monkey hands

Returning

Saguaro National Park,Tucson

Most of my extended family now lives  in Tucson, where I have been for the past week. The southwest feels as different from the northeast as the U.S. is from China--stark contrasts, including, of course, the weather. From warm dry sunny days to to frigid gray snowy days, I am back in New Hampshire to welcome a new year. 

Home and Giving Thanks

Day breaks on this frosty morning in New Hampshire

 

A couple hours past dawn, and it is a blustery, sunny morning

 

Flying Turtles, Rainbow Quilt, Leaving Soon

flying across the moon

Stitching continues on my Diary Cloth  (one of  Jude Hill's inspiring online course at Spirit Cloth). It's a relaxing way to begin to process change and transition. 

part of the diary cloth

I think flying turtle is leading the way home!

rainbow quilt for, and designed by, a very special niece

The top is finished, and just in time to pack and thento pass along to Phyllis Dewey, longarm quilter at Quilter's Pantry, when I get back.

stuff accumulated over the past two years

workers from Roundabout picking up donations for migrant workers and their families

Roundabout Organization is an NGO in Beijing. They run a store similar to Salvation Army or Goodwill in the U.S., and also donate goods to people in need, which includes the 14 million migrant workers living and working in Beijing.  

The so-called "migrant workers" are Chinese, but don't have a hukou (offical government papers allowing them to live in a city other than their rural hometown).

Migrant workers have few rights and often little access to public schools, healthcare, or other social services. These guys were great sports who pick up our air filters, my post-surgery-for-the-broken-foot gear, household goods, and so on. 

More Images: Mongolian Quilters and the "Black Market"

Mongolian Quilters and the "Black Market" in Ulaanbaatar:

Selenge Tserendash, founder and director of Mongolian Quilters,  and her daughter, Aryuka. Selenge studied law in Japan and is fond of Japanese food, as am I, so I took my gracious hosts out for sushi and tempora one night (Japanese is Selenge's third language, and English is her fourth!). 

Dressing (and talking to) a new doll

I love the southwest-colored shipping crates that surround the black market

playing cards amongst a traditional furniture vendor's "shop"

Housewares in the Black Market, Ulaanbaatar

Stainless steel and plastic wares

steaming hot goat head--easy to carry from home for lunch at work

lunch break

Cheers! Aryuka attends a science-intense high school in Ulaanbaatar; she plans to go on to medical school after graduation.

 

Diary Cloth, More From Mongolia

As part of my ongoing stitching in Jude Hill's online class at Spirit Cloth, I had planned to make wings (a large flying beastie-bird?) for my connected hand-foot creation. As I stitched late at night in Ulaanbaatar, the handfoot (I had surgery on both this year, so they are embedded with personal significance) morphed into a sailboat and that just felt right. Also, I was happy to discover that I had taken my little treasure pack of moons made by Glennis Dolce aka the talented, creative Shibori Girl , here with me back to Beijing, so I've added this sweet linen gem to the mix. The "whale" (see a couple posts ago) lost out for now, but probably not forever.  Maybe too literal at the moment?

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A few more pictures from my visit north to work with the women at Mongolian Quilters: 

These two tables are basically standard 30" by 72" tables, and during the day six women work at each table while others work on the floor, on a small side table, at a square ironing table, and even in the shop if necessary. I hope to help with some fundraising for expansion next year. 

I went to the center straight from Ghengis Kahn airport with my suitcase full of bird-making materials as well as an electric sewing machine and converter to donate, some rotary cutters, and fabric.  Taking a test drive--trying out various stitches and tension as I show how to work the "controls." This is a hard-working basic machine that will be put to good use.

Back from Mongolia

I'm back in Beijing after another good trip to Ulaanbaatar. I brought a sewing machine and converter, taught a bird-making workshop, and worked on the new website with the organization's founder and current director, Selenge Tserendash. More info and pictures forthcoming! 

The center workspace is too small, and women have to work in day on, day off shifts.

Sometimes small and not-so-small children accompany their mothers or grandmothers.

 

Packing for Mongolia

click for larger image

     While Hurrican Sandy is pummeling the U.S. east coast, I am preparing to return to Ulaanbaator for another visit, this time to work on the website (published in process--Mongolian Quilts ), offer a bird-making workshop, and bring supplies.

     I have family members up and down the coastal area, including two children in NYC, one just a block from the evacuation border in Brooklyn, as well as my 90 year old mother-in-law. I also have a son in southern New Hampshire,  my husband and I both have brothers and their families in the affected areas (Wash. D.C., Virginia, North Carolina), so I will be watching from afar, and hoping for the best for everyone.

     Side note: The walking boot is "just in case," and the Japanese masks are the best I've found for filtering soot and heavy metal pollution.

Plodding Toward China

I've slowly been making minor progress. Turtle now has claws to cling more firmly to the freshly seeded (stitched) ground, and also newly embellished wings for soaring.

my view from a Tucson coffee shop

Meanwhile, I've been working my way back to Beijing via some family time in Oakland, Ca, Tucson, and now San Francisco for a night before taking off for China tomorrow morning.

cacti in post office parking lot

Next steps may be a cactus behind Turtle, and an ocean in front...ongoing work as part of Jude Hill's inspiring Spirit Cloth Diaries class at Spirit Cloth.

 

More Dolls and Mongolia

             

Mongolian dolls made by quilting group members--great Ghenghis Khan inspired faces!

Selenge, her daughter and mother in the quilt shop; they were great hosts and fine company. I'm eager to return.

A new doll gets hair

                                Partially restored Summer Palace in Ulaanbaatar, "Big Sky" country!

Selenge picked me up from the airport in her Prius (just like the one I drive at home except for the language).  I'm working with her to set up a website for the project.  www.mongolianquilts.org 

Home

I arrived at my home in New Hampshire around 2:30am and dozed for a bit, waking to see the sun climb over the treetops

bringing this blue daybreak, geese on the pond singing good morning, and

this great travel narrative (Mongolia!) from Carol of Quilt Fever. Thank you, Carol! What generous gifts in all respects.  I'm home for a couple weeks, then on the road again. More on Mongolia soon.