Zahra Biabani

 

This is another one of my favorite shots from the Canadian Rockies. I was fortunate to have a photo guide in which the author gave very specific recommendations and directions. The first few times I went to this spot, the lighting was not good. However, patience is a virtue!

I mentioned in a prior post that I am reading Zahra Biabani's book "The Climate Optimist." Wonderful book! In that book, she actually says that if you want to work with her, schedule a time to meet. I did that! We have an 30 minute meeting scheduled for this coming week. Exciting!

One of the things she does is to put out a weekly "Earth Wins," in which she cites examples of positive steps being taken to improve the environment. This past post included Spokane's textile repair workshop. How cool is this!

In May, Spokane had its first pop-up shop, named Mend-It Cafe, to encourage individuals to mend their textiles instead of throwing them away. The local non-profits, Art Salvage Spokane and Spokane Zero Waste, put on this event free to the public. Over the span of 4 hours, a well-versed expert on sewing was paired with someone who brought an item to be repaired. The individual could watch and learn how to repair their items. Restorations included installation of a new zipper, hemming, adding a buttonhole, patching up a hole, or creating visible mending. Inspired by the traditional Japanese art called sashiko, experts show ways to make alterations that are intentionally visible to highlight the life of the textile. Shashiko uses stitching to reinforce patchwork on clothing and is woven with white thread in geometric patterns.