Perne cu simboluri primordiale up-date / Pillow cases with primordial symbols up-date

Cu doua zile in urma, am finalizat o comanda de perne cu simboluri primordiale, pe maro. Maro cafea cu lapte. :-) In poza am atasat materialul folosit pentru partea din spate - un doc fin, usor elastic - precum si cele trei nuante de ata folosite la broderie. Sper sa va placa!

Two days ago, I've finished an order for brown primordial symbols pillow cases. Coffee & milk brown. :-) In the picture above, I've attached a sample of the fabric I used for the back side - a fine duck, slightly elastic - and also the three different colours of thread for the embroidery. I hope you like it!

Radacinile trecutului nostru / Roots of our past

"Is it good to seek the past, Master Po? Does it not rob the  present?

If a man dwells in the past, then he robs the present. But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future. The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past."

"Este bine sa cercetezi trecutul, Maestre Po? Nu-ti fura asta prezentul?

Daca omul traieste in trecut, atunci el isi fura prezentul. Insa daca omul isi ignora trecutul, si-ar putea fura viitorul. Semintele destinului nostru sunt hranite de radacinile trecutului nostru.  "

Kung Fu (TV Series, 1972)

Pe coloana existentei noastre, am ajuns intr-un moment de stramtoare. Viitorul ne sta inainte necunoscut, opac, incert... Campia trecutului insa, ne este inca fertila. Si radacinile puternice. 

Am pus alaturi de ele vartejul energiei regenerative si curgerea blanda a apei binefacatoare, pentru ca impreuna sa hraneasca si sa indrume semintele mult-incercatului nostru destin. Demn, curajos, vertical.  

On our existence column, we reached a narrow point. The future awaits ahead of us unknown, shadowed, doubtful... Yet the plain of our past is still fertile. And our roots strong.
I laid next to them the whirl of regenerative energy and the soft drift of benefactress water, so that together they could feed and guide the seeds of our long-troubled destiny. Dignified, brave, upright.

Simboluri primordiale: coloana -> viata, spirala -> energie regenerativa, linii paralele serpuite -> apa binefacatoare , rombul ->fertilitate (dupa Virgil Vasilescu "Semnele cerului")

Primordial symbols: the column -> life, existence, the spiral -> regenerative energy, sinuous parallel lines -> benefactress water, diamond -> fertility (acc. Virgil Vasilescu "The symbols of the sky" )

Detalii:

1. fete de perna din olandina, dimensiuni 40 x 40 cm

• fata din olandina alba, brodata manual cu simboluri primordiale, cu ata de bumbac Coats Perle Cotton no8
• spatele asortat din olandina albastra sau in culoarea lavandei (mov)
• inchidere cu fermoar pe spate 
• pret / buc: 65 lei

2. fata de perna tricotata dimensiuni 40 x 40 cm

• fata tricotata cu model in romburi, din bumbac egiptean 100%, in culoarea lavandei (mov) 
• spatele din olandina in culoarea lavandei
• inchidere cu fermoar pe spate
• pret / buc: 70 lei

Details:

1. 40 x 40 cm pillow cases made of Holland-like 100% cotton fabric

• front side made of white Holland-like cotton fabric, hand embroidered with primordial symbols using cotton thread Coats Perle Cotton no8
• assorted back side made of blue or lavender (mauve) Holland-like cotton fabric
• zipper closure
• price / piece: 15 Euros

2. 40 x 40 cm knitted pillow case

• knitted front side with diamonds pattern, using lavender (mauve) 100% Egyptian Cotton
• assorted back side made of lavender Holland-like cotton fabric
• zipper closure on the back
• price / piece: 16.30 Euros

Intelesuri ascunse / Hidden meanings

Simboluri.
Unele, mai simple, ne vorbesc tuturor deopotriva.
Altele, mai complexe, isi soptesc tainele doar acelora pregatiti sa le primeasca intelepciunea.

Simbolul de mai jos l-am descoperit intr-un articol despre vechi arhetipuri geto-dace si, se pare, se afla sculptat pe poarta sanctuarului de la Sarmizegetusa. Nu i-am deslusit inca soapta, dar am simtit nevoia sa-l reproduc si sa-l dau mai departe...
Pana acum, este cea mai dificila broderie la care am lucrat. Nu datorita complexitatii punctelor de cusatura folosite sau a detaliilor migaloase, ci pentru simplul fapt ca n-am putut coase la ea decat in anumite zile sau momente ale zilei. Si astfel, nu de putine ori, a devenit obositor si dificil sa continuu. Nu am o explicatie pentru asta, insa acum ca e gata, am o mare bucurie ca am incheiat!

Symbols.

Some, simpler, speak to us equally.

Others, more complex, whisper their secrets only to those ready to receive their wisdom. 

I discovered the symbol above in an article I read about Dacian ancient archetypes and, apparently, it's carved on the gate of Sarmizegetusa sanctuary. I haven't managed to understand its whisper yet, but I felt the need to reproduce it and pass it on... 

So far, it's the most difficult embroidery I've made. Not because of the complexity of the stitches I used or the niggling details, but because I could only sew in some days or parts of the day. Thus, pretty often, became hard and weary to continue doing it. I have no explanation for this, but now that's ready, I feel a great joy I've finished it!

simbolul original / the original symbol

foto: http://iulianandrei.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/arhetipuri-simboluri-din-preistoria-noastra/

Detalii:

• fete de perna decorative, dimensiuni 40 x 40 cm (alte dimensiuni disponibile la cerere)
• fata din bumbac alb 100%
• spatele din in albastru / maro 
• broderie manuala cu ata de bumbac Perle Cotton no 5
• inchidere cu capse metalice (sau cu fermoar, la cerere) 
• pret: 97 lei/buc.

Details:

• 40 x 40 cm decorative pillow cases (other sizes also available upon request)
• 100% white cotton top and blue/brown linen back
• hand embroidered with cotton thread Perle Cotton no 5
• closure: metallic snaps (or zipper, available upon request)
• price: 21.5 Euro/one pillow case

The reality of a dream

Have you ever fallen into the trap of buying only something that's perfectly finished, flawlessly decorated, even when the thing you bought was not of necessary use for you at the time?
Well, I have to admit, I did. And I think home decor magazines (and not only them) are the perfect bait for such a trap, with all of those pictures lurking you into having "a dream life", a life of luxury even you can now afford... But if you can get a glimpse beyond that "dream life", you realize what you see is often overrated, and in the end the price you have to pay for such a life is... life itself.

What happened with home-made items, no matter how clumsy they're made? What happened with reusing and reshaping old things we don't use anymore? When did we decide effortless is the way for progress, and when are we going to stop lying to ourselves that just because we got that thing into our home in less than 30 minutes, that makes is cheap and affordable?

Well... these are just a few thoughts I have in my mind in the last few days. And because of that, when I shortly visited my favourite fabric shop - it's quite small, but very cosy and the owners are two very nice young ladies - I decided to buy a piece of printed fabric, very cheap just because during printing process,  areas of spread paint appeared here and there. I didn't have something specific in my mind for it, but I particulary liked the floral pattern, of a dark, indigo blue shade.

Later on, I thought: why not pillow cases? The fabric is sturdy, not very soft, so they should get quite nice. I also wanted them with piping edges, so I used in addition for each pillow case: four pieces of white cotton rope, four strips from an old T-shirt and three buttons from an old cardigan..
And the result? Two cheap 40 x 40 cm pillow cases, with floral pattern and buttons enclosure.
Pretty nice, I'd say!

Vi s-a intamplat vreodata sa picati in capcana de a cumpara un lucru doar daca era perfect finisat si impecabil decorat, chiar daca acel lucru nu va era si neaparat necesar la momentul respectiv?

Eu, trebuie sa recunosc, am facut-o. Si cred ca toate revistele de tip “home decor” (dar nu numai) reprezinta momeala perfecta pentru o astfel de capcana, cu toate acele ilustratii ce ne ademenesc catre “o viata de vis”, o viata de lux pe care pana si tu ti-o poti permite acum… Dar daca putem zari macar o clipa in spatele acelei “vieti de vis”, ne putem da seama ca de multe ori produsele sunt supraevaluate si ca, in final, pretul pe care trebuie sa-l platim pentru o astfel de viata este… viata insasi.

Ce s-a intamplat, oare, cu lucrurile facute de noi, indiferent cat de stangace ar fi fost ele? Ce s-a intamplat, oare, cu refolosirea si remodelarea lucrurilor vechi din casa, care nu ne mai sunt de nici un folos? Cand am hotarat ca lipsa efortului reprezinta calea spre progres si cand vom inceta a ne mai minti ca doar pentru ca am obtinut un lucru in mai putin de 30 de minute, aducandu-l acasa, asta il face si ieftin si accesibil?

In fine… astea sunt cateva din gandurile pe care le am in ultimele zile… Si din acest motiv, intr-o scurta vizita prin magazinul meu preferat de tesaturi – un magazine mic, dar foarte primitor, in proprietatea a doua tinere doamne foarte dragute – am hotarat sa cumpar o bucata de material imprimat, foarte ieftin doar pentru ca in urma imprimarii, vopseaua se intinsese pe alocuri. Nu l-am luat pentru ceva anume, insa mi-a placut mult motivul floral, intr-o nuanta inchisa de albastru-indigo.

Ulterior, mi-am zis: de ce nu perne decorative? Materialul este destul de gros, rezistent si nu foarte moale, asa ca ar trebui sa fie tocmai bun. Si pentru ca am vrut sa am si snur pe margini, am mai folosit pentru fiecare fata de perna  4 bucati de sfoara de bumbac, 4 fasii dintr-un vechi tricou de bumbac si 3 nasturi de la un vechi pullover…

Rezultatul?  Doua fete de perna ieftine, de dimensiuni 40 x 40 cm, cu motiv floral si inchidere cu nasturi. Destul de simpatice, zic eu!

Omagiu Culturii Cucuteni / Small tribute to Cucuteni Culture

A fost o vreme cand mi-am dorit sa studiez folclorul romanesc si tot ce tine de traditiile noastre populare. Cand a venit insa vremea sa-mi aleg drumul mai departe, am decis altceva. Imi pare rau? Nu stiu… Dar din cand in cand, nostalgia unui “ceva” ce, poate, ar fi fost mai pe masura sufletului meu, revine precum chemarea mierlei in prag de primavara. 

Imi plac tesaturile si broderiile romanesti, in spatele carora intuiesc munca si dragostea de frumos a mii de perechi de maini, miscandu-se odata cu timpul si viata insasi. Ma fascineaza traditiile, versurile si cantecele ce-au insotit Taranul Roman in trecerea sa peste aceste pamanturi mult-incercate. Admir ingeniozitatea cu care si-a creat unelte menite a-i usura activitatea de zi cu zi, la fel podoabele si obiectele ritualice. Ador ceramica traditionala in care mesteri priceputi si-au inchis talentul si secretul povestilor pictate manual, in rotirea tainica a rotii de olar. 

Si mai mult insa, ma fascineaza cultura neolitica de pe teritoriul Romaniei, in fapt cea mai veche civilizatie din Europa: Cultura Cucuteni.

Cultura Cucuteni poarta numele localitatii in care, in anul 1884, s-au descoperit primele vestigii. Mai veche cu cateva sute de ani decat civilizatiile sumeriana si egipteana, Cultura Cucuteni se intindea pe o suprafata de 350.000 km², pe teritoriul actual al Romaniei, Republicii Moldova si Ucraina, caracterizandu-se printr-o ceramica de foarte buna calitate, bogat si variat pictata, cu motive in forma de spirala, meandre sau cercuri, culorile predilecte aplicate inainte de ardere fiind albul, rosul si negrul-ciocolatiu.

Ceramica de Cucuteni este unica in Europa, singurele asemanari gasite pana in prezent fiind intre ceramica Cucuteni si o ceramica neolitica din China, cea din China insa aparand cu aproape un mileniu mai tarziu.

Cu opera extraordinara a acestor Mari Anonimi in minte, am incercat sa-mi confectionez propriile cusaturi de tip Cucuteni. Am cumparat in, am cusut, am desenat si brodat si… iata rezultatul: 

***

Some time ago, I wanted to study Romanian folklore as well as everything related to our folk traditions. But when the time to choose a way for my future came, I decided for something else. Am I sorry? I don’t know…  But from time to time, the nostalgia of “something” which might have been closer to my soul comes back to me, like a blackbird’s call at the first signs of springtime.

I like Romanian old homespun and embroideries, in which I can only scent the hard work and love for beauty of thousands of pairs of hands, moving together with time and life itself. I’m fascinated by old traditions, poetry and songs that accompanied the Romanian Peasant during his passing over these hard-debated lands. I admire his resourcefulness in creating tools meant to facilitate the daily chorus, or jewellery and ceremonial objects. I adore traditional pottery in which exceptional artisans locked their talent and the secret of their hand-painted stories, in the magical swirls of the potter’s wheel.

And more than that, I’m fascinated by the Neolithic culture that once was on the territory of modern-day Romania, in fact the oldest civilisation of Europe: Cucuteni Culture.  

The Cucuteni Culture bears the name of the place in which the first archaeological remnants had been found, in 1884. With a few hundred years older than the Sumerian and Egyptian civilisations, the Cucuteni Culture encompassed an area of more than 350.000 km², from the Carpathian Mountains to the Dniester and Dnieper regions in modern-day Romania, the Republic of Moldavia and Ukraine and it’s renowned for its great quality pottery, richly and variously painted with motifs like swirls, windings and circles in white, red or chocolate-black, the main colours applied before burning.

The Cucuteni Pottery is unique in Europe, the only resemblance found so far between the Cucuteni pottery and other Neolithic pottery being in China. However, the Chinese one only sprung almost a millennium later. 

With the extraordinary creation of this Great Anonymous in my mind, I have tried to do my own Cucuteni-like homespun. So I bought linen, I sewed, I drew a pattern and embroidered it and... here's the result:

Detalii:

• fata de perna din in, cu fermoar aplicat
• broderie manuala cu fir de bumbac Perle Cotton no 5
• puncte folosite: punct de lantisor
• pret: 53 lei

Details:

• linen pillow case with zipper
• hand-made embroidery using Perle Cotton no 5
• stitches used: chain stitch
• price: 12.5 Euro

p.s. Culorile pot varia in functie de preferinte. 

      Colors may vary according to your preferences.