cloth. Turns out the only place that worked was in the Garden Palace on the parlor floor around noon.

Green Moons Forest

Around the big green moon

Dragoneosorus

dra-gone-o-so-rus

On the Back

Corners

Timothy, as with many of my big projects, at the very end and when all is finished and done, I am left without words for a few days. However, I will share here one revelation that merely came to me while trying to get final photos. 

It is about the dueling dragons. It is simple and only you and I will understand. I now recognize their symbolic presence on the backside. They came quietly from the dye pot and when they did, we both knew what they were. But who were they? They are us. You and me. Timothy and Nana. The dueling dragons. 

Song Birds

Pink Song Bird

Song Birds

Song Birds

Black Song Bird

Yellow and Blue Song Birds

Yellow Song Bird

Blue Tail Song Bird

Green Song Bird

Song Bird

Song Bird

Summer Jungle

Dear Timothy,

It's official!
I have finished the stitching on the front side. As you can see, there were many little song birds in the summer jungle. Actually, I'm sure there are more but I am now going to flip it over and continue the backing. 

Unknown Jungle Bird

Unknown Jungle Bird

The Ballarina Bird

The Ballarina Bird

Hides in the Jungle where all sorts of strange birds live.

It's Not A Moon

Dear Timothy,
I did make the connection with the early components that was planned in the beginning. I thought I would be able to make great progress if I would just quilt stitch these added components. I told myself that nothing else need be added. But I became bored with just straight stitching. So your cloth has been just waiting for me.

Timothy, don't be confused that the added circle is another moon. It is not. 

Mythological Flying Bird

Autum Moon

Dear Timothy,

This is the lost moon. But this is not the lost cloud.  When I went looking for a different cloud, do you believe I found this perfectly mythological flying bird?  I found his head first. It was just as plain as day. Then I found the body. Then the glorious tail. I really don't think the person who designed this bit of fabric knew there was such wonderful beast and birds on it.  I guess the thing I want to tell you is, keep your eyes and heart open. And give your imagination a place to go. 

As you can see, I had to remove one of the trees. And then I sat and stitched. And stitched. I was so excited to see him.

And one more thing.  Do you remember that I told you nothing every happens before it is time?  Well, this lost moon is surely evidence of that. Otherwise, I would have never found this bird.  

Green Moons

Summer Moon

Dear Timothy,

You've heard about The Man in the Moon, an imaginary human face that some can see in the moon.  Well, the Summer moon in the Green Moons Forest is most certainly not a man.  I think this two headed beast will need a name.  And I'm giving that some thought.

Spring Moon

I finished stitching on the Spring Moon and clouds.  Oh, and guess what Timothy?  I found the missing moon.  I guess at the moment that I hid it from myself, it was a good place to put it. But I did accidentally find it the other day when starting a new project.  The lost moon will become the Autumn Moon and the cloud was still attached to it.  But guess what Tim, the cloud looks a whole lot like the beast breath in the Summer Moon. I'm puzzled about that.   

Two Headed Dragoneosorus

Dragoneosorus Breath

Two headed Dragoneosorus on the moon.

Chatter In My Head

Dear Timothy,
I am making progress on this green moon and cloud.  Almost done. I have found that stitching relaxes me and helps to clear the chatter in my head.  And while that is going on, I do wonder if my Granny and Big Mama, your great, great grandmothers, found quilting and stitching relaxing. Or did they do it totally out of necessity?  I wonder.

Your beast is getting spots and I'm getting very close to finishing the big moon.  
♥