Adventures in Paradise 25

Adventures in Paradise 25

Kia orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with thoughts about the women in our lives and our connections with them. So, with all due respect to the wonderful men we know, this blog is dedicated to members of the fairer sex, our soul sisters, the better halves, those who nurture, and the Thelma and Louise in all of us.

When I leave this island next year, I will be bringing home a treasure. While it is true that I cherish all of my experiences here, and will miss new friends, one particular experience of this last week has given rise to the subject of this blog. I now own a one-of-a-kind Tivaevae!  Teymere Tairi is a master Tivaevae artist. She is creative and inventive in her work and she never creates the same design twice. Her Tivaevaes are museum-quality and highly sought after. They are also very expensive. A true Tivaevae is done entirely by hand and can take as long as a year for one person to finish, hence the hefty price tag.  Once in a while, when she needs extra money to support her family, she will sell one of her creations unfinished, through a second party. Her one request of the friend who sells it, is that Teymere know the identity of the person who bought it. Sadly, I did not have my camera with me when I met Teymere, but I can say that is was a very sweet meeting. She was glad her Tivaevae was going to a loving home and I was thrilled to meet its creator. My job is to finish what Teymere started and to enjoy the process. As she hugged me, she told me that we were now “forever sisters”, because we both have a part of creating a treasure. Whenever I work on or look at my new Tivaevae, I will always remember my new sister.

As I began to closely examine my Tivaevae, I was struck by what this woman had done and I could not help but see parallels in other areas of my life with the women that I know. Teymere had a grand plan. It was original and beautiful. She knew that someone else would be trying to follow her plan to completion, so she showed the way to complete it. There are basting stitches in different colors to delineate different stitching directions. These stitches also keep the pattern from slipping or heading off in a wrong direction. She set the example for me to see the correct way to go. She left me a pattern to follow long after she will no longer be there to guide me and she made those directions very understandable. This was done with love and gentle guidance. She explained the hand stitching to me and made sure that I understood those stitches before we said goodbye. She taught me by example, then she kissed me on the cheek and sent me off on my own.

So, this week, my new treasure has gently reminded me of the other treasures in my life that take the form of the women that I know. Many of you have taught me by example. You have been my guides through troubled waters and difficult days. You have been listeners, whom I know will keep a confidence. I have learned from you when you didn’t realize you were teaching. I respect your quiet strengths and the concern you have for others.

My mother taught me the difference between needing and wanting. I am still touched when I think of all of the ways that she sacrificed for her family. She gave me a pattern for living a good life. She was the first to teach me the homemaking skills that became not only my vocation, but my avocation. I miss her.

The women in my life have made my life richer for knowing them. I have appreciated their talents and their willingness to share. I know the most talented musicians, the best teachers, the most creative artists, and the best cooks. My friends have shared favorite  books with me as well as their “secret” recipes. They are creative homemakers and great hostesses. The women I know have taught me about service, commitment, hard work and spirituality. I have friends who have the most wonderful senses of humor. The women I know are tender and loving, thoughtful,generous and very smart. They are doting mothers, wives and grandmothers.  We have laughed together and cried together as well. We can have long conversations without being aware of the passage of time. (Ask any man about this!) These things bind us together; they connect us.

So, as I take a stitch or two in an odd moment here, I know that this Tivaevae will not be finished any time soon and it doesn’t matter. What actually matters to me is the way that I feel when I look at it and the women that come to mind. Thank you all for being part of the fabric and design of my life. Come and visit me when we are old. I will be the one wearing the very strong tri-focals working on a green and white Tivaevae. If you like, I will show you how to make the special stitches. Then you can start stitching from another corner and we will laugh and share stories while we work. From one woman to another, it will be lovely!

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We appreciate all of the women who have taught us and continue to be great examples in our lives. Last week, I invited people to make comments about what home means to them. With all due respect to the men, all of the comments that we received came from women. Most said that they indentified with the subject and tone of the blog. Several mentioned experiencing the same longing as I had expressed. Some added personal thoughts on what home feels like to them. One friend mentioned that home is a place where one feels physically and emotionally safe. Home is a place where we can be our authentic selves. Home is partly a state of mind. So, I also thank all of the women in my life who have made me feel at home.

Love, Ward and Susan                   Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cook Islands

 

My beautiful Tivaevae.

The design is created by folding the white fabric in half, then in half again. The artist then cuts out the desired shapes, much like we do to make snowflakes. The cloth is opened and attached to the under fabric. Everything must be even and flat. Then the overfabric is pinned, double checked, then finally basted into place with a code of colors to guide the quilter. 

                  

This shows the red basting stitches that guide the guilter on these particular flowers.

The raw edges are turned under and hand-quilted into place. All knots are done on the white fabric, so as not to spoil the design on the green underside. When finished, there is a companion design as it is turned over.  This is the small part of the Tivaevae that I have completed, as I just couldn't resist the temptation to try what I had learned. It's lovely, isn't it? 

I just couldn't resist working in a few stitches before bed one night.

Simple pleasures are the best. Good night.