The design is complete and transferred to the linen. I am basting a light cotton muslin to the back of the cloth to give a little additional support, then I will begin stitching. I am going with the two guys I talked about last post, and have added a classic labyrinth in behind them to provide a path. I love the symbolism of the labyrinth as regards the process of truth and reconciliation - a journey to the centre, where along the way the traveler faces obstacles and challenges, until finally reaching the centre, whereupon one is reborn. The return journey is seen through new eyes.
I actually woke up in the middle of the night and said "A labyrinth!" Maybe the idea came to me in a dream, or maybe my subconscious was just chugging away in the background. But before I went to bed I showed my drawing to James and said I was thinking about a background/context visual. He suggested a snarl of knots, which didn't sit with me quite right. But obviously my brain continued thinking about it.
My labyrinth pattern is based on
Villard de Honnecourt's drawing of the marble carving in Lucca, Italy. The labyrinth is a prehistoric image that can be found in almost all cultures. A very famous one can be found in Chartres Cathedral but I wanted to distance myself a wee bit from the church.
I can't wait to begin stitching. This is such an exciting part of the process, where I can see the finished piece in my mind's eye. I am hoping to work very hard and be finished by New Year's Eve. High hopes?
beautiful resolve
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose you'd like another bolt of light cotton (muslin I guess) for future projects. Mrs. Mandu gave it to me to send to you. Let me know if you'd like it.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a labyrinth. After all, how do you exit a labyrinth? You unwind a spool of thread so that you can see where you've already been. Here you are, leaving your trail of thread across the surface of the linen. There's some nice echoing of image/message and technique going on. Lead on, into the maze!