Already November...

Boy, it seems like every time I look at this blog I have laxed big time. Hmmm...maybe I need to put this on my "To Do" list? After looking at everything that I've been working on the last three months, I realize I really need to take more pictures of works in process. Since my last post I've attended an encaustic monoprint workshop with Elise Wagner and a solarplate workshop with the master himself...Dan Weldon. I've also completed the top for the baby quilt too, all of which I really need to photograph and will try to do so soon. I promise! In the meantime, I'll post some details on the wedding piece from June of this year.

The piece ended up being 17.25" wide by 47" long (including hanging stick and fringe). It is comprised of 42 separate 'pages' of hand dyed fabrics in a rainbow of colors which were then embellished with angelina fiber and organza linear forms. These pages were backed with inkjet printed photos and wishes from the newlyweds' friends and family which were composed in Photoshop using backgrounds of watercolor art created by the young niece and nephew of one of the grooms.

The pages were then mounted on a multi-colored batik backing fabric in two 'scrolls', each one with 21 pages. At the top of each scroll, buttons with fabric beads and metallic threads were attached.

At the bottoms, fringe was created using recycled Tibet silk yarn from Himalaya Yarn. At the bottom of the fringe are brass bells from India, iridescent glass beads and fabric 'prayer wheels' which were embroidered and beaded with silver beads. Each of the six prayer wheels contains a stanza from the Buddhist Metta Prayer (lovingkindness).

Because the piece had to also function temporarily as a garment for the officiant, a matching beaded fabric collar was constructed to which the piece attached by velcro hooks. Once the ceremony was over, the piece was detached from the collar and hung on an easel at the reception so that people could touch and look at it.

Did I have a grand plan for this piece? Well, not really. I started out with the idea that I wanted to create some prayer flags and then the ideas just sort of evolved as I got into it. It was one of the few projects that seemed to have a life of its own. As it hung on my design wall, inspiration kept speaking to me to 'try this', 'add that', 'take that away'. As I worked, the project gained momentum and ended up being something completely different from my original vision. Luckily I had almost six months to think about and procrastinate over starting. But the end result was very satisfying.

For more pictures of the process go here and here.