The Golden Thread

I am considering how we're tracked and traced by the threads of our cyber conversations. Anyone who uses the internet or social media is at risk of course, but the benefits for me so far, outweigh the number of times I've been scammed. I'm wary of suspicious threads and accompanying viruses that might come through email but I remain optimistic about the opportunities made possible by this tangled web, a fair price for sharing my stories and art.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email that I could have suspected was spam, but the sender's name sounded vaguely familiar. All those FB 'friend' names swirling in bites of memory made me realize that I could open the email without concern. There were no suspicious link or offers to make me rich...well... rather a request to participate in a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Disease. I know I’ve hash-tagged those words more than a few times because it's a personal demon that demands feeding.

Would I make a special fiber piece for the Gathering Memories Project? I wholeheartedly agreed to take part.

A week or so passed when I finally received my package in the mail. The thread of connection had made it's way across the ocean. I delightedly opened the envelope, a younger Queen Elizabeth imprinted in its corner. The materials arrived neatly arranged in cellophane, reflecting thought and significance. To insure uniformity for this global fund-raising initiative, the instructions stated a finished size (148 x 210mm), the need for a hanging sleeve and the use of all or part of the white transparent silk needled with a golden thread that unraveled from the package like a gossamer snake. This piece of the original 'Gathered Memories' installation will be woven into every fiber artwork that goes to auction.

Cloth always seems to tell a story like this. Why we rescue old scraps. What they bring to contemporary textile work in their histories. How they tie us literally to the weavers, the wearers of another time, their legacy of hand and intention in every thread. How that thread can connect us. How contemporary fiber art can effect change for the good of the community. I love being part of this continuum.