Monday, February 21, 2011

boro moonday

                                                                                                                                      boro moon patch

This is a moon patch on the knee of my one remaining pair of gardening jeans. The others were annihilated when I had cloth fever. If I had realized that I could actually make them wearable again in a cool way, I would've restrained myself, but at the time they were considered a lost cause. In Japan, mended and patched textiles are referred to as boro or rags. These jeans are now officially boro.

The full-moon patch evolved into a half moon patch. This was some fun stitching. As I worked on it, I wished I could again "have at" the many jeans' knees I've patched over the years raising children --  to patch them with shapes and wonderful little stitches rather than those big old rectangles. And to have referred to the patched jeans as boro once they'd transitioned!

                                                                                                                           boro half-moon patch

Today is a waning moonday in Libra, a time for connecting with other people, creating beauty, and feeling balanced. The lightness of this day brings great relief after the high energy of a fiery full moon in Leo followed by Virgo's work-oriented impatience last week. Things are finally settling down. Some of the qualities of the waning moon, cutting away excess in our lives, can be more easily achieved under Libra. That includes sorting, contemplating, and making decisions to bring about a sense of centeredness.

On a physical level, Libra affects the hips, bladder, and kidneys. Most conditions of these areas are too complex to go into here but I will mention an herbal diuretic that assists the elimination of excess water -- and that is the common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. As soon as the darlings begin to show themselves, I gather the outer leaves to add to salads, or just pick and eat them on the spot. Dandelion is also a good spring tonic and the earliest pickings are not bitter. Later in the season, they will need to be simmered in a couple changes of water to remove that bitterness. A common folk name for dandelion is piss-in-bed -- usually an increase in urine is noticeable. Dandelion is high in potassium making it a better choice of diuretic than some synthetic ones that often wash out the body's supply requiring a potassium supplement to be taken as well.

Synchronizing with the energy of the moon works well for me right now. I've made a solemn pledge to myself to tend to unfinished projects begun within the last 30+ years. They must be revived, completed, deconstructed for stash, given away, buried or destroyed. Projects begun within the last year do not count as they reflect my current focus and passion. I am both embarrassed by and enchanted with the process. I will share some of it here as I go through them.

Anyone else feeling the need to do this?

 

                                                                        different hole, same jeans

15 comments:

  1. great patch. i have a pair that needs some repair as well.

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  2. This is beautiful; and I love that two shades of blue make a half moon. Just wonderful.

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  3. Deanna & Gracie, thanks! I hope these jeans still fit me when I finally get to go play in the dirt again. Fingers, toes & eyes crossed here.

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  4. Really handsome patch! If they don't fit, you can do more boro on them!

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  5. Suzanna -- yeah, a panel on each side of the hmm-hmm!
    Thanks!

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  6. oh there it is again!
    such a genius of a moon patch.
    i have a pair of jeans which are
    nearing a knee-ed hole.

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  7. Well, thanks, Cristina -- now you get to make a piece of boro! We'll never be sad about knee holes again...ha.

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  8. I really think that this is not a "patch" but an embellishment on your jeans, it is beautifully done!

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  9. Thank you, Herm -- maybe it's both!

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  10. I agree with Herm, more than just mending. It's embellishment, wonderful piece Peggy - Hugs Nat

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  11. Love the moon patch! I was looking around the other
    day and had this urge to just pack up every unnecessary
    thing and clear out and clean up...but that is as far as I got lol! It was either stitch or do that and i chose stitching. Thank you for sharing about dandelion.

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  12. Nat, Marie & Patty -- thanks for the kind words!

    I'm really trying hard on clearing those old projects out -- keep getting sidetracked too, Marie -- making stuff is like some wonderful kind of disease...

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  13. I was looking for a way to patch my favourite jeans that would be beautiful but wouldn't make them look cheezy -- as soon as I read your post, I knew I'd found the perfect solution! Thank you for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Hi there -- so glad this helped you with your mending!

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