Mandalas on Display

One of my daughter’s friends creates the window displays for this local Optician and I offered her my mandalas. She has created a wonderful display, don’t you think? She has given me permission to use her photo at the top of this post. The rest of the photos are mine.

A few little spiders have been added as if they have been working away at their intricate webs.

The window looks especially lovely lit up at night, although I haven’t managed to get a photo.

It is a thrill to see them so beautifully displayed.

The mission to create 50 white mandalas continues; 32 are finished and 7 more await the final touches.  The three below are all in Rico Essentials cotton thread, my favourite so far.

I am making Zoya Matyushenko’s Agnes in three different sizes by varying the hook size. They then need to be washed and attached to hoops.

The most common question I am asked, is “how long do they take?”

I really find this difficult to answer as time taken is the least important aspect to me. I did try to time myself but there are so many interruptions to the process, it was impossible. I make mandalas because I enjoy making mandalas. Crochet relaxes me and resettles my mind. I do it whilst doing other things, it fills pockets of time. It is part of maintaining my sense of ok-ness or well-being, it gets me through stressful times.

So I want to say – they don’t take time, they take attention, concentration, love and joy. They are a connection with my Mum and my Grandmother who taught me and all other crafting women now and through the ages.

But that answer would most likely be more than the person bargained for!

So my answer usually is:

Some take a couple of days, some take a week, depending on the thickness of the thread and the complexity of the pattern. Some sit waiting to be finished for months.

But that doesn’t tell you how many actual hours are spent making stitches. I often feel neither the questioner or I feel satisfied with the answer.

Any ideas?

If anyone in the UK would like to borrow the mandalas for an event, let’s have a chat. I would love to see them displayed in other settings.

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