Unbound: A Week of Books, Fabrics, and New Beginnings

Mid-October already! I’ve spent the week at home, time slowly unfurling. I’ve sat in my studio preparing fabrics, dreaming of new projects, and making – of course, always making.

The two months of Toni Hill’s online participation in Unbound – the FibreArts Take Two course I’m taking – are now over. I can’t believe how fast the time went. When I started the course, I had no idea what was going to happen or how my practice might change. And now, two months later, I find myself immersed in a world of possibilities. Of different ways of working. Of new ways of thinking about the materials I usually use – and how to use them.

Unbound opened my eyes to new ways of creating books. Books have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I think back to living in Olivos – Buenos Aires, Argentina – and getting my monthly allowance. I would save it until I had enough to buy a new book. Those were different times. I was about twelve or thirteen, and I would walk – happily and safely – the eight blocks to the tiny neighbourhood bookstore to see what was new. I was usually looking for a new Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew – either in Spanish or English, whatever they had that was new. I got to know the owner of the store, and we often had long conversations about books and life, I suppose.

After my purchase, I’d stop next door – the bakery! It had the best galletas de grasa ever. I’d buy one for myself for the “long” walk home, and one for my dad, as they were his favourite too.

I was a bit of a loner, even as a child – an introvert through and through. My best friend once said that when he thinks of me, he remembers me with one book in my hand and another tucked under my arm, just in case I finished the first one. Those are good memories. The sad part is that I once lent my collection of books to a school friend who never returned them. When I asked for them back, she said she had given them away. I cried – for a long time. It felt like losing a part of myself.

Now, in this era of tablets and Kindles – and yes, I do have an iPad where I keep books because it’s easier to travel with (instead of the fourteen books I once took on a two-week trip to Mexico) -I still love physical books. There’s nothing like curling up in your favourite corner of the couch with a cup of tea and opening a book to immerse yourself in another world, to become so engrossed that everything else fades away. Turning pages has a rhythm that no tablet can replicate. The smell of the paper, the rustle of the pages as they turn – there’s no better feeling.

All that was running through my mind during this course. I’m not done yet; I still have about three modules to go. It’s a long, detailed course, full of information that’s too rich to rush through. So I’m taking my time – exploring, making, and seeing where this can take me. The course is focused mostly on paper, but I’ve been experimenting with fabric instead, bringing my own materials into the mix.

This week, it was time to tackle the cascade book – a wonderful creation for showcasing papers, textures, and colour. I painted some fabrics with that in mind, only to hem and haw about how I wanted to create the book. In the end, something else happened. Because, really, a book can be anything you want it to be. It can be triangular or circular, hang from a thread, open out to display, invite touch, or even hang on a wall.

As I worked, I realized that Unbound isn’t just the name of the course – it’s also a way of thinking. It’s about letting go of expectations of what a book “should” be, of what materials “belong” where, and even of what my work has been until now. Each fold, stitch, or brushstroke becomes a way to unbind myself from limitations and step into curiosity.

The cascade book turned out exactly as I had hoped – perhaps even better. It surprised me, opened new doors, and set ideas in motion for future work. The photos I am sharing don’t yet show the finished piece, as I still need to stitch the actual rocks onto it, but I can already see where this new path may lead. And that’s the beauty of it: the work keeps unfolding, one discovery at a time.

Thank you for reading. I hope this inspires you to explore your own version of being unbound – to follow curiosity wherever it leads and see what beautiful surprises unfold along the way.

I’m off to sit on my new yellow armchair and flip through a new book I got this week. It may lead down another rabbit hole!

Until I write again, enjoy the fall colours,

Ana

The Language of Folds