Friday, February 10, 2012

stitching on my sleeve


This heart is the same one the girl was holding when she drew down the snowy full moon the other day. Yesterday I stitched it onto the first sleeve -- my winter coat. To remind me to live more from the heart and not so much from the head. Lots more sleeves could use a heart. I'll let you know if it helps!

Hearts are everywhere now. I know many people have gone beyond their common associations, but I pretty much still categorized hearts with folk art, love and the valentine business, and even religion. I'm happy to realize that the heart seems to be transforming into a personal symbol of sorts, beyond the mundane. It started with this tarot card not that long ago, after years and years of using this deck, mind you.

I'm thinking heart symbolism is energetically expansive, and who knows where it could lead. I'd love to know what you associate the heart with on a deeper level?

Happy weekending! xo

30 comments:

  1. Some of my favorite folk art has a heart motif somewhere upon it. Then there is the heart and hand motif, which I love. When I started on the never ending boro jacket, I knew two things - there would be a bluebird on one shoulder as it was my Gram's favorite song and there would be a heart on a sleeve, as I always wear my heart on my sleeve. You heart on the sleeve is so beautiful. Wishing you a weekend full of your heart desires.

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  2. my heart and head merged many years ago.

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  3. Jeannie, I absolutely loved reading what you wrote. I wanted to collect bluebirds a long time ago (like 30 years ago) but ran into problems when I couldn't find any to collect. ;-) Your boro jacket! It's going to hold so much more of you than your stitches or your cloth, it'll be YOU. Wouldn't it be cool if there was a whole movement of people stitching hearts on their sleeves? In a real and meaningful way, I mean, you know.

    A heartful weekend to you, too!

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  4. Deanna, I've never even thought of that as a possibility. Now that gives me something to think about....!

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  5. lovely
    i love the simplicity of this
    i also think of heart with breath, i think because when we breath deeply into our lungs it massages the heart.

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  6. Tammie Lee, thank you and I like the association of the heart with breath. I really do. As you say, it massages the heart and it calms and carries and lifts, and on and on.... I just popped over to Beauty Flows, what a lovely modern angel I saw there. I'll be coming back!

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  7. New meaning to wearing your heart on your sleeve.... as a constant...be heartfull, think with your heart. Beautiful sentiment Peggy.

    I have always associated hearts with love. Love of family, love of spouse, love of friends, love of home, love of life... and I love using hearts in my art.

    I use the word love a lot and I mean it...I do sometimes love a colour or an image, it makes my heart happy! .... there's lots to love out there if you are open to it.

    Jacky xox

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  8. Heart has a big part in my thinking.
    Such a lovely simple symbol on your sleeve, love love... Nat

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  9. They say (who?) that one shouldn't wear one's heart on one's sleeve--it's 'sposed to be self indulgent and/or just plain dumb, but what if your heard is good and full--why not share it. I love the notion of a mob of folks wearing hearts on their sleeves!

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  10. I love your tiny sleeve-heart. It would be like a secret society, wherever we went we could subltly check for the heart on the sleeve and know we were in the company of like minded,open hearted people.

    I think of my heart as the true barometer of what I want/need, my mind can endlessly catalogue choices, reasons, pros and cons, deliver logic, which have their place, but then when I drop into my heart and ask what it wants, that's my true answer.

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  11. Jacky, this was so nice to read, how the heart is more than just the word, love -- it's LOVE in an all-encompassing way for you. Yes, there is much to love in this world. Thank you!

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  12. Nat, wise words. Heart in your thinking. I like that. Love love, too. Thanks!

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  13. Ms., well said! I like the idea of hearts on many sleeves.

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  14. Nanette, that would be so wonderful wouldn't it? Your last paragraph says it for me perfectly and exactly! Thanks!

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  15. What a delightful idea to have a tiny heart like that on a sleeve!
    I buy Cotton Traders t and rugger shirts and dislike that they have their trademark on the chest, so have been appliqueing floral cotton hearts over them for years now! Then, when Ive dropped oil or whatever on the front of the shirt, I cover that with a smaller heart too lol
    I dont really associate hearts with valentines day since being alone so long lol but I do associate it with the constancy of unconditional loving...go figure that!

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  16. this is just the thing, a perfect valentine. i may do something with this idea...
    thinking of e.e. cummings' poem "i carry your heart".

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  17. I like this a lot... Has me thinking. :)

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  18. All of this has been so wonderful to read this morning. Yes, when something makes me truly happy, when it's right, it fills my heart (makes my heart sing?) When I last fell in love and he "gave me his heart", I felt like it was a precious, fragile thing, and I needed to hold it very gently. To act from the heart is not to act emotionally (as those who think wearing your heart on your sleeve might think), but is to act from a place of unconditional love.

    We all should be wearing our heart (what we truly Love) on our sleeves! Why hide who you are?

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  19. Lyn, oh you made me laugh outloud again! I get those oil spots too, hate that. I wear dark colors to hide the stains but then the oil spots are worse on the dark colors. Your heart patching is a great solution. So we will know each other, if we ever see each other, by the hearts all over our clothes?!! ;-) And the heart meaning the "constancy of unconditional loving" is beautifully put, thanks...

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  20. Cindy, I love that you thought of that poem. Yes, a really NICE valentine, I bet.

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  21. Jo, oh so beautifully said! Thank you. When you get right down to the root of it all, you're in the mystery, the love mystery.

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  22. I have two shirts that I sewed hearts on the sleeves last year. It was my way of taking care of myself in a Very Difficult work situation. Gotta give yourself a big hug and a lotta love sometimes!

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  23. Nancy, I love knowing you did that. Big hug and lotta love to you and me both!

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  24. I use the word love a lot...it is most important in my life, and its symbol, the heart shape, has been a favourite from when I was a child. Have you noticed how prevalent it is in nature?...it is seen everywhere ♥

    What a great movement that would be/will become....wearing our hearts on our sleeves :~))) Thank you for this Peggy x x x

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  25. Helen, yes! The other day I cut an acorn squash open and the inside was this gorgeous heart shape, filled with big fat seeds. I notice the star shape a lot in Nature, will watch for more hearts now, too! Thanks for reminding me. xo

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