Helsinki/cloth/haiku

if only, Little My is my favourite character from the Moomin world *

This matchbox reminded me of my dip into the Baltic! looking forward to learning more about Tove Jansson; as children we had one copy of a Moomin comic book, we literally read it to bits, I still have it as one of my treasured possessions, odd how some things stick.....

Could not resist buying a couple of Moomin related items in Moomin country. I have to admit we did not have time to visit the actual Moomin museum in Tampere, which is a 3 hour drive from Helsinki. I had not thought this through when planning our week's holiday in Talinn. It was only once we were in Talinn we definitely decided on booking the ferry to and hotel in Helsinki, so that was just a brief overnight stay, we also had a delicious meal in Restaurant Kuukuu, with a perfect parfait for dessert!

Whilst in Helsinki we visited the Design Museum* and saw the Fix exhibition, all about taking care of & mending one's possessions, my favourite exhibits were all cloth-related:

darned woolen socks by Elina Helminen

Sirkka Tellervo Muurela, repairer; 1975 year of acquisition.

'Muurela, who made her life's work as a handicrafts teacher, bought a shirt decorated with diiferent coloured fabric scraps from the Mäkipää clothing store in Hämeenlinna. The shirt was used for work between 1980 and 1988. Muurela patched it and mended it until it was no longer suitable for anything other than a shirt to wear about the house. In the Summer of 1988 Muurele enlarged the shirt and removed the collar and cuffs. The cuffs becamea potholder. She sewed the pockets on the shirt in 1997. Even factory-made clothes can be repaired if you are intent on keeping them. Muurela has donated this shirt with its stories to the Craft Museum of Finland. For decades  she has been documenting her own handicraft-oriented lifestyle for the museum. In addition to the handicraft tradition, she sppreciates thrift and the circular economy.'

Takao Momiyama Inheritance; hemp, cotton 2006-2023

'Textile artist Takao Momiyana uses the Japanese sashiko technique in his work. Sashiko is a traditional sewing and mending technique where different fabrics are sewn together in layers with needle and thread. The fabrics are quilted together with running stitches that form geomtric patterns and cover the entire surface. The air trapped between the fabric layers makes the textile warm. The edges are often left unturned and raw. 

" The technique carries with it an understanding of how important it is to take care of items and things. Care takes time, and it is done by sewing with slow stitches. Repairing and patching layer by layer is the opposite of disposable culture", says Momiyama. '

there was no mention of the size but I can tell you it's huge, appr. 4 x 6 metres if I had to make a guess

 

how the garden echoes the Maze

31 v '24

Thanks to recent downpours 

To my delight 

the garden is full of acrobats

that was May

 

June has arrived although you'ld hardly know as it has been so cold and wet for the time of year

have been busy making haikus, I post one each day on Instagram for those who follow me there

am doing my best to remain positive but some days world events and personal demons just drag one down

I guess I've just got to keep on moving, today's daily haiku: