Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Space Between



When I was little and I went to bed before the sun did, I'd lay in my bed and make pictures with my hands. You know when you take both hands and bring the thumbs and index fingers together? You know that space that lives in the middle there between them all? In that space I'd create a whole world of shapes. I'd make all manner of hearts and trees and animals and letters, and my mind would wander aimlessly, and happily, through them all until my eyelids grew droopy and I fell asleep.


For reasons that I don't really understand, I have very few recollections of when I was a kid. This is a memory that just recently came back to me. And it's a good one. I think it came back to me because it was an activity that I repeated over and over again. It was imaginative and natural and easy and free and portable and quiet and good, and the results belonged only to me. Plus, it is probably the creative root of everything you see here.


What, you might well wonder, does this have to do with Dresden placemats? Oh nothing. Nothing at all in fact. I'm just so glad the memory is mine again. And I was reminiscing out loud.

♥M

P.S. As you can see, I finished the Dresden placemats, yipee-kayay! Previous posts about this scrappy little project live here and here.




22 comments:

  1. Your Dresden placemats are gorgeous! Hold on to all the sweet childhood memories that come along!

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  2. Love the polka dot fabric on the Dresden place mats! Well done MIchele! Scrappy projects are my most favorite :)

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  3. Those turned out lovely...

    You have an interesting relationship with your memory, don't you?

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  4. i love the placemats & i love your sweet memory ♥

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  5. Hey, where did you find a barn just like mine? Did you visit when I wasn't aware of it? They look great!

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  6. Oh, and beautiful placemats, too.

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  7. Your dresdens turned out gorgeous! I love them so much!

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  8. Those are delicious, Michele. Your little recovered memory is quite beautiful. What a weird place our subconscious minds be!

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  9. I am in love, love, love. They are so amazing!

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  10. Your placemats are gorgeous Michele!! I love the memory too!! Thanks for sharing it with us! I love remembering the quirky little things I used to do as a child.

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  11. These came out beautifully! And your story sums up what childhood should be, so well.
    When I was young, I would lay on my belly on the carpet, and trace shapes, eye level, in the soft pile.
    Kind of a meditation.
    I think the world needs more of that, today.

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  12. Your table is going to be dressed to the nines with these ;)

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  13. Your placemats look lovely. Enjoyed reading about your childhood memory too.

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  14. The placemats turned out beautifully! And I'm happy to hear you've recovered such a sweet childhood memory. Yes, I'd say that it's true ---you're playing in the basis of what you do today! Wonderful!

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  15. love these, especially up against that old wall! I've found my son doing that same thing with his hands at night! I too have a real blank spot about some particular parts of childhood. It's such an odd feeling when some of the memories come back, huh? Glad it was a special one to come back for you! And it's perfect for you. It's where all your fabulousness began! :)

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  16. Beautiful how memories can yield so much! Thank you for sharing this with us! I think your placements are gorgeous as a banner :)

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  17. theres a quilt there somewhere too lol smashing placemats meanwhile!

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  18. Can't think of a design that would be more fitting for a placemat!!! Not only are your placemats gorgeous but your choice of display is gorgeous too!

    Thank you for sharing the finished placemats in such a creative way and for sharing the sweet childhood story of your creative roots flexing their first muscles.

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  19. Recordações são, de fato, fontes de criação! se você já era criativa sem sua memória imagine só agora: o céu é o limite!
    Lindas fotos! Adorei a madeira descascada no fundo.
    Um abraço!
    Egléa

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  20. Oh my gorgeous. I would never let my kids eat on those!

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