an incomplete label that promised a piece of cloth to be finished this year.
As we flew home, I couldn't help noticing the patchwork of land and cloud shadows, so much like the vision I have for this new cloth ...
So when we got home, I walked out to the flood plain ...
taking pictures of droughted milkweed ...
the few patches of green amongst rock and dried grass ...
the sereness of it all, like a Wyeth winterscape ...
Then took a screen shot of the accumulated images, cropped and rotated it ...
comparing it to the first piece of woven cloth (in the manner of Jude Hill) ...
considered the cloth strips already assembled, made more ...
and continued ...
on and on ...
movement Toward Becoming Become
ReplyDeleteWeaving a landscape; what a special cloth Liz and one that is especially poignant to me for I understand how it can come to be: Years ago when my grandchildren were two years old and I was flying back to TN from CA, I felt such a heart wrench as the miles crept by. While gazing out the plane window, the idea came to me to try my hand at recreating the distance between our two homes, using some of my naturally dyed cloths. Now at that time, I was just learning how to dye cloth from the gifts of the land and stitching something like a landscape collage was truly a monumental task since I am not a person who stitches with ease or skill. Still, I did it, crudely but for me, it was the idea of the cloth that mattered most and Landscape of the Heart was one of the first cloth collages that I made using naturally dyed cloths. These records of time and place hold deep meaning.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the wide land from a plane, the manmade delineations of fences and roads, the circles of irrigation, the folds of the mountains and the vein like patterns of the rivers juxtaposed with your photos from head high translated weaving the colours of the land into cloth
ReplyDeleteGrace - Always we are moving, becoming
ReplyDeleteMarti - This story, so true. Even when the distance is short enough to drive, leaving is hard.
Mo - How lyrical ... thank you
This is a really exciting cloth! It will be lovely to follow its development.
ReplyDeleteThanks Louise ... the plan is to make 36 5" squares, so I'm quickly reaching the 12-square total for the floodplain. Still mentally working on how the squares will be embellished once they are joined. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful cloth is unfolding as you gather ideas, photos and cloth to represent the feeling of leaving, departing from those we love. Always a poignant time for me. Twice I have stitched a memory cloth for a loved one using the images of flight, piecing, applique and stitches...the woven substrate and using hand dyed cloth shouts out the sense of perfection. It will be wonderful to see the process unfold for you.
ReplyDeleteKristin
Kristin - I do hope the cloth lives up to your wonderful words
ReplyDeleteLiz, I have no doubt that it will. Each thing you create speaks of such a deep commitment to stitching and making from the heart and soul of who you are....I treasure my little stitched piece of cloth from you and wear it proudly.
ReplyDeleteEgg-sell-ant.....sorry, can't help myself, was just looking up eggs, and some of your colors reflect the hues in eggs!
ReplyDeleteMy other thoughts??? groovy, perfection. really like the skewed look to it all too.
Hi Liz, I love the grid you conjured and the cloth you are weaving...I imagine it feels like soft earth. Really nice. xx
ReplyDeleteLiz, this is so great. I love the woven base and the colors...they seem to truly evoke the landscape you are trying to describe. I will be following this project avidly.
ReplyDeleteVicky - I know what you mean about eggs ... as a baker, my all-time favorites eggs are green Americaunas
ReplyDeletePeggy - One of my favorite gardening activities is creating compost from gnarly yard waste. I guess there's a parallel in creating cloth from cast-off clothing.
Dana - I was thinking of you recently, hoping you are well and might be participating in Mo's new project ... so good to see you here
Kristin - Thank you ... hopefully I will be returning to a new version of the pin project soon
ReplyDeleteI love this work so much Liz - not only is it beautiful, but it is universal in a way...many of us live in places that reflect those colours and the lines, and like you I love flying above the landscaped seeing its beauty from above. Continue to enjoy its unfurling...
ReplyDeleteFiona - I had to laugh ... Don usually gets the window seat, so taking this picture was a rare pleasure. I realize I need to do it more often.
ReplyDeleteAnd the colors. No surprise that my "stash" of thrifted clothing was deep with earthy colors. Next up: greens!
reading backwards -- fun to see how the next post's stage-of-work came about -- and I'll say it again -- what great method. Here, the thoughtful application of photos for design and planning. love it.
ReplyDeleteDee - thanks again ... blogs are a great way to remember (if only I was better at looking back occasionally to save myself from reinventing)
ReplyDeletei love the shifted grid of this. It has a bit of that coma effect. new perspective.
ReplyDelete