jerseymurmurs

An impassioned argument for empathy: “…We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future, one that is beckoning, welcoming…there will still be love, there will still be love, there will still be beauty, and there will be an ocean of truth to swim in. Let’s make it so.” — Jane Fonda in her SAG Life Achievement Award acceptance speech February 23, 2025 ♦ “Your enthusiasm makes this seem, I don’t know, less like a late twilight of my life and more like a ‘Go girl, kick ass,'” the 87-year-old actress and activist told the crowd. “Which is good, because I’m not done.” ♦

The positive power of a compliment — for both the giver and receiver. “You have the poise of an apex predator, but the eyes of a kindly woodland creature. It’s a devastating combination.” (British comedian Milo McCabe has created a character — ‘Troy Hawke’ — who excels at handing out complements including this one.) ♦ The background photo is from “The Gates” — a temporary site-specific work of art by Christo and Jeanne-Claude @christojeanneclaude  ◊ In February 2005, steel gates were installed along 23 miles of pathways in New York City’s Central Park, each hung with a panel of saffron-colored fabric ◊ @centralparknyc ♦ On my visit to The Gates I was carrying a cross-body bag that I had designed, knitted, and felted; a woman stopped me and asked me if I had made the bag  — that compliment was the frosting on the cake of a magical day. ♦

Peacebuilding ♦ “Instead of cutting foreign aid, the U.S. should increase spending on diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and economic development, funded by cuts to unsustainable military spending. A more peaceful and secure world can be realized through diplomacy, direct engagement, joint ventures, and support for addressing global needs. By lifting up others, we will also lift up ourselves. This is how the U.S. could create real safety and live up to the values that it says it holds dear.“ — American Friends Service Committee @afsc_org ♦ the background “mural” was an experiment in textures, shapes, and layers ♦

“Artists showcase the range of life’s emotions — the loftiest heights of joy and the depths of grievous despair. They hold a mirror up to the world — reflecting who we are and echoing our stories. The work of artists doesn’t always make us feel comfortable, but it sheds light on the truth. Much like our democracy itself, artistic expression must be nurtured, fostered, prioritized, and protected. It is not a passive endeavor; indeed, there is no clearer sign of American democracy at work than our artists...” — Deborah Rutter, in a statement Wednesday [rump fired Rutter as president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — the national cultural center of the United States located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. — and arranged for himself to be appointed chairman] ♦ the background “mural” on graph paper was an experiment in making an art deco design ♦

High Priestess says Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection beats miserly hate and spiteful meanness any day of the week. ♦ T-shirt artwork by @theeddyiconic ["Eitligi Iolair Eitlilt" = "Fly Eagles Fly" in Gaelic] ♦

The colorful motifs are taken from a wooden candleholder (that artist’s signature is in bottom left corner), painted in the traditional folk art style (“Petrykivka”; featuring flower patterns and natural elements), that a dear one brought back from Ukraine.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was created in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy to partner with countries around the world to implement long-term development efforts and work together with individuals, communities, countries to improve everyday lives. Recent projects include aiding famine-stricken regions in Sudan, providing textbooks for displaced schoolchildren in Ukraine, and training healthcare workers in Rwanda. [020225 News Headline: “Trump moves to wrest control of USAID as Musk says, ‘We’re shutting it down’” — WaPo]  

Thinking of all those being stung by the venomous spite of a certain presidente.

I knit a striped “Chamonix Cap” to try and quiet the “orchestra of madness” (to quote a dear one’s recent lament) swirling in my head. The cap is warm and jaunty; it was fun to knit the German short rows that shape the crown. Pattern Design by toqu.tigu for Purl Soho.

January 20, 2025 (re-mixing Quarantine Still Life 69)

In the 1960s, my father (a baseball player in his younger days) took me and my brothers “out to the ballpark” in North Philadelphia to see the Phillies play at Connie Mack Stadium (opened in 1909 as Shibe Park, it had one of the “grandest facades at any ballpark ever built”). Many years later it was an interesting exercise to sketch and document the exuberance and excitement of the 2022 Phillies (now in a South Philadelphia ballpark) during the recent postseason home-run-and-dance-fest. So many different baseball uniforms! Red pinstripes. Grey pinstripes. Solid cream (a tribute to their 125th anniversary). Solid grey. The retro powder blues. And the design details — underarm insets for ease of movement; side-seam trouser stripes; red belts (along with the player’s number in red on a front belt loop); colorful footwear. The blue star that “dots” the i’s in the script-lettered Phillies logo. The stylized “P” on the caps. All manner of protective gear to cover feet, legs, arms, faces. Hi-tech batting gloves. Special patches sewn on the sleeves for the World Series. Even a jaunty pom-pom-topped knit Phillies hat…

“Flight suits are modular tapestries, their surfaces are designed to be decorated, but work just as well left blank.“ 

“Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s flight suits were found and worn by speed freaks, by artists, by gender non-conformists, by techno-dreamers, by punks, by travelers, by children who wanted to fly...”  [Quotes are from “Flight Suits Take Off” by Maxwell Neely-Cohen] ️

My modular, tapestry-like Flight Suit is on display at the National Liberty Museum at 321 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia until April 3rd 2022, part of the “Deconstructing Bowie” exhibit that celebrates “the timeless power of music and art to challenge cultural expectations and drive both personal and societal change”.

Thrilled that my “Boogie Flight Suit” is part of the “Deconstructing Bowie: Freedom in Eccentricity” exhibit at Philadelphia’s National Liberty Museum that celebrates David Bowie’s “timeless power to challenge cultural norms and inspire others to share their unique creative voice.” (Vexed that omicron means I can’t see it in person yet.)

David Bowie showed me that you can reinvent yourself. And, in fact, as we age, a key to surviving and thriving is to be able to reinvent ourselves – as many times as necessary. One way that I reinvent is by making my own clothes. There is something so satisfying and liberating about selecting a flat piece of fabric and cutting and sewing it to make it fit the body – it’s part art and part science. And when you’re finished constructing, what you have is something unique and different. A garment that even a year ago you might never have considered wearing. Who wants to play the same role all the time? (Bowie didn’t.)

Consider the Flight Suit (also known as a “boiler-suit”) a garment that Bowie explored. It is gender neutral. It is not a sexualized garment. It is functional and allows freedom of movement. It can be rendered in many different types of fabrics – denim, linen, silk. It is purposeful. It is customizable – a collar can be turned up; sleeves can be long or short; it can be belted or not. It can go punk, funk, or high-fashion. A perfect garment for re-invention.

I used the Blanca Flight Suit sewing pattern by Closet Core Patterns and a linen fabric from Stylemaker Fabrics of “dancing, changing waves” for my let-the-children-Boogie Flight Suit.

The Boogie Flight Suit -- behind and to the right of this crazy cool keyboard -- and lots of other interesting David Bowie-influenced artwork is on view in the "Deconstructing Bowie" exhibit at the National Liberty Museum at 321 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia from January 7, 2022 until April 3, 2022.