Wands and so much more with little (and big) kids
How materials from the earth, from near and very far, brought my family together one sunny afternoon.
The idea started with Julie (my extraordinary hand stitching teacher and Patreon supporter, thank you!). On several occasions I remember her speaking of her summers spent on Cape Cod, MA with her extended family. It was a tradition and I could always tell how much she loved those times and all the memories they shared. She spoke quite fondly about the art projects they would do together. Julie, being the wonderful teacher that she is, would conceive of the idea and plan the project. This is where her famous wrapped stone talisman class came from! She inspired me in an art project with my family.
A week and a half ago we travelled to upstate NY to see extended family. It had been many years since we got together, with a death and three births later. I was going to see my great niece (almost 9) and three great nephews (7, 5, and 2). At the last minute while packing, I thought of Julie’s art project with her family, and grabbed a few things – a few small skeins of natural and indigo handwoven Lao thread and a fair size swatch of Phu Tai indigo ikat Lao fabric. I had no project in mind, or any plan, really. What I had in mind is that we’d forage for sticks there and whatever else and make things. I’m clearly not a teacher!
It took a little bit for Zoe, Noble (the two oldest) and I to warm up to each other. What do they know about Great Aunt LouLou, and for me they had grown so much since I last saw them five years ago. We were already outside when I asked them, “Do you want to go foraging for sticks to make something?” Their faces lit up, curious. Off we went.
The house is surrounded by woods, with many many sticks and other interesting dried things all along the edge of the yard. Mostly any stick would do, really, but they kept asking, “Is this one good?” and “Is this one okay?”
“Well,” I replied, “Do you feel that stick wants to come with you? Do you feel it’s calling you to pick it up? That’s how you know. It’s a feeling.” They totally got it, it was cool.
We picked up all sorts of sticks – bumpy ones with minty lichen, smooth ones of ashen gray, fragile ones with bark falling off, thin and thick, short and long – enough for everyone. We also found small pine cones and dried weeds.
We walked back to the house to the side porch, and plopped all the sticks and things on the table. We grabbed chairs, scissors, and Wes, their 5 year old brother.
I really didn’t give much instruction – just the idea of making wands and bundles, or anything else that they wanted to make, too.
So what is a wand, anyway? ”It has something special on the end and with your imagination, it can sometimes be magical,” I said with all the excitement from their Great Aunt LouLou. I had their attention.
“We can make that special end part of the wand with thread and fabric from Laos.” I was losing them.
I told them where Laos was and that I went there to get this very special handmade thread and fabric made by these amazing artisans and weavers. So it’s really exceptional materials we’re working with here. They were ready to just get started.
I gave them each strands of thread and strips of fabric and showed them how to wrap the fabric and thread on the stick to get them going. I encouraged them to just play around and figure some things out. “There’s no right or wrong at all. And if you want to make something else, that’s completely okay, too.” I said encouragingly. They had already started and were on their way.
Zoe, The Decisive Florist: quickly seemed to know the materials; combined different elements; wrapped, tied, and bundled; followed her own flow; made bundles, bouquets, wands and crosses.
Noble, The Thoughtful Engineer: considered the materials and how they might work; was deep in thought about making what was in his mind; arranged and planned; experimented and tried different things; made wands and crosses but if he had more time and practice, he could probably make a skyscraper. I regret not getting a photo of his final creations because I think he took them with him.
Wes, The Wild Adventurer: focused on making an ax; utilized his mother’s hand in helping him stabilize the joint; wrapped, bound, and tied more and more to make the ax strong; had just come from helping his papa (grandfather) stack wood so I think there’s a connection there.
Noel, The Mom: found milkweed pods which were a great hit; loved making as much as her kids; made a beautiful bouquet wand.
Nate and Oliver, The Dad and Littlest: made a big sword!
Beck, The Nonna (Italian word for grandmother) (and she’s my sister): loved the milkweed pods; worked delicately and patiently; made a healing chime!
Great Aunt LouLou, The Initiator: was overjoyed with seeing her family really get into it, and what they were making; made a couple of bundles and wands herself.
We had nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go. The sunny afternoon and gentle time was all ours to be together and make.
I was thinking of the Lao artisans and weavers who made the materials that we worked with – natural and indigo hand woven thread and Phu Tai indigo ikat fabric. Could they imagine how their handmade heritage craft could find its way to me and my family, halfway around the globe, and connect us to each other? I don’t know if I could have imagined it, until it happened.
Thinking about how the materials are from the earth and their land, Laos. And how the sticks, milkweed pods, dried weeds and pinecones are from the earth and my family’s land in upstate NY and from those before them.
This came my way recently and feels appropriate to share here:
Acknowledgement of Country by Jonathan Hill
“Today we stand in the footsteps of millennia old. May we acknowledge the traditional owners whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture this land, since men and women awoke from the great dream. We honor the presence of these ancestors who reside in the imagination of this land and whose irrepressible spirituality flows through all creation.”
“Wands and so much more with little (and big) kids” was originally published as an exclusive post to my Patreon supporters in June 2021. Now it's public and available to you, too!
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