Introduction
In the last segment of the I Ching Modern Quilt-along we began to translate our random castings by SEWING them into quilt blocks. This week it’s more of the same. If you are CONTINUING to sew your blocks faithfully, as chance provides, then perhaps you are discovering some interesting things about yourself through this process.
Information
My I Ching process has given me more to think about than I realized. I’ve felt quite stuck in my creative life lately and all my throws show this… Waiting, The Well, Deciding, Coupling, The Well, Deciding, Confined.
YIKES! These are dark times!
It was very uncomfortable sewing TEN unbroken dark lines in a row. I wanted to CHEAT the process! I wanted to leave out some of the castings or to recast them. Anyone else having this urge to bypass fate?
I was also tempted to peek into my bags when pulling out my strips, or to redraw if I didn’t like the first pick. I wanted to control the outcome. Instead I mustered up some integrity.
I found these small exercises of integrity to be a fantastic practice for my life. IT’S HARD! I thought…
if it’s so hard for me to stick to my score as defined for something as inconsequential as an experimental quilt, then how much harder is it to support integrity in my life?
Of course I want to make my I Ching Modern Quilt beautifully, evenly, light and bright… but real flow doesn’t happen like that. Flow is continuous but it is not consistent. As if to reinforce this reality, the oh-so-wise I Ching defines abundance as being “many opportunities for joy and for sorrow.”
Assignment
Continue to ask the oracle questions, cast your coins, and then translate your castings into sewn blocks.- Sew your blocks in order, building rows from the bottom right corner to the top. New rows begin at the bottom and to the left of previous row, but don’t sew your rows together yet.
- Stick to the rules of randomness even if you are severely tempted to cheat!!! Make your quilt with integrity!
- Pay attention to your resistance, or lack of resistance to the process. Do you have a strong desire to control the outcome? Or are you relieved to go with the flow no matter where it takes you? Are you somewhere in between?
Next session I’ll review IRONING.
What are you learning? Please comment with any questions, discoveries, surprises, satisfactions or dissatisfaction you might have.
It’s never too late to join an online quilt-along! I’ll be posting new segments of the quilt-along on Mondays. Access the archive and subscribe to the RSS feed here: I Ching Modern Quilt-along. I’ve set up an I Ching Modern Flickr Group if you want to share images of your sketches, process, and final results.
i’m learning that it takes me so long to absorb each reading. it’s hard to think of good questions. i can’t rush this for the sake of making a quilt. i’m now aware of how the lines will look on the quilt before i even get to reading itself (argh). most of all, i just realize that this quilt, for me, can’t be made on a set timeline, but instead is moving along as it is supposed to.
Yes – all of that is exactly right. This is not a quilt to be rushed through to get to the finished product. That isn’t the point of it all. You can’t force the questions just to make the quilt.
I hear your frustration! My Modern I Ching Quilt is still on my wall waiting for the next question and the next block!
However make a regular effort to consult the I Ching – like once a week – if nothing else you can ask – What is helpful for me to be aware of this week as I do my work?
I have found that over time the questions come easier and the answers begin to resonate more distinctly on target.
Since you state that it’s never too late to join an on-line quilt along, I’ve taken a deep breath & started. I’ve studied your posts, the book & set up my bags; blessed my special coins & did my first “throw” yesterday; recorded my Hexagram with 2 changing lines & read the related texts several times. There is much to absorb! I need to set aside some time for journaling. Clearly this is a spiritual practice if done with that intention & can’t be rushed. That’s what attracted me to it. So even though I’d love to keep throwing & make blocks more quickly, this is not that kind of project.
You are so right Margaret! It’s hard to slow down isn’t it! That’s why it is best to do it along with your other projects over time. Great observation.
Keep me posted on your experiences!
I started sewing today and realized that I did some bad math in my precut blocks. I am continuing on with it and have a fix in mind. It is hard to not want to draw again when you get something out of the bag you do not want.
I face many of the same voices trying to divert me from my own processes in my writing and even in training for mountain climbs. It’s a constant challenge to keep that integrity. Thanks for yet another thought-provoking post. I love your insights.
aw, i know that feeling well. but, in the end, that moment of true randomness will be a lovely focal point of the patchwork. it will seem deliberate and inspired.
such an amazing project for the sake of art and self-examination.