Kweendom: Purple Wigs and Tings

 I like crowns, flowers, glitter, sparkles, bubbles, crochet cat ears and purple hair. In my kweendom these things would be essential. That is all.

Smiles :)

Tuly Maimouna

Buck Naked: Muses, Truths and Art

Buck Naked Dress
%100 Cotton
Vitenge from Morogoro, Tanzania
Wax print from Nigeria

[Image description: A brown skinned person is standing up with their arms at their sides. The person is wearing a lose fitting orange, yellow and white knee-length dress with circular designs. They have on a wrist full of colourful beaded bracelets and big earrings. They also have a green and purple headwrap on their head and a coy unimpressed smiles. In the background is an orange wall with an assortment of feathered head pieces.]

I just finished reading the book Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Whenever I read books by black female authors it takes me a really long time to get through, because I see myself. The words I read represent and speak to parts of me, some which I have confronted and others I haven't. I feel naked and exposed. Despite how captivating the book is, far too often I find myself putting it down, dwelling on passages that struck me then revisiting the book days or even weeks later.

In the forward by Toni Morrison she talks about the mystery surrounding the creative process erected by artists. She says that muses represented as a voice, an invisible guiding hand or a grey area are safeguards...inventions to avoid answering the question "Where do you get your ideas from?" for fear that if we know the intimate details of our process that it would fade away. I sat and thought for a long time about what this might mean for me. Where do I get inspiration from and what is behind the ambiguity of it all? 

I saw this diagram that fed into my question of inspiration that got me thinking. Living in a afroblack, queer, gender kaleidoscope body (that can be read as female/a woman) that exists in a society that is violently patriarchal, racist and classist (among many other fucked up realities) that furthermore tells us we should be meek, docile or humble in the face of those realities is a hot mess! When I make art that says "I am" or represents what is "Mine" it is recognizing my own power. It's a radical and deeply political act. To be self-centered, selfish, having excessive interest in myself as suggested by absolute narcissism is to reject the ways that we are told to act in the face of gross realities. So absolute narcissism, where all the art I make has always been about my experiences in this world and my interpretation of those experiences? Nah, in the words of Audre Lorde caring for myself is self-preservation. Crippling self doubt about my existence and survival in this world, yeah. 

I made this dress two weeks ago, the day before going back to school. School has been an endless journey for me and a heavy schedule weighs me down, so I started getting anxious and freaking out. To give myself space to breathe and meditate I got into it with my sewing machine and this T-Shit Dress tutorial by Ovoke. I also really hate wearing clothes, especially under wear. So, I decided to make this lose fitting dress that gives me all the comfort and coziness I need to confront the tasks ahead. Anxiety and a nudy booty acted as a muse for my creative process.

Art intersects with the many layers of our identities. Indulge in and confront yourself. Create and express your truths. 

                        

"First off she cut her hair. That was one thing she didn't want to have to think about anymore. Then she tackled the problem of trying to decide how she wanted to live and what was valuable to her. When am I happy and when am I sad and what is the difference? What do I need to know to stay alive? What is true in the world? Her mind traveled crooked streets and aimless goat paths, arriving sometimes at profundity, other times at the revelations of a three-year-old." - Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison (1977)

                          

Smiles :)

Tuly Maimouna

Tumblr Faces: Upcycled Chokers

Tumblr Faces
Upcycled Choker

Tumblr Faces
Upcycled Necklace

Tumblr Faces
Upcycled Choker

Tumblr Faces
Upcycled Choker

What is a tumblr face? Half face with pouting lips that aim to create a dreamy allure. When I googled chokers online, most of what came up was pics of white-skinned people [resenting as women that capture half their faces while pouting their lips and wearing 90's tattoo chokers. Meh. My luscious, full, afro-black lips (wearing crayola crayon DIY lipstick) are accompanied by these upcycled chokers I've been working on. These chokers are made from the pieces of old necklaces and have been repurposed into new designs! Here's my tumblr face to add to the choker archives!

Smiles,

Tuly Maimouna

Rum & Soca: Crochet Ass-Out Bikini

Rum & Soca
Crochet Ass-out Biniki
100% Cotton



I love Soca. Something about soca caresses my soul. I can only describe this soul connection through feeling; my skin crawls with delight, a toothy grin slowly creeps across my face, my hands find them selves up in the air, I taste mango-pineapple-sugarcane sweetness, and my hips start swaying. Finally my eyes close and I am transported to dreams of warmth, sunshine, cool breezes, sun kissed brown skin, sweaty bodies, bright colours, rolling waistlines...pure sweetness of the most intimate kind. The baselines, uptempo rhythms, and carefree lyrics free my spirit in a way that no other kind of music ever has. In my many imagined fantasies, I've always believed that I was a soca kween in my past life, and if I had a life soundtrack 90% of it would be made up of soca...but in all my soca fantasies never have imaged where this spirit freeing sweetness originated from.  In my imagined fantasies I have created an entirely fictitious and self-centered representation of soca music. After reflecting on this feeling/fantasy, I started to feel wrong about enjoying and consuming something for so many years without having a basic understanding of its origins. Why? Because far too often African, Caribbean and Black realities and genius are appropriated for the entertainment or gaze of others. To realize how I have participating in the process of erasing the origins of soca music by creating a romanticized self serving understanding of it did not sit well with me. So I looked up the history of soca!

In her 1997 essay titled The Politics of Labeling Popular Musics in the Caribbean, author Jocelyne Guilbault gives a brief history of soca music. Trinidadian musician Ras (Lord) Shory, born Garfield Blackman, originally coined the term Sokah. For roughly 10 before coining the composed sound of Sokah, the musician had been mixing Calypso with Kadans (Caribbean creole uptempo music polarized by Hatian sax player Webert Sicot) and various east Indian sounds/instruments. Ras Shorty invented Sokah as a rebirth of Calypso which he claimed "was dying a natural death" with he rise of reggae music, but he also believed that through fusing east Indian and African music he could end racialism between the two largest ethnic groups in Trinidad and encourage young Trinidadians to consume the sounds of their home (Guilbault, 1997).

As explained by Ras Shorty, the term "Sokah" is a combination of syllables: The 'so' comes from calypso. The 'Kah' is to show the East Indian rhythm, the syllable represents the first letter of the Indian alphabet (Guilbault, 1997). It is also said that Sokah means the 'soul of calypso'. Over time as the instruments used in the composition and rhythms of Sokah changed (attributed to a lack of positive response to east Indian instruments), so did the name of the sound. More contemporarily spelt 'Soca' the "so' is said to represent the fusion of soul music and 'ca' Calypso. The change in instrumentation and spelling removed the original contributions of east Indian sounds intended by Ras Shorty (Guilbault, 1997). From 1978 onward Soca has transformed to include sampling of zouk, american music, and afro-beats to name a few and it still maintains original inspiration through was Rash Shorty says is the east Indian drum-sets that "punch out the bass line on the drum set" (Guilbault, 1997). Despite the shifts in the sound, Ras Shortys really did revive calypso in a lasting way that speaks to the spirit. Soca is sound found throughout Caribbean islands, there are diasporic collaborations between continental African and Caribbean soca artists, soca is institutionalized to include soca morach competitions and is a key element in bringing sweet sounds and inspiration to carnivals internationally!

Every year I have played mas in Toronto Caribana I have wanted to wear a thong bikini and be ass out, but every time something came up; I was either too self conscious about my cellulite-stretch marked booty, they ran out of thongs, they were never delivered, or they weren't an option. So while sipping on some rum & mango juice and listening to soca I made this crochet ass-out bikini to externalize my desire to be ass-out, and externalize the most deeply felt to love for this genre of music that has always brought me so much joy and given me renewed confidence to be/feel myself. For me the most important part of externalizing that joy was also prioritizing internalizing the meaning of the art of soca and learning about its origins! Check one of my 2015 soca jams below!

Sugar Rush
Hypassounds
Barbados Crop Over 2015 

WRITTEN & PRODUCED BY JASON "SHAFT" BISHOP. MIXED & MASTERED BY ANDREW DENNY 

 Works Cited: 

Guilbault, Jocelyne. 1997. The Politics of Labeling Popular Musics in the Caribbean.found at: http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/articulo/265/the-politics-of-labelling-popular-musics-in-english-caribbean

Smiles :)

Tuly Maimouna

HISABATI: Crochet Bodycon Dress

HISABATI
Crochet Bodycon Dress
Front View

HISABATI
Crochet Bodycon Dress
Back View

A few years ago I was feeling disillusioned about the direction my life was taking, so I decided to do something brand new. I started studying carpentry. The opportunity presented its self at a time when I was searching for anything that would renew my sense of self fulfillment. I needed to be outside of my comfort zone, networks, and base of knowledge to challenge myself and explore new possibilities. Among many things that come with starting something brand new, lurking in background was mounting apprehension about entering a male dominated field of artistry I had never had any exposure to...but more pressingly was my terrible fright at the level of math that would be demanded of me. I have never been good at math. Maybe it is from a lack of interest or that it just is not my strong suit, but in all of my schooling years I avoided it when I could and never excelled at the subject. Mostly, I was terrified that math would be an inevitable downfall in my pursuit of self fulfillment.

The most challenging project we undertook in my carpentry class was installing trim and finish detailing in mock houses. Our task was to install crown molding and baseboard
on a series of different angled walls that would ideally fit into each other perfectly at the corners. We were all equally given the exact amount of materials needed to get the job done, and were not allowed to use any more than that. Our rule was always measure twice, and cut once. Hurriedly I rushed through my calculations, adding and subtracting fractions, and got to work. This project nearly drove me out of my mind. No matter how carefully I measured, how precise my cuts were with my mitre saw or how steadily I angled and cut with a copping saw, my angles wouldn't fit and my lengths of molding were either too short or too long. I struggled wasting my limited resources cutting and copping, until I realized my math was all wrong. After deciding to revisit my rushed calculations things just worked. Were they perfect? No, far from it, simply because it was my first time fitting molding. I did however come out with a renewed sense of process that required  patience and practice to get the work that we want to see done.

I love dresses that flatter my figure and show some shoulder in the process. They make me feel super sexy! I was inspired by 90's strappy dresses and bodycon dresses cause they do just that! I was inspired by a few different things when thinking about how to get this project started. First was a super easy to follow YoutTube DIY Crochet Halter Top tutorial by Krystal Everdeen, but to get the 90's vibe I was looking for I made a few minor tweaks to her pattern. Instead of having a tie at the back and neck, I crochet a full back and made two straps instead of a halter, similar to my DO EIT crochet tank top. Since I have juicy thighs and a thick booty I had to figure out how to make sure the skirt part hugged my curves perfectly. This is where the math came in. After doing a bit of research, I found that most crochet clothing patterns are not made for curvy or fluffy bodies. Surprising? Not really. No matter how much I looked, the patterns showed no adaptation for varying body shapes, types or sizes bigger than large until I came across these well written instructions by Jodi Hannon Madera on the perfect pencil skirt. The author gives detailed instructions and techniques on how to have perfectly tailored crochet clothes that don't end up a bulky formless mess. It required measurements, multiplication, addition and subtraction, and a calculator which was new because I have never strategically and intentionally used math while crocheting. To my surprise, math and my ability to do it was everything in facilitating this dress being a fab as is it! Fusing these two techniques came together into this final product that I am soooo proud of and excited to wear!

HISABATI means math in Kiswahili. Math like crochet, takes a lot of practice, and patience (and as I have recently learned sometimes even a calculator!). Sometimes along the journey we fail to realized just how integral each stumble and hardship is until we come out with a final product. Still to this day any time I finish a project I say "shit, I made that". It blows my mind every time because I remember how overwhelming, tiresome and hard the process was. I am still not a math expert, but I am coming to accept that its application and practicality is everywhere...even in my crafty little universe!

Hisabati ni mikakati yetu!
A song about math from Ubongo Kids, a kids show created in Tanzania!

Smiles :)
Tuly Maimouna

Do Eit: Crochet Tank Top

DO EIT
Crochet Tank Top
%100 Wool

My mantra for this year has been Do Eiitt. There are so many things I always tell myself I want to do, but somehow never get around to doing them. Whether it is from doubting my own capabilities and strengths, being held back by fear or being told I can't, sometimes I find myself lacking the confidence to act on the things I decide are of value to me.

It has always been along lived fantasy of mine to have a head of purple hair. When I cut my locs off all I longed for was to have a bald purple head. Wavering in confidence about acting on the idea, I remember speaking with a good friend of mine looking for some consultation on the matter. I found I was discouraged. I was told that "it wouldn't suit my complexion" and when I asked why I was told that "it would look better on someone who was lighter skinned." Hum. For a while I truly believed the misplaced judgment of my friend because they are someone I trust. Despite so desperately longing to have a bald purple head, for months I walked around with the idea that I was too dark to rock it. Too dark...I thought about that for a long time, how could I be too dark to do something? I also wondered, how could I let someone else perspectives, values, and beliefs shape and subdue my own?

I made this crochet tank top because I saw a shirt just like it that I couldn't afford, but being held back my financial restrictions most def wasn't gonna stop me. I told myself "I can make that, so do eit!" It took a while to get it just right, required starting over, many hours and a lot of trust in my crochet abilities and imagination, but finally I came out with a project I am really proud of! And just like my (now) purple bald head, having the confidence to act on what I decide to do is a part of honoring my mantra.

Whether it is because I choose not to shave my armpits, choose to cut off my locs, have purple hair, live a budgeted lifestyle, my choice of clothes or whatever, I decided that I wouldn't allow people to police me, my body or values. Hence Do Eiitt. Sometimes it is scary to act on the things we truly want and believe in for ourselves for a number of reasons: there may be a threat of violence in our lives, we may lose friends or loved ones, fear of the unknown, regret and so on. What I have learned on this journey so far is that working towards fostering trust in ourselves and having people who support us goes a long way in helping us to be who and how we want to be. Be brave, be you!

Breathe. Remember you can do eit!

Smiles :)

Tuly Maimouna

Top Rankin' Inna Crochet Halter Back

Top Rankin'
Crochet Halter Top
100% Wool

Top Rankin'
Crochet Halter Top
100% Wool

Do you have one of those songs that instantly makes you feel sexy? A song you hear that makes you feel every single thing you have going on and leaves you affirming the very beauty of your existence? 'Uptown Top Ranking' released in 1977 by then teenagers Athela Rose Forrest & Donna Marie Reid is just that song for me. I get immersed in the tune and find myself enveloped in a bout of self love that is almost inexplicable. I dance around my room, smile, sing along, imagine warm sunshine and feel like a boss besh in my own right. So I figured why not pay respect to a song that brings me so much joy? Top Rankin crochet beaded halter top is to celebrate the feeling of sexiness that comes from within that we all deserve!

Uptown Top Ranking - Althea & Donna
"See me pon the road I hear you call out to me

True you see mi inna pants and ting

See mi in a 'alter back

Sey mi gi' you heart attack

Gimme likkle bass, make me wine up me waist

Smiles :)

Tuly Maimouna

R&S: Curtain Hanger Earrings!

Upcycled hanger earrings

I am an avid thrifter, and in my mind there is no more of a magical place than the thrift store. It blows my mind every time to find the little jems that people decide to part with! Everything about it is wonderful, but what leaves me in absolute wonder is the smell of used things. The very distinct smell of the thrift store often leaves me wondering what stories these items have to tell, and what journeys they have been on before finding themselves here. It is a hub of thousands of stories untold; worn out shoes, brand new garments, old books, random trinkets, broken frames...where did they come from and what purpose did they serve to the people who owned them? The joy of thrifting for me comes in finding new purpose for old/used things. This process is called upcycling. The wiki definition of upcycling is: the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. Despite the fact that going to the thrift store satisfys a unnamed itch than nothing else can, (and at such an affordable price) it also offers the option to find one of a kind materials that can be recycled into something new! 

Random curtain hangers

Recently I found a bag of these random wooden curtain hangers at the thrift store for a grand total of $3.15. I looovveee wood anything, especially jewelry, and finding nice and affordable wooden jewelry where I live isn't easy. So what did I decide to do? As always, recycle and save of course! I decided to upcycle the random wooden curtain hangers into some thrifty and crafty wooden earrings! This super easy R&S project takes about 2 minutes to finish up and requires the following materials:

Materials

1. Open the hook attachment of the hanger using the needle nose pliers, attach one of the jump rings, and close attachment of hanger (as shown above)

2. Open fishhook earring attachment with needle nose pliers, attach to jump ring and close fishhook attachment (as above)

That's it! In two easy steps you now have some brand new, fly and one of a kind wooden earrings! I'm not sure where these wooden curtain hangers came from or how they ended up in the thrift store, but for me giving used materials a new story and purpose is a part of the magical process of thrifty crafting!

Smiles :)

Tuly Maimouna