Thursday, June 13, 2013

How to Weave a Sunset

The colors of my sunset

I have been feeling quite productive and creative lately and have felt the need to complete my Pelican Sunset tapestry.  This was something I started quite awhile ago and dropped for other things.  Now that my hand is back to normal I can get back to my normal affairs - weaving.

I have two tapestries going right now...one big (40" x 60") and one small (4" x 10")...both make me happy while weaving.  It's actually difficult to decide which one to work on and each has a quite do-able deadline.  Both are color studies and not highly image focused so its like weaving a stream of consciousness with the only focus on blending of colors.  It is quite refreshing and good for the soul.

To the left are the colors for my sunset.  I have lots of weft leftover from my big tapestry poems which I am incorporating into this piece.  I have the leftovers from my shuttles, bobbins, butterflies and some balls in all shades of the sunset.  A lot of yarn but this is a big tapestry.  I've decide to basically weave in sections yet keep the fell line within a couple inches of each other.  This way I won't run out of any specific color for my sunset.
My Set Up

I have never woven a sunset...not that I haven't seen beautiful ones living on the west coast near the ocean.   Did I ever tell you the story about a sales conference I went to in Key West?  There was all this hype about the most gorgeous sunsets in Key West. The hype would make marketers proud.  We all ran to the deck of the hotel with our mojitos ready to see the most beautiful sunset in the world.  With all the hype - there was no way we would miss that sunset.  We waited... the sun set and hmmm... yes - a nice sunset... but not the greatest.  Seemed pretty much in the warm belly of the bell curve.

But then it struck me like an electrical current  I realized folks on the East coast don't see the sunset over the ocean - they only see the sunrise. So any sunset over the ocean is special.  Then of course those folks from the Mid-west never see the sunset over an ocean. And who were the likely folks to make it to Key West?  Not those of us from the West Coast who would probably prefer to fly to Hawaii than Key West during hurricane season.

So for many that was indeed the most gorgeous sunset...that is until they see my current tapestry.