Writing Life Into Jewelry

Meet Barbara Riering

Barbara has been my neighbor and friend for over ten years. A fascinating woman, who’s life trajectory is anything but generic. Over the years, I have made many pieces of jewelry for her. Every piece opens a door to language that I did not consider before. My designs are for Barbara a “tool” for writing. A way to say something that matters. I love that.

When we discussed doing this interview it was clear to me that I wanted to do the photoshoot at her home, with her needlepoint work and the art she has collected over the years. Her home is her world, warm in color, rich in texture, comfort and beauty.

YK: The first piece I made for is 'Just for Today.' It was one of the first pieces I made at all. The most recent piece I made for you is 02.01.1989. What is the story behind these pendants?

BR: Just for Today came about at a time when I was very focused on the addict side of my personality. It was a reminder that I don’t have to think about changing habits for a lifetime, just one day. Focusing on the day also helps me not to get lost in what is past and what may or may not happen in the future. February 1, 1989 is the day on which I got sober. That’s a lot of single days.

YK: How did needlepoint become your main medium of creative expression? How do you choose your themes?

BR: My grandmother was the first person who taught me to stitch. It has always brought me solace even when it was just a hobby. When I sit and stitch, it sets up a link for me to all the women who have done the same activity for centuries and centuries.

It is my belief that each of our lives is like a thread. By stitching, I am weaving all those lives together in what is for me a very tangible way. It brings me closer to the world and creates that beautiful web in which we all live. It is pure joy!

I’ve been stitching for almost 55 years. At this point in my life, I prefer designs that are unexpected and have more subtle meaning. Examples include a series of Buddhas, an exploration of color and design through the repetition of squares, and a series linked to the civil rights movement and current politics which is entitled “Where Does It Hurt?” My themes sort of choose me and often appear in dreams.

YK: When did you become a buddhist? What did the Buddhist way offer you?

BR: About 15 years ago, I was whining about typical crap to a wise friend whose response was why don’t you try meditating? And thus a Buddhist was born. I approached it first as a philosophy and was thrilled to learn that I didn’t have to accept anything on faith. My teachers said “try it out and see if it works for you.” Well, I did and continue to do so. I have let go of past angers and fears. My life today is abundantly joyful. Helping others is the key.

YK: What does the Green Tara Mantra mean to you? 

BR: Green Tara is my girl! She is a female Buddha which appeals to my feminist soul. The mantra is her song and the easiest way I have of connecting to her energy. Tara is often considered the Mother of all Buddhas. She is always in my life as a healing force and as an example of how to let go of my own issues and focus on others.

YK: What inspired No Mud No Lotus? 

BR: This is a phrase that comes from Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk. It is simply a reminder that beauty or joy and suffering are two sides of the same coin. Our daily challenges are the pathway to growth.

YK: Rise Up! and Get in the Way are politically minded. I created them for you around the 2016 elections. What is the significance of the language? And whose face is it in the needlepoint?

Both of these are born from my outrage over the results of the 2016 Presidential election. Abusive and insulting language became so commonplace that I felt a need to counter those words with a message of revolution! It is my way of declaring that this is not OK and that we should never consider this to be what many now refer to as the “new normal.”

The necklace is sitting on a needlepoint of an ancient Roman woman. Roman women were without power unless they were free born, wealthy and married to an influential man. Even then they were mainly ornamental. Another group in need of revolution!

YK: The Sit Stay Heal bracelet took a while to design, but I'm very proud of the way it turned out. When clients give me the opportunity to create a new design, it's very exciting, and you've done this for me several times. So thank you, first of all. My concept was to create a "timepiece" as a note-to-self. Can you talk about the message in the bracelet?

BR: I know that this was probably the most complicated piece you made for me and yet it has a very simple message. The actual words come from Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun whose words have literally saved me from tremendous personal pain. They reinforce my need to sit still and confront my fears, if I want to get beyond them. In other words, you have to walk through the pain to get to the healing.

YK: What does this jewelry mean to you?

BR: It announces who I am in much the same way that my tattoos and my needlepoint do. It took me a long time to find my voice and expression and I like that my exterior now fully reflects my interior.

YK: Thank you, Barabara.

For more of Barbara Riering’s work:
Instagram: @themindfulstitcher
website: barbarakriering.com

Photo credit: The one and only Gili Getz