Dreaming of Hammocks

photo courtesy of one and only1

We're going to buy a house and we've been looking for months and months now. One of the criteria, for me, is a yard that will welcome my hammocks. I have three: two from Brazil and one from Honduras. Sigh.... a hammock! Oh, I love laying in one and just letting go... it's one of the places where I can truly fall into relaxation.

My Honduran hammock is similar to the one photographed here. Courtesy Tommy Images.
He took this shot in Venezuela.

I thought about bringing Brazilian hammocks up to the US at one time for re-sale. But, the Brazilian ones, the ones I like, are a heavy cotton fabric. Their bulk made it prohibitive as a business for me, but there are plenty of others bringing in hammocks from all over the world. I was in Brazil about 15 years ago on a buying trip. I grew up in the South, where we did use hammocks- it's a staple piece of furniture there, but the hammock industry is based in the Northeast. On that trip, I visited villages in Recife and Bahia, primarily looking for bobbin lace and other crafts I was bringing back. Hammocks and lace production in Brazil are closely related. The word for hammock in Portuguese, rede, means net. Both are products made by fishing communities along the coast, women making lace and men making the hammocks. Unfortunately, lace-making, was disappearing as a skill even when I was last there. The women I bought from were in their 50's or older and their daughters were not following in their footsteps. A nostalgic song I grew up with, "Mulher Rendeira", talks about lacemakers who look out their windows with no future ahead. Loosely translated, the main line says, "Lace-maker woman, teach me to make lace and I'll teach you about love". Cida Moreira sings a beautiful rendition of it on her album, Na Trilha do Cinema.

Photo by BluePail

Hammocks evoke images of sand, sun, beaches, warmth, vacation, sleep, lemonade, ice tea, and other pleasantries. I read up a bit on hammock history when thinking of this article and all sources I looked at credited the hammock as originating in Latin America. Christopher Columbus introduced the hammock to Europe after returning from the America's. (Wikipedia) But, when I was looking around Flickr for some beautiful photos, there were plenty of Asian ones, like this gorgeous one of a kid playing around in a hammock:

Photo by janna, Cambodia

My thinking is that hammocks have been used around the world, wherever there is an abundance of fiber and a weaving tradition. Hammocks are comfortable, lift you up away from dirt, wetness, bugs, and are easily portable. Sailors used them on ships.

Navy and Army Illustrated

There were several Victorian photos on Flickr that showed how a hammock might not be the best match for everyone. Lovedaylemon posted this as a found image. She states: "Found image. I can't think this lady can be very comfortable balanced on the edge of the hammock. This card was posted in Harrowgate in 1909." Photo used with her permission:


I completely agree! A hammock demands submission to its folds. There is a certain level of trust that has to happen here.

There are basically two kinds of hammocks: The most common and easily transported is an open net. My least favorite, but the most durable, are made of plastic roping. They can dig into your back. I prefer the second type of hammock, ones that are made out of woven fabric. They offer great support and comfort. The open ones can also be more dangerous, especially for little kids, as they can get tangled in them and fall off. I found a funny video on YouTube of two bears that experienced a tumble:



Animals completely understand the whole hammock concept. I saw several vendors catering to pet owners with hammocks for ferrets, cats, and other creatures. But, the most novel hammock I found was on Etsy, for $250:


Chacabraka has taken the hammock concept to an enviable level of luxury: satin and fur (is it recycled, I hope?). I can imagine this one in a cold northern land with a pot belly wood stove nearby.

Hammock production is pretty basic and can be done at home. The most challenging part is keeping all those threads in order. Documentary Educational Resources have a couple of images of how hammocks are woven in the Amazon:

The Hammock Source has a wonderful quick video on the open weaving technique:



Finally, Claire's Web Site offers a couple of macramé patterns for making a hammock at home.

The moral of this story is that most of us tend to go, go, go, until we drop. Why not drop into a hammock? I know I want to!

Guatemalan hammocks, courtesy Rainy City, 2008.

Dreaming of Hammocks

Mother and Child, Mirrors of Love

Today is Mother's Day here in the United States. I would like to dedicate today's post to my mother, Donna Biel, and to all mothers around the world.

My mother grew up in Western Minnesota in a tiny town called Minneota. She is a Gislason, a descendant of Icelander farmers who settled the area. Mom went to St. Olaf College in Northfield, became a nurse, met my Dad and after six months, married him. I was born a year after they married and when I was six months old, they took off to Brazil for twenty years of service as Lutheran missionaries. My brother and sister were both born there.

Mom in college in the late 1950's

When I look back on our lives, I think of my mother going off into the unknown at the young age of 24 years. This is no small undertaking coming from a small Midwestern town in the 1960's. She met her first Black person in college and had no contact with Latinos growing up. I was an adult when she told me that she had been planning on going to Appalachia as a nurse if she hadn't met my father.

We struggled with each other when I was growing up. She was practical and determined while I was impulsive and conceptual. She wondered why I couldn't be "normal". But, some of the wildness in me had to come from her. When she was a teenager, she put eggs in one of my grandfather's hats. My grandfather cursed her, "May you have yourself as a child someday!" (Me, I think...)

The 70's were unattractive for most of us...

My mother worked hard all her life. In Brazil she kept life running smoothly for all of us. We had a maid, but they cooked, cleaned, and prevented chaos, side by side. She organized the church women, was the local "shot" lady (neighbors would have her give them their shots), had cookies and kool-aid as constant supplies for the scores of kids that constantly swarmed our house, mended my Dad's socks, patched up our clothes, read to us, and was just always there and always constant. When we moved back to the United States, she worked at horse radish factory for awhile until a position opened up at a nursing home for an RN. She finally used her academic training and continued her ministry with the elderly. She retired last year and now continues to serve as a hospice volunteer.

At the age of 70, my mother has more energy than I ever have had. She bought herself some snow shoes this winter and trudged around just for fun. As I age, I see how many good things she has instilled in me and how much of her determination I also have. My mother opened the world to me and let me go forth, finding my own path. We are different from each other, but we are also of the same stock. With all my heart, I thank her for her labor, her guidance, her persistence, and her purity.

Here is a little tribute to mothers around the world. Those of us who love textiles and fiber art need to keep in mind that someone, probably a woman, most likely a mother, made these things. They represent cultures that are quickly disappearing, giving way to technology or violence. They were made for a purpose that might no longer seem relevant to most of society. In admiring their work, we should also give credit to their origin, to their integrity.

Following are photos of mothers with a child, Madonnas of the world. The photo titles are linked to their site of origin and many are available for purchase, so visit the sites for more information. When a photographer was named, I included them in the title.

Basutoland, South Africa 1947

by George Rodger

Yanomami Mother and Child by Steve Cox for Survival

Meiji Era Japan

Andean Mother
by Beatrice Peltre

Nepal School Project



Afghan mother- Herat

Piute Woman and Papoose


Reang Tribal Mother and Child
by Mitchell Kanashkevich

We may seem so different from each other, yet these photos all show the love these mothers have for their children. If we can look beyond our cultural trappings, we will find common ground. I was once at a friend's house where three small girls sat at a table with my friend's daughter. They were working on an art project together. I knew all the mothers. As I watched them, I was shocked by how similar they each were to their mother. The way they spoke, their opinions, their method of reasoning, their body language- they were little xerox copies of my friends. If you are a mother, may blessings be showered on you. May your children grow healthy and strong. May they be leaders of peace and mirrors of your love.

Mary, mother of Jesus the Christ, most favored of women
Credited to Leonardo da Vinci

Mother and Child, Mirrors of Love

Brazilian Quilting: Culture Mirror

Next week Paducah lives up to its reputation of Quilt City USA when an estimated 40,000 quilters arrive from all over the world, almost tripling our local population. We scramble to get everything ready as this is our big opportunity to show off our wares to that world. Two years ago, one of my best friends from Brazil, Heidi was here. She was floored!

Me with Heidi, 2006

Then, last year, I had the pleasure of meeting a group of Brazilian quilters who have been here several times in the past.


Hila Leslie and Vanessa Lot from Atelie do Ponto Quilt offer classes and participate in quilt competitions in Brazil. What a wonderful group of women! They told me how quilting has become a huge movement in Brazil, how local manufacturers are catering to them with specialty batting, threads, and sewing machines and how the shows in Brazil increasingly draw more attention.

I grew up in Brazil (1962-1980) during a time when everyone was making something. Our church had an active group of women of German descent who held church bazaars with all kinds of things they made, mostly kitchen or dining accessories like aprons, pot holders, dish towels, table cloths and such. The women mastered the needle; they sewed, embroidered, crocheted and knitted. There was a tradition, "colchas de retalho" related to quilting where bedspreads were made out of scraps, but using no batting and with limited design elements. Quilting is a natural medium for these women, especially if specialty materials become available to them.

After the show, I visited Ponto do Quilt's website. I found that they indeed can compete technically with any veteran American quilter.


Hila Leslie's "Victoria" one first place in one of the competitions. Her "Madame P" (below), won second place in another.


Vanessa Lott's "Illusao" won a prize in 2003.


I could see that, yes, technically, these Brazilian quilters have come a long way and are making beautiful pieces. But, culturally, I felt disappointed. They did not speak to me of Brazil. They could have been made anywhere. I looked at a couple of other sites and found many more examples of quilts made in Brazil that had nothing to do with the culture there. Marias do Brasil is a group of women who make quilted accessories and bedcovers for sale. Their designs use American country patterns, many of which speak of cultural landmarks that would make no sense to Brazilians. Patterns of pumpkins, Fall, red barns, snowmen, and other American favorites make no sense in a country where there is no Fall or snow, except occasionally in the Southern tip. The example below even has text in English. Maria is the most common woman's name in Brazil, most of whom would not be able to read English!


The color palette and subject matter of all of these quilts do not mirror Brazil to me. I thought of my youth when I sold t-shirts I painted at a local artisan's market. Batik artists were big back then. They captured a certain Brazilian feel in their work.

I'm not saying that Brazilian quilters need to start quilting toucans and Brazilian market scenes. These themes often cater to the tourist market and don't necessarily reflect the artist's experience or voice either. But, I do think that any quilt that mirrors the artist and her or his environment has much more appeal and interest than ones that are inspired by another culture. Japanese quilts usually call me like a magnet at the shows. The fabrics, textures and designs are obviously non-American, but not necessarily Japanese. They just have something different that asks for a second look, for a pause. That is what I hope for Brazilian quilters, that they can find their own voice, their own expression, that mirrors who they are. Quilting is a new art form in Brazil and in time, as quilters master their techniques, they will deviate from the safety net of typical American quilts and find their Brazilian voice. I look forward to that day! Meanwhile, keep up the good work, Brasileiras!

Brazilian Quilting: Culture Mirror