Becky's springtime runner is finally finished. It took months of stitching and underwent a few changes in the process. It got shorter for one thing. It was meant to be ninety inches long, but that would have meant adding fabric to the ends. As I worked it became clear that it was more coherent at seventy inches and so I dropped my plans for additional length. I also thought at one time that this woven piece would be a background for further applique, but as the months wore on I lost interest. It just took too long to do this.
Looking at it here, I am both pleased and frustrated. I'm glad now that I didn't do applique. The lack of explicit spring imagery allows more abstract associations to form, which I think is more nuanced and makes room for personal interpretation. Weaving strips of cloth together allowed me to link the black and brown of the dishes with lighter, sweeter colors that evoke a feeling of spring. I really like the colors I used and the way the weaving makes them into random floating rectangles. The texture created by the stitching is interesting and tactile....there is an echo of rag rugs and quilts and hand made things that feels domestic and comforting. Weaving also speaks of bird nests and Easter baskets which underline the springy theme in a subtle way. I think these elements make the runner successful without needing additional decoration. The frustration comes from the difficulty (which I always have in some form) of keeping things straight. I worked really hard to ensure that the width would be uniform, that the inner strips would be straight and that the edges would be clean, but after months clutched in my hands everything got out of whack. I basted quite thoroughly and still the lengthwise strips wobbled out of alignment and disappeared and reappeared along the edges. The border strips veered from the strict fifteen and three quarter inch parallel I planned...the variation in width is slight, but totally apparent when you step back from the piece. Fortunately on the table it will be seen from a much closer vantage and the variations won't be too noticeable. As with everything I make, I had to give up control and allow it just to be what it became. There was no way I was going to start over.
The napkins and undercloths have been finished for a while, so the final details....napkin rings and centerpieces....are all that I need. Pretty soon it will be done.