red sky at night...

remember this? i started this piece way back last july and stitched away on it quite a bit until it was nearly completed. i hadn't know quite what i was going to do when i started stitching the red, pink and orange strips together, but then felt something developing as i had a rippling sea and a tiny little boat. then my original binding idea didn't work out as i wanted, and i put it aside for a little bit. and so it has sat for about nine months, until yesterday i decided to pick it up again. once i got going on this white cotton binding, it was just a matter of carefully stitching away until it was finished up today. i think the wide white binding really helps the rich colours of the piece pop,



"red sky at night" plays on the old nautical saying, "red sky at night, sailor's delight / red sky in the morning, sailor's warning", showing a little sailboat working it's way across a gentle swell with a fiery sky behind. it is completely hand stitched, including the binding and two loops on the back for hanging. a mix of fabrics in shades of pink, red and orange make up the sky, stitched in a circles in several colours of thread. the "ocean" is folded and rippled like the real sea, with pinky red yarn stitched to show the reflecting evening light on the surface of the water.



"red sky at night" will be available in the the shop later this afternoon. while i'm still working on my other big hanging, i'm realizing i haven't made any animals for a little bit and i might try and do a few this week. i bought a new reference book last week just for whales, which has been giving me lots of ideas for some of the lesser known species. shop work may be somewhat waylaid by the semi-promising forecast this week though, as i've been spending too much time nestled into the couch. i need to try and get out on my bike, tear up some trails and remind myself how out of shape i am!