The Size of the Cloth
The cocoon makers and their stories
1 Martha Raisanen
This is a spool of Coats and Clark cotton thread from the 1950s. I have had it in my sewing stash since I was six years old. I wanted to cocoon this spool to protect it and my love of sewing.
2 Saskia Jorda
I chose to wrap my daughter's baby sock. It reminds me of her first year taking steps and her first signs of independence. I'm reflecting on her childhoos, almost outgrown, how she will find her own way in life, and wht kind of footprint she will leave.
3 Tammy Clow-Kennedy
Praying the rosary and honoring the lives of Jesus and Mary is a count of your prayers. It's a comfort to use the beads to track the spiritual importance of each prayer. Keeping track of a specific meditative cycle of prayer has provided believers with a celebration of Jesus
4 Carolyn Sechler
I have cared for my grandson since he was born (he is 10 now). This year he began withdrawing as he enters puberty—no longer interested in sharing crafts and silliness with me. Understandable of course, but I have experienced grief and a sense of loss—He is a wonderful boy and I look forward to finding new ways to connect with him this year. I adore him!
5 Heidi Dauphin
My cocoon has grocery lists in it, some of which have been saved for 23 years. I am and have been the main grocery shopper in my family. But since my daughter has grown and left home, I find I have more time and shop less. I collect lists that document time and different people's handwriting. Wrapping and stitching these lists has brought attention to the time I have spent taking care of my family, but also the new time that I now have.
6 Wendy Raisanen
My Nana's volunteer ID, hours badge, and diamond pin is included with the collar and embroidered logo for Scottsdale Memorial Hospital are all enclosed in this cocoon. I've been holding onto this for 30 years. Nana taught me to embroider. We were great friends, even though her shame at being adopted was telegraphed to all our family, and me. I lvoe her for her pain and perseverance and figts of creative energy.
7 Anonymous
For centuries women have been gathering around each other to chat, listen, teach and learn from and encourage one another, heal, comfort and support, laugh, cry, drink tea, drink wine, cast spells.
This tea cup cocoon represents the emotional labor women do to feed into each other’s mental health, to share knowledge and to support the rest of the work we do for ourselves and our families.
8 Anonymous
A small white dove and a small ball of the world/symbol of my having lived and traveled around the world and a wish for world peace through experience.
9 Donna Sims
My ball represents a message of Love, Respect, Honor, Sharing with the world and communities of Art, Families, and all others. God bless everyone. Be Creative in Life. Love one another.
10 Anonymous
My textile art works create lots of waste materials and try to source my supplies and materials sustainably. Now most of my textiles are recycled and I try to use the waste scraps in future projects. Sometimes though, the scraps are just too small to use anywhere except in stuffing. So I threw a few very small pieces of trimmings from several different works into this cocoon as a wish for more success with my art practise and for all the artists I know and love.
11 Anonymous
It's a wish for the future—something I'm striving for.
12 Anonymous
This cocoon holds tiny remnants of my art textile practice. These scraps are too small to become another work, but still carrying weight and full of possibility. I wrapped them as an offering to all artists' muses.
13 Anonymous
I put in two tiny heart-shaped photos of me and my husband from 1989. They were in a gold locket I wear around my neck. I did that because at the time we were trying to have children and I had three miscarriages. I said if we never had children at least we have each other. We are still together and we have three amazing adult children. <3 <3 <3 I cherish and "protect" us as lovers. <3 <3
14 Jan Collins-Langford
The inside is a premie cap I make (crochet) for the hospital NICU in Louisville, KY. My love of babies and almost having lost our 3-month old from intestinal interaseption makes premie care and intensive care very dear to my. Loved this workshop!