Marrakech: a tale of embroidery and the too busy girl

I'm too busy.
I'm too busy to blog.
I'm too busy to answer emails.
I'm too busy to sleep.

I have so many balls in the air that -- although I dart from side to side to try to catch them all -- one falls.  And then another....

I long for the ability to do things well, to do things properly, to do things as they should be done.  
But I settle for less.  I settle for mediocre. Because I am too busy to do otherwise. 

In my next life, I'll have time.  
There will be hours on end ....
to pay attention to details.  To making things perfect.
To embroidering.  Fine little stitches, one after another. 

Embroidering fabric.  
Or perhaps... 
embroidering my life.

Just right.

Embroidery from Palestine.

 
  
 
Crewelwork from Kashmir, India

 
 
  Embroidery from Uzbekistan.

 Embroidery from Egypt.

Vintage embroidery from China.

My Marrakech and tale of My Curious Home: Part 4

Oh, perhaps you've had enough of my curious things.... And so here are the last for the time being.....

Sequined silk cushion from Ranipink, old flatweave cushion from the Marrakech souks, vintage applique baby carrier made by the Miao people in China (a gift from my best friend).  All on a skin chair from Brazil.  
 

Photography book from Herb Ritts, old metal bracelets bought in the Sanaa Yemen souks, handmade bone box purchased in Bangui Central African Republic, starfish from the Moroccan Northern coast, green ram candleholder from Iran. 

Fanciful striped end detailing on an antique headress from Yemen.

18th century Thai Buddha, a gift from my parents.
 

Heavy bronze double headed pipe bought in Zaire.   Against a hand carved Moroccan door. 

Lifesized fertility body mask bought in Tanzania, dressed with a vintage Yemeni sterling silver belt.  Old Persian carpet and old handcarved Indian door in the background. 

 
Handmade Fayoum ceramic bowls from Egypt, zebra coasters from Namibia. 

Please, would you tell me....was my home what you thought?  Or somehow different?

A Marrakech tale of My Curious Home: Part 3

Hello again.   Have you had enough of my curious things? 

If not, a few more....

Vintage Buddha head from Nepal, antique Buddha hand from Cambodia, very old sculpture from Iran, African porcupine quills in a handmade Egyptian fayoum ceramic cup.  Table made from part of a Moroccan ceiling panel.

Couch made by my husband.  Upholstered with an old Moroccan Berber blanket.  Bolsters covered in vintage Yemeni fabric with fine metal woven panels  & Indian blue hand embroidery.  Odd little Arab doll found in the Marrakech souk.

 

Old African chair bought in Senegal. Vintage hand embroidered belt with coins and cowrie shells from India.  Antique African chair sculpture purchased in Liberia.  Hammered metal bowl from Egypt.  Antique Korean wedding chest with metal fittings (1 of a set of 2).

Moroccan mosque ink stands on old French library table.

Chair my husband built for me. On the back, an old Moroccan carpet fragment. On the arm, a hood from Afghanistan covered in vintage charms and dangly bits.

 Moroccan photography book.  Dogon sun bead from Mali. Vintage kohl holder from the Sinai. Heavy Moroccan bracelet.  Vintage metal cigarette box from Egypt.

****More tomorrow?

Marrakech and a tale of my curious home: Part 2

An ongoing tale..........of my curious Marrakech home....

Antique praying Buddhist monk from Thailand dressed with Islamic prayer beads from Sudan and Morocco.   Vintage glass fishing floats from Essaouira.

Old heavy Moroccan bracelet in a hand beaded teal basket from Tanzania.

African wood fertility sculptures from Ghana and Mali wrapped in African rubber disc beads.

Part of a collection of antique mounted tiny bronze Buddha hands.

Antique nina from the Philippines resting on an old metal Moroccan measuring tape in a Cambodian basket placed in  a vintage hand carved Indian table.  Resting on a vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain carpet.

 
Hand blown green and amethyst glass balls from Egypt in a very large old amazonite ceramic bowl from Tamgroute Morocco.

*****More tomorrow, yes?