Monday, May 14, 2012

Peace flags in Connecticut

I became aware of the Flags for Peace Project - 2012 when Fiona wrote about it on Paper Ponderings. A quick look at this blog and the ideas started to flow. I could picture rows of colorful prayer flags running from our front porch to be anchored by the trees surrounding the yard. The breeze from the trees causing the flags to frolic on the currents...currents that circle to earth and connect us all.

A trip to a local quilting shop on Saturday had me selecting some traditional prayer flag colors and adding a few favorites. [the halogen lights in my studio had the colors going all wonky, but you can tell the real colors in the photo below]

It was lovely here yesterday on Mother's Day. Just perfect for wrapping and discharging the cottons for my prayer flags

 as well as the odd t-shirt or two that had become stained over the winter.







I'm thinking 9" x 12" will be a good finished size. There's cutting and sewing to come.

Thanks to all for allowing me to participate and post to this blog!
Jennifer

11 comments:

  1. Oh wow they look fabulous! I love how the discharge has given them so much life and lift. They are going to be so bright and beautiful!

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    1. Thanks Fiona! I think they turned out pretty good. They've been torn down to 10" x 15" with remnants left to play with. I'll stitch them when times allows...probably after returning from Pam's. Or maybe I'll take them along and stitch them there. I'm debating whether to hand stitch a little something on each. Or use the remnants to collage on a few. Then again, the KISS method usually works best.

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  2. this is wonderful jennifer - thank you so much for posting and sharing the beginning of your project!

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    1. Thank you for allowing me to participate and post to the blog. It's a wonderful project that spoke to my heart. I love prayer flags. Must admit that my only real experience with them is at Animal Kingdom in Disney World. Rows of them hang everywhere in one section of the park. My husband knows that if he's lost me, he need only find the prayer flags. I'll be there with my camera, oohing and aahing and snapping pictures.

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  3. I have been contemplating how I will make mine and where they will fly. Thanks for sharing your beginnings. I think the power is in the planning as well as the creating, don't you?

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    1. You're welcome Carol. Power is in the planning as well as the creating, but sometimes I find that leaving things up to serendipity can be even more fun.

      For these prayer flags, I wanted a bit of serendipity, of fate choosing what would be. Seemed fitting somehow. So the cotton was wrapped quickly and discharged quickly. As an ex-accountant I tend to over-think things at times and am working on not doing that. I'm happy with how the cotton discharged and am eager to get to the sewing. That will have to wait a bit though.

      What are you planning to do for your flags? I'd love to see.

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  4. love this Jennifer!
    they are indeed beautiful
    off on another adventure...

    xox - eb.

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    1. Oh thank you Elizabeth! Actually, I've been wondering if you were going to participate too? I can see some of your wonderful rusted or discharged fabrics hung in the trees around the lake that you photograph so often. Just a thought...

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  5. J-pretty amazing stuff - looks like tie-dye- great that you are on to the flags - means they will probably get flown for a longer period of time and able to flap a few ripples of peace. B

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    1. Thanks Barry! It does look like tie-dye yet it's just the opposite. Taking color out using bleach rather than adding it in. It's always a surprise to see which colors have been over-dyed. The purple had been dyed over turquoise while the rest seem to have been dyed on white.

      So...are you creating flags as well? Metal ones perhaps?

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  6. Beautiful. I love the idea of extending your flags out frolic on the wind that circles the earth.

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