There are many outdoor markets here in Rome and, in the past couple of years, there has been an increase in stalls selling second-hand clothing and even second-hand linens. My studio is in the San Lorenzo area and, nearby, there is a daily market in the piazza behind the church of the Immacolata. I go there, periodically, looking for “corredo” linens. A corredo is a trousseau or hope chest. It was once a tradition in Italy for women to embellish their homemade linens with handiwork such as embroidery or intaglio.
One day at the market, I came across this tender little baby blanket with crocheted flowers (it’s difficult to understand how one could give away a handmade baby blanket that also has a sentimental value). So, obviously, I bought the blanket and took it home to transform into a huipil.
Here is the finished huipil. I painted the crocheted flowers with textile paints.
The back of the huipil is made from a sweater cut up and resewn together as well as pieces of patchwork.
Having been made from a baby blanket, the name of this huipil is “Soft Spot.” Soft spots, technically known as fontanelles, are soft areas on a baby’s head which permit the skull to be flexible and pass thru the birth canal. And eventually the softness hardens.
The soft spot is of particular interest to me because of it’s relationship to the pineal gland, (often called the Third Eye) and the gland’s role in arriving at higher consciouness:
«The relationship of the pineal gland to the fontanel, that soft spot in a baby’s head where the skull has not completely come together, has an interesting metaphysical interpretation. “Fontanel” is from the French word for fountain. It’s that place on the baby’s head that collapses to get the head through the birth canal. That open spot in the skull opens to the pineal gland. Acknowledging that the pineal gland is associated with religious ecstasy, finding bliss, and experiencing spiritual heightening, this “fountain” suggests a direct one-on-one link with God, a constant flow between baby and God».
Outdoor markets in Rome: Bargain shopping at Rome’s Via Sannio street market + Rome’s OPEN AIR MARKETS + Rome Markets.
Pineal gland related links: Pineal gland + DETOXIFYING YOUR THIRD EYE.
The Narrative Within 