Spirals and whimsy

Newspaper is one of my favorite materials to create with. It's readily available for free (check out any cafe at closing time), it's versatile, and its typography give everything an instant graphic sensibility. Knowing of this fondness, my husband brought home the above trivet a couple of months ago. Artisans from the Women's Multipurpose Coop in the Philippines made this amazing hot plate out of coils of newspaper. It has not moved from the center of our dining room table. I love it and find myself staring at the spirals as we eat, talk, and create. You can buy your own here: Ten Thousand Villages. Last night, as we were clearing the table, I found that I could not look at the spirals for another minute without trying it myself. I grabbed a sheet of newspaper and started rolling it to create a coil.

It felt so good to make something spontaneously, but this coiling is not as easy as it looks. The women that create these have very strong and dexterous fingers, I am sure! Even if mine wasn't as lovely as theirs, I was happy to have tried something new.

After carrying one around in my pocket all morning, I decided I needed to wear it. I put aside all of the should dos and ran to my sewing machine. I really did run! I rarely make something on a whim... for myself. I stitched up a little linen cuff. The linen is crisp white with a rustic open weave. I got a linen sampler from Namolio a while back, and this was my first time breaking into it. I felt like I was sneaking a piece of chocolate... it was that delicious!

I attached my little spiral with thread and created a button out of a shell from our Sanibel trip. I love it. My new summer accessory!

It's no more than a piece of fabric, some newspaper, and a little shell. And yet, it encompasses: whimsy, spontaneity, inspiration... lovely words to wear, don't you think?