2017

Beginning of the new year has always made me wonder about time. How I measure it, how I use it and how I remember it. Year 2016 brought so many changes, series of exciting events and unfortunate events, some until the last day of the year and also at the beginning of this year. 

I have missed blogging this past year. Blogging keeps me on track, writing keeps in line with my thoughts and creative process. Writing a blog post most often worked as soul searching. I wrote most when I felt connected with my friends in this blogsphere. It also kept things exciting as I shared stories of my life, my garden and occasionally my family and kitchen. 

In 2016 I wrote very little on this blog due to time constraints and found myself relying a lot more on Instagram and Facebook.  

Speaking of Facebook, recently someone used my picture for promoting her website. I was first puzzled, upset and disappointed on why a quilter would choose not to use her own image for her business. I sent her a message and she removed it instantly but it left me sad for her. Why would she not be proud enough of her own work to use as new year's greetings to sell her website? It prompted me to write on my fb page this message - Be proud of your own work because if you wouldn't, nobody else will.

And that brings me back to blogging. I was proud of writing my stories on my blog. I took a lot of time taking pictures and making sure that work I was doing was inspiring at least some people out there. As I continue to teach, I should be here sharing my stories about my travels and teaching.. but I am not. Why? I wondered. I have searched answers for this questions many times in the past. 

Some of which are -

Not enough time - This is true

I am not making any new quilts - True, just starting them

Just starting a project and not finishing it - It takes a long time for one to finish, we know that.

Who wants to know about three blocks I made last week? Hmm..

Who cares about who I meet and what I am doing next? Hmm..

I needed to do a lot of soul searching. I am no different from that girl who used my picture. I should be proud of what I do. It is no longer just a hobby but also a job. Teaching at various guilds and organizations, giving talk about my personal story as a quilter is something to be proud of. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud but it feels too much of bragging when I talk about it here. 

You see, I had always used this space as a meeting and gathering place, a place for friendships to grow and ideas to share. This is where I found friends from around the world, with whom I am still connected to. So I am not being true to myself if I don't stay true to this space. 

So here I am..

Sharing my stories once again.

I started this quilt almost two years ago. I wanted a different version of Lattice Quilt for my collection. One that would tell my story. Colors were inspired from the book, Unconventional and Unexpected Quilts. The only person I shared the picture of this quilt was with my friend Kate, who needed some colorful distraction and inspiration. I shared a picture in a private message to her, I wanted to have it finished for a magazine but it was never picked up (talk about feeling rejected). 

Kate and I talked about this quilt and related topic for a while on messenger (I had forgotten about that day until this moment as I write this). The top stayed in the pile for a long time until I pulled it out this past November just before leaving for India on a family emergency. My mom suffered from a stroke in mid October and I had planned to stay with her for a month to help with her recovery. At very last minute, on the morning of my flight, I decided to baste it and take along with me.

This quilt has recorded every conversation I had with my mom. Time I spent with her as well as time I spent alone inside my head, all the worries and frustrations that come along taking care of a loved one is well documented. 

My mom is doing well with her recovery. I am thankful for the time I have had the chance to spend with her in India.

You see, time can be measured in so many ways. I measure it in stitches, sometime perfectly and other times not so much.

I do know one thing; this right here and right now is time well spent. 

Happy New Year!

Sujata

Random Thougths at the Trafic Light

It was cold today. Well, the Sun was out and it was warmer than yesterday, but still cold enough to want to run to the car after a very sweaty Zumba class. While running to the car in the parking lot, all I could think of was to get inside and turn on the heat so my sweaty long hair wouldn't turn into icicles.

  

I pulled out of the parking lot and came to a red light at the traffic light. There has been lot of construction going on for past six months on the road. The city is finally doing much needed widening of the road to accommodate the recent growth.  Waiting for my left turn signal, I saw the newly installed traffic light, all covered with tarp and burlap behind old/still working, existing light. I thought to myself, ''I did not notice that before!'' 

As I drove further up, I started noticing things: Neatly lined up orange cones and cans with couple exceptions which may have been knocked over by some drivers. The cement dividers that had moved a few times and the lane markings have shifted to accommodate the construction crew and to divert the traffic. I could still see the old markings and where the lane used to be but new road is emerging. There are new sidewalks and turn lanes with clean bright concrete along with patched up pot-holes on make-shift lanes. I have gone up and down this road almost every single day. These observations were nothing new, but today there was a parallel  thought pattern that went along during my ten minutes' drive. There was chaos along with harmony. 

Contrast is a beautiful thing!

This same road used to be a one-lane highway about one hundred years ago. It was the only link between the mines up north and nearby highway. As I write, I wonder about numerous layers of tar this road is covered with up until now.

Those who have not witnessed this change as it happening, will never know the past. From them it will be a wide, clean and efficient route connecting them from point A to B.  

Layer is an interesting element. What you see on surface is not the only thing present. Every other layer from the past, may be covered or unknown to the world, remains as crucial as the one on surface, like life itself.

Life is beautiful when all those layers, old and new, combine with new textures and bring peace and calm.  

Speaking of unknowns and layers, I have yet to share many layers of my life with you all.

This might be my last long post for six to seven weeks.Layers I am about to reveal have been building up for few months now.

Do you have my book?

I am leaving for India in couple of days to attend my nephew's wedding. It is time to surround myself with colors and textures not just in the studio or my house but everywhere I turn. I will post pictures on my Instagram (therootconnection) and The Root Connection facebook page (link on the side-bar). I had planned this trip for a while but the news had to take the back seat and let my book bask in all the glory! 

  

After the wedding, I will travel to Rajasthan and Gujarat with few friends from college. In 2012, I traveled to Rajasthan with my family, most of them are engineers. This time it will be with my artist friends and to the cities I missed during my previous visit. That's six sets of eyes and cameras focused on all things arts! Can you imagine that? 

We met when we were 16. It's will be 30 years since we graduated as graphic designers. No matter how long the time between each visit, our friendship is still the same. My visits are hectic yet I have never left Mumbai without spending time with my best friends. Traveling together is going to be a special experience. We all will be adding another layer to our lives. 

I also plan to meet people who make Godharis. My wish is to learn from people who know it first hand. I hope I get to stitch with them. A visit to the Textile Museum in Ahmadabad and meet folk artists in Gujarat is going to be a treat! 

That's all for now! I am taking copies of my book with me. My mom is so eager to see it and I am anxious to see her face when she opens the pages for the very first time.

I will stay connected with pictures and quick posts from the land of peacocks and paisleys, I promise!

 

 

Thoughts at the traffic light.

This morning I went to drop my daughter, Kavita off to school. It was early enough, Sun was just about to rise..
Kavita, loves to talk. We often have our mother-daughter talks in early hours of the morning.
I usually listen and she talks and there are days, I talk and she listens. Perfect way to continue dialogues with your teenage daughter.

She was describing  how beautiful yesterday morning was when she drove herself to school. There was snow on the ground and fog all around.. Sun was just rising on the horizon and it was that color. She pointed to the florescent yellow/orange of the traffic light ahead of us.

I was quiet for two minutes, or it may seemed that long. Next words came out of my mouth were, "I love History".

Clearly, there was no connection between what she had just said and my response!

So I went on elaborating my thoughts.

Traffic Lights... Florescent lights, I wonder who made them.. I am sure we can find out.. It must have been a desperate need back in the days or some accidental discovery by some scientist. Amazing how everything is documented in history of time.. We can look it up and find answers to most everything.

If it wasn't for history and documentation, we wouldn't know anything beyond one or two generations. We clearly don't talk much with each other since our families are scattered all over the world and communications are not like they used to be.

For example, how else would you know what was the reason behind my current quilt if I hadn't talked about it here?

Yes, all those thoughts and more went through my mind in very short time. Now, you may think that either I have a busy mind or I think way too much. Both might be true. I am a thinker. I love the silence around me and the thoughts that arise from that silence.

We continued talking as I drove her to school. Conversations varied from family matters to what's important in life.
I came home and once again I noticed the colors around me. Only this time, The Sun had risen, those fluffy clouds in the sky were peachy, melon colored. The blue of the sky was just like the colors of my recent quilt. And the Sun was as orange as those turbans and pants I saw in Rajasthan. It reminded me of this evening we spent in the desert.

Sunset in the Desert of Rajasthan

After I came home, I looked it up and found this among many other sites about the traffic lights to satisfy my need to know. Who knew?

Thank goodness for History and documentation.

We all are creating history by writing stories of our lives through stitches. I will always remember the events that are being stitched through this quilt. Some happy and some, not so much. And many more to be added by the time it gets it's final stitch.
And I realize, this is why I like blogging too. It is a journal I keep. Quilting has always been more than the patterns, colors or choosing fabrics. It's the stories behind the quilts I love.

Many of you asked the reason behind the Blues of Jodhpur. I couldn't quite answer that myself.  I went on line and found some sites that may help. Here is the link. 

As far as the progress on theToran quilt goes, I have Jodhpur on my kitchen table!

I arrange few blocks by my side and sew them into strips.

Four blocks sewn together and many strips already sewn waiting on the sideline.

They are as random as people on the streets of Rajasthan or anywhere for that matter!
With life of their own, going in all directions, Crossing each other on their paths, as randomly as my thoughts!

Well, that was a very wordy post!

Thank you for spending your precious time at The Root Connection. I am glad you stopped by!

Thanks for those of you who ask questions. It makes me curious and want to know more.