The Beauty of Living and Dying: A New Project

Dear Beautiful Ones,

What do you get when you mix:

A group of gorgeous, talented grannies called A Avó veio trabalhar (Grandma Came to Work), who said no to becoming obsolete and yes to creating a bright new future,

The talent and genius of Luz Editions and its founder, Paula Franco, who loves making handmade meaningful pieces that transmit stories and traditions,

And a project started in grief when my father was dying, and during the COVID lockdown that was the one thing that kept me sane and mindful in a world that felt out of control.

I’ve called it The Beauty of Living and Dying - A Tribute to Life's Final Moments, and we are so proud to bring you this beautiful tribute to a subject, giving a voice to a topic that is rarely discussed: dying.

The Backstory

For weeks, my only escape was a handful of flowers, a piece of black cardboard, and a small space. 

Some of my flowers were in the stages of dying, just like my Father. I studied them curiously as they changed shape and form, finding them enchanting just as they were when they were in full bloom. I saw my Father as an old man at the end of his life, still dignified, as the lines blurred with the tall, handsome man I knew as a child. 

I sat embroidering my flowers with my Father, sharing stories, memories, laughter, and tears as he gently surrendered to saying goodbye. In each gold stitch, our stories — our past, the present, the old, the new, and the heartbreak of passing — were sewn together.

A Collaboration

A project that started out as something personal found a second life when Paula Franco from Luz Editions suggested a collaboration.

Together we worked to create a meaningful piece, a limited edition artwork that had a story, giving a voice to a subject rarely discussed or celebrated, The Beauty of Living and Dying.

The project took on an even deeper meaning when an elderly group of women known as Grandma Comes to Work joined ranks and became involved to hand stitch gold thread onto selected parts of the linen flower images. 

This group of grandmas, full of creativity, wit, wisdom, experience, and energy, said no to becoming overlooked and obsolete, and banded together to create a dynamic workroom, taking on handmade projects, sharing, teaching, and passing on the know-how of techniques to newcomers.

Known as ‘specialists in optimism’, they had slogans such as ‘Old is the new young’ and ‘Grandma is not for sale, but the products she makes are.'

We had all the ingredients to make a beautiful handmade piece of art, a keepsake that would touch others (who too had their own experience of a loved one passing), or simply a piece of beauty to live with daily.  

Come and meet Beauty, Dignity, and Grace. We hope you love them and decide to treasure them as we do. 

✤ You can check out The Beauty of Living and Dying here ✤