What a waste

Christmas of 1973, I received my first sewing machine at the ripe old age of 10. I still have that sewing machine. I no longer us it but, I will never let it go. That machine sits in my sewing room in a prominent spot so that I can see it every day. It represents the beginning of the love affair I have with creating and the euphoria I have when I have finished something I have been working on. Often in the evenings I would cut out a pattern just so I would have it ready to work on. There is something special about getting up before the sun and sitting at my machine. I am not sure if it is the stimming cup of tea, the quietness of the house or the rhythmic sound of the machine going thump. thump, thump but, I could sit there for hours.

Over the years that love affair has not wavered. It has only grown and matured like a great marriage. Problems in my life are not as simple as when I was 10. When I am worried or stressed about work, paying bills or raising my son, I look forward to those times along with my machine. It is a calming, meditating experience, a moment of clarity you could even say. I knew everything in my world would work out and I could get through whatever challenge I had to face.

Like everything in life as you get older you start to notice bigger issues. For me, is was the plastic waste in our environment. As a child, I remember being at a park with my family and small little breeze picked up and carried this plastic grocery bag up and seemed to dance around as the wind moved it so gracefully through park. I remember this so well because even being young and thinking it was such a beautiful sight watching glide around it was somehow wrong. As got older, I knew, I wanted to be more environmentally responsible. I wanted to make a difference. As I looked around, I began to notice all the plastic waste. After doing some research I learned one plastic bag can take up to 500 years to be cleaned out of our environment? Even if the bag is gone the effects of it lives in our soil. The same soil that we use to grow our food that our livestock eat off. These chemicals from the plastic has been related to cancer and obesity among other things. I had to stop and think what example I was leaving for the next generation, for my son, for my future grandchildren. It wasn’t enough to vote for the ban of plastic bags or plastic straws. I needed to make a point. I needed to make a stand but, HOW?

One morning while sitting at my sewing machine, doing what I love the best, it came to me. I needed to figure out a way to combine my two passions. I remembered the “naked game” my sister and I would play on long car ride. I know, I know, it sounds kind of suspish.

The game was played as followed:

As we began our road trip we would be naked (figuratively naked). We would then call out the different trash items on the side of the highway then describe how we would use them. By the end of the trip you needed to have everything needed to live. For instance an old tire could be cut into shoe, belt, even fashioned into furniture or to help built your shelter. A hub cap could be used to cook with, or as a plate. Clothes could be made from an old plastic tarps…..wait old tarp, tarp!

TARP! That was it. I could make a dress out of the plastic I have laying around in my life. I knew I wanted to create practical clothes, something you wouldn’t be surprised to see walking down the street, with a style that would evoke a simpler time. I remembered a time in my life when my mother would talk about her dresses as a child were made out of floor sacks and how nothing was ever wasted. I always made sure that everything had another purpose. I could use it as an example of the waste in just my life. After the first dress everything began to snow ball and one dress turned into another. Plastic bags were not enough, there were other plastic waste I had to show. I spent months using only the plastic trash I could find in trash cans, along the side of the road, I even asked friends to give me their waste. What started out as a personal challenge grew over the next couple months until it ended in an art show. My “What a Waste” art show took place on May 2, 2013.

A few years later, I could not help but notice all the waste from the political propaganda that was being sent out from the Trump / Clinton campaigns. I was so frustrated with the waste of all the trees being destroyed to print election materials. I didn’t know where this was going to go; I just knew that it was something I was compelled to do. I hoped I could encourage at least one person to think twice about the items they would otherwise throw away. I decided it was time again to sit down at my machine and create a new art show. February 18, 2017 “What a Waste part II: Political Trash” was born. This time my target was paper. I used voting pamphlets to coil plates and bowls. Presidential campaign advertisements to make messenger bags and totes. I used election ballots to weaver a paper gown.

Shortly after my last art show, I felt as if I was not doing enough. I had to do more, learn more, be more. I stumbled upon Environmental Asia grant. It is an organization that give individuals grants to travel to Asia to teach environment awareness to the people in that specific area. While researching, I found the organization OGCDC is prior name of FGCDC (Fund of Genetic Counseling and Disabled Children) is a local NGO to support for children with disabilities in Hue Vietnam. I also work with Healing the Wounded heart foundationhttp://www.vietnam-guide.com/hue/shopping/healing-the-wounded-heart.htm Healing the Wounded Heart foundation is an organization that employees deaf individuals to make crafts out of trash and sell them to support themselves. Through their store the group has been so successful, they have earned enough money not only to support themselves but contribute money for children needing heart surgery. I knew that was the place I needed to be. In May of 2018 I left for Hue, Vietnam. I went there with a big head and a little full of myself thinking I was going to teach them a thing or two. Boy, was I so wrong about that. These talented artisans became my teachers. I realized then I had only scratch the surface of what was possible and what I knew

While I was meeting with my supervisor about my project she took me to a school for intellectually challenged youth. It was at the Future school where I fell in love. I was asked if I would consider coming and teaching recycled art to the student at the school. I had from 4 o’clock in the afternoon until 8 the next morning to come up with lesson plans. After that day I spend my nights walking the streets finding trash to work with the next day. Plastic bottles became flower vases and pencil holder, the tops became bells. The bottle caps became funny little people. Scrap fabric from a tailor was used to weaver or to make decorative pencil tops. I was in love. I could not imagine anything better then to be with these amazing people and seeing the joy in their eyes while showing them my passion and soul.

At the end of the summer, I knew there was still more I needed to do, I had to go back. I wanted to go back with a lesson plan. I wanted to explore the possibilities of what I could learn, what I could teach. I wanted to go back and hug my kid.

When I returned to work that fall, I was on a quest to find the funds to return to Hue, and the future school. After saving every extra cent I could, in May 2019, I returned, but this year with a plan. However, once again when I return I was thrown a curve ball. Not only would I be teaching at the Future School, I would be sharing my time in the mountains at an organic farm that is ran by intellectually challenged adult. The farm is self-sufficient, the chickens and pigs they raise help support the farm. I ate and slept and the farm experiencing everything the residence did. I was excited about the challenge and could not wait to get started. It was a 2 hour bus ride from the city. There was not running water and functioning restrooms. Over the time I had to spend with these amazing people I realized how blessed my life truly is. Even though I was there to teach them environment art, it was the students who taught me there is always a reason to smile. We spent our time together weaver plastic bags into mats, making tops and wall hangings from old CDs and flowers from fabric.

The second year in a row the summer ended in tears and sorrow. I did not want to leave, I wanted to stay at my new home away from home. I wanted to continue teach these young people. I wanted to learn everything I could from them. However, life does not work out the way you would hope. I went home with a plan and scheme to figure out my next trip back to Vietnam. A few months later what I thought was normal would vanish and be replaced with masks, social distancing and the fear to touch someone.

March 2020, California began its Lock down! I was left with my sewing machine, and all the comfort it gave me. Not a bad match if you ask me. I spent the first few months sewing anything I wanted. I even made a deal with the young girls next door, for every “A” they recieved I would make them a new outfit for their baby dolls. Sadly, I grew restless with desire to do something with mean. I needed more. Luckily, my impatience and restlessness was soon soothed. I recieved a call from a friend that was getting married. However, with covid and the sudden death of her mother, looking for a dress was just simply too hard on her. She had always dreamt of a big flowing gown but with the cost of the funeral and not working her dream was slowly fading away. I knew I had the ability to make her dream come true. I just needed her to trust me.

After a bit of convincing and reassuring, I set out to shop at thrift stores. I knew I could take something old and make it new again. I could give it new life and give a bride her dream. I could take something that had been discarded and make it important again. After searching several second hand stores I came across a 1980’s style dress. It was perfect. I went home and started taking it apart one piece at a time. I spent hours creating a pattern and then putting those pieces together. It was such an amazing feeling. In November 2020, I made a bride feel special and her dreams

BEFORE

AFTER:

July 30, 2021

I can’t help to dream about where my sewing machine will take me next. I do know where ever it takes me it will truly be magical.