X U S A H
daoist vestment
ian connected with a request for a daoist vestment made of hemp fabric in september 2018 and i was very honored and excited to take on the project, not really having any idea what it would grow into following the original inquiry... he sent a couple existing vestments as guides and i began making a pattern and sourcing materials... it was a long winding road of the unexpected to simply get the fabrics and work out the pattern fully, but after 9 months a hempen vestment finally materialized, and just in time for ian's return visit to china
it is made of a 100% hemp linen, a gorgeous fabric that is a bit more finicky than a hemp and cotton blend, but is super sturdy and long lasting due to its pure hemp content... the vestment was sewn using 100% organic cotton thread from fiberactive organics, using highest quality japanese snaps and including chinese knot buttons which were also hand made from scratch... figuring out how to translate the hemp fabric to the pattern was no easy task - the original vestments were very lightweight which made assembly of this unique form much more direct... the hemp fabric was 4 times the weight and not nearly as accommodating to layering - a key element ian was looking to have incorporated was a collar with three distinct panels / a tripartite arrangement, and after much figuring it all came together in early june... after sewing the main body, it was dyed by hand in jet black... the snaps were hand sewn after dyeing, as were the ties and chinese knot button closures... i watched videos on how to make these style knots, practiced and experimented with various fabric hemp ties to find the best solution, and finally made and attached the finished pieces by hand sewing
this was one of the most challenging garments i ever made, and was also one of the most rewarding - after 9 months, when i finished the last hand stitching i cried to see the completed piece, just with the flood of energy in actually seeing it there before me, in a form that was wearable that would be able to serve ian in his teaching
while making, i also listend to ian's available teachings - a long term flow that started with re-reading the tao te ching last october, one each day upon awakening, with a meditation and yoga... this was partly inspired by ian's request - to reconnect with this material at a next level, while realizing i'd been studying the i-ching for 25 years as well, so this too made for a full circle in the moment, with ian's work sparking a new level of study, insight and growth
in the spring of 2019 he returned to china with several of his students of the daoist complete reality dragon gate secret lineage, to the dragon gate caves temple... all the hemp fabrics i use are grown and milled in china - their quality is unsurpassed and the fair trade exchange which hemp traders has pioneered and firmly established over 25 years is exemplary... i've enjoyed a creative exchange with these fabrics for 12 years now, working with them nearly every single day and have a great reverence for the way in which they have supported me in being able to serve others... that something i made from these beautiful materials returned to china, returned to source in such a truly amazing fashion was something i was in no way anticipating - it could not have been any cooler and was a full circle blessing of the highest order... being rooted in these teachings for a lifetime, having my life deeply interwoven with these hemp fabrics, and having it all come together in such a way was very magical
the vestment was finished shortly before his trip, and fortunately it fit ok and was able to serve him in his teaching as well as on the journey back to china... below are some photos of the journey, graciously provided by ian, and if you are interested in his teaching please visit his website, complete reality dao
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