some crafts from the archives.. I mean my home..

when I started to blog in turkish.. I thought this would be a hobby-craft blog..
because ..I wanted to share..practice..tips and tricks.. possibilities.. of crafts..

well.. I have friends.. good friends in real-life .. but we are all in a very hectic '' big city'' ..full-time working life.. and I am the only one who is crafting among them.. my friends prefer to be more social.. going to sports.. doing yoga and reiki.. for relaxing.. I'm the only one who likes.. creating..and this is my zen attitude towards life.. I like all sorts of crafts.. I started when I was a student.. when knitwears were in fashion.. but when I started to my professional full time work..there was a period I did nothing..
and I restarted when my son and daugter were small.. my mother sick.. and when I had the least of time..
I decided to change a mahogany veneer cupboard which was the biggest furniture in the house.. when I stripped it on a sudden decision.. everybody was very suspicious about me.. they thought..I couldn't finish it.. or that it wouldn't be good.. I remember one of them saying.. maybe I should try my hand with a smaller piece .. like a tray..but I did finish.. and I was successful.. I used it a long time in a distressed hunter green colour..
I painted.. stencilled.. decoupaged.. crackled .. papier-maché..yes I did it too.. embroidered.. knitted .. crocheted.. sewn.. did some patchworks.. bead embroidery.. some jewel making..and when I showed these to my friends and family.. I just heard the same reaction.. how can you find the time to.. ??
I thought that if I have a blog and find myself some crafting friends.. I would share more.. discuss about the crafting.. not about how we find the time to do it =)) and my friends would have a rest.. It's hard to look like interested when you are not..
but I also noticed that having a blog.. makes your ideas.. and memories go further than you mean.. and I have had many non-crafter blogger friends as well..
and now I am in a new circle.. I have my advantages .. I have visited regularly.. most of the crafter-gardener bloggers.. and I know them.. their reactions.. some of their memories.. even their styles.. and I know as well.. that this will be a new circle of friends.. new sharings.. new horizons.. I know this cannot be just a craft blog.. as my first mail can demonstrate.. as I always say.. creating is full of sentiments.. well it will go along.. crafts and sentiments..

for some first mails.. I will attach the photos of some of my crafts.. and write about this and that.. so that.. the other bloggers.. who will come and visit me.. ( I hope).. have the opportunity of getting to know me.. as I do know them..

and I will try my skills in this.. media_art craft and silk ribbon embroidery two crafts I like very much.. and have never tried ..

the picture above is a modern and simple version of the classical tulip embroidery design.. the pattern is from my mother's pattern book.. she was teaching turkish embroidery at school.. and sometimes she dreamed about new patterns.. and made sketches..in the mornings.. I have some modified classical Ottoman embroideries made by her too.. that I will picture and share as well.. maybe tou will show me new ways of using them..

For these pillows that I have on my bed..I made the simplest possible bead-embroidery .. if we can call it so.. because I transfered the pattern on the linen and filled in with beads and sequins..

my memory box..

when you remember.. someone you love.. you remember her-him.. in his favorite spot.. doing his favorite occupation.. at least I do..
well my mother loved to be a teacher.. she was very strict about her profession.. and she loved crafting.. and she loved talking with me.. about all.. when I read a book I liked.. it was a half- pleasure for me.. if I couldn't read the parts I liked best to her..
and she liked listening to french poems I was learning at school.. even though she didn't understand all.. she liked the rhyme of it..
so this is a memory box for her..
I remember.. all the buttons .. from the dresses she wore..the embroidery thread.. the small yellowish soap she used for transfering the pattern onto fabric..her photo with a student of her kneeling by her side.. the surrounding crewelwork is part has a fun story.. when I get married and visited her in her house.. I always remarked something that I forgot to ake to my new home.. and took them with me.. once.. she came handing this lacework to me.. saying.. that's the last thing you left here.. what is it?? I asked .. it was on the edge of your first baby underwear.. that I had kept.. and that's the last thing you'll take away from here..

the paper behind..is handwritten by me.. it's the poem..lake ''Le Lac'' de Lamartine.. that she liked to listen..in french.. and that I translated to her..
<< Ô temps, suspends ton vol ! et vous, heures propices,

Suspendez votre cours !

Laissez-nous savourer les rapides délices

Des plus beaux de nos jours !>>

I think this is a good collage.. in her memory.. it is in my small craft room.. I like having her things around me.. while crafting.. reading..

Thank you to Sandy.. and Zella of course

It all started after I saw a P .. yes .. my name is Pinar.. it means a ''source'' in my language.. in turkish I mean..

I have been crafting for ages.. using my hands.. and thinking..about everything .. that's how I can rest.. then I have started blogging about .. crafts..and thoughts.. and also went around in the internet .. into people's life and crafts.. inspirations.. there have been some blogs I visit regularly.. sometimes while commenting.. I gave them my turkish blog's adress.. as I use lots of images .. they answer me.. that they don't understand wath I write ( well I was sure of it ).. but they have looked at the pictures.. and I wanted to share with them..the crafting-thinking period.. because we crafters can see beyond the product.. behind the stiches.. all the crafting and finishing touches.. give so much clues about your personality.. we are overt.. to those who can see.. we are also pride.. to show and talk about our creations.. if no.. why having blogs..

yesterday I have visited arttealife and I have seen the P... well I was reading her of course.. and was very impressed about her way of thinking.. so close to mine.. when I see sepia photos of people.. personal belongings which have ended in a shop .. or a sale.. I love buying things..feeling I will give them a new home.. but I can't stop myself about thinking why-oh-why these things are not in the possession of their family..

my mother kept saying she would destroy all her personal letters and photos before she would die.. and then she had cancer.. and died within 6 months.. while she was sick I have been visiting her..everyday.. after work.. somedays I found her in her bedroom.. closing the drawers of her closet in a hurry .. but never suspected.. we wrote many letters to each other while I was working in a different city.. and she had kept them all .. her letters and mine.. in the same box where she was hiding my father's love letters ..written to her .. when they were engaged.. After her death I wanted those letters.. desperately.. but couldn't find.. just those I had written to her.. couldn't find any photos as well.. but she didn't throw all these started but not- finished projects.. little knick-knacks we all have.. single buttons.. small parcels of ribbon.. lots and lots of silk embroidery threads.. I took them all home.. I only have her handwriting on a box of DMC thread box.. a note she wrote to a friend for a swap I guess.. saying you can have all the yellowish colours in the box.. and give me fuscia and violet coloured ones..

was this.. what she was afraid of?.. was she worried that we would throw her photos and letters.. and they would pass in foreign hands.. I don't believe this was an impulsive reaction of rejecting everything and everybody.. as she said she would do it ..before being ill..

if so .. why didn't she throw those threads.. wools.. unfinished projects.. these were her aspirations as well.. well.. she was my mother ..I knew her .. but her choice of combining colours..creating a pathchwork pattern .. were sometimes telling me more about herself than her words did ..

I was thinking about these when I saw the P.. a monogram embroidery.. a perfect P .. with the colour and the style.. I asked if I could use the photo in my turkish blog.. and Sandy answered me so kindly..saying yes.. and commenting about my blog..

I had some monogrammed items myself.. found in my mother's closet..2 SA and CA embroidered on pillowcases..

.. and some appliqué- embroidered bed sheets (those were made in 57.. for my birth) and I made a simple patchwork using all (which I will embellish.. more .. after seeing all those over-embellished creations you all make).... I hope to pass it over to my daughter.. or who knows.. years later.. a lady like you.. like me.. will take it.. and ask herself who made this patchwork.. who embroidered these monograms..

I wanted to use all together. . the P Sandy most kindly accepted to share with me.. my mother's S.. and My father's C.. alltogether in a mail..

but my turkish blogsite doesn't allow me today.. to post.. so I have to decided to create another one..in english.. because now I feel I have to share with you too.. Sandy.. and other crafters.. and vintage lovers.. and I feel we are all similar .. wherever we live.. at what age we are.. we love to create.. give another chance to the soul .. hidden in those stitches.. colours.. objects of a certain time..

ps.. a special note to Sandy.. I wrote a similar mail to my turkish blog as well (yes I succeded after all )... who would think that Zella would be recognised in Turkey as well.. =))