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Old Friend

10/31/2017

 
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Back when my hair was long and dark,
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and I wove a lot of nudes
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and was really into color blending
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and never wove a tapestry without at least one frog, 
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I made this tapestry:
Love Among The Iris
44" x 74"
Hand Spun Wool Warp and Weft
​Natural Dyes
​1998
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A glimpse of the back
Weaving in all the ends was a relatively new practice for me 20 years ago,
but though other things have changed
(I keep the hatching to a minimum, and the frogs have deserted me) ,
a clean back feels as vital and thrilling now as it did then.
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So, too, do the glorious hues of indigo, cochineal, madder, weld and walnut
 I wish my ipad camera could convey how luscious these yellows are,
but then natural dyes are forever, while digital cameras, nonexistent in 1998,
are probably just flash-in-the-pan intermediate technology....
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Old Dogs, too, seem ever to be new.
PictureScarface, aged 16

This work has been rolled up in the bottom of my cedar chest for several years now,
but the tapestry that was on this wall last week ("Please, Can You Pass My Knitting,"),
has just been hung in its new home, far away,
and it seemed a good time to wallow in nostalgia.
Picture
Except that I don't  feel particularly nostalgic.

For though I think my technique may improved in the last two decades,
or at least changed,
I am freshly delighted with the power of a big old richly hued textile,
 to affect the mood of a place.
Picture
And
having some long, slow, wooly work

to take one's gaze away from the screen,
​gets more important every day.
patti kirch
10/31/2017 01:37:51 pm

By whose clock are you calling this tapestry old? Maybe, just maybe some gen xers and the millN iers like the look of hachures and unpronounceable techniques. Some others like what natural dyes do all by themselves. I like how you purposefully get the appreciator's eyes traveling through, around, swirling up close.... behind..... the tapestry. That's your magic and you make tapestry sooo relevantly cool!

Nancy Kramer
11/1/2017 06:02:02 am

WOW! That's one spectacular tapestry. Thanks for being a touch nostalgic and for zooming in on details. Your "clean" back provides a wealth of information. Have a lovely day.

Jodi link
11/1/2017 07:24:22 am

I adore vintage Sarah. (I adore current Sarah too, but that’s beside the point) The rich colors and the incredible compositions back happy memories of being able to watch your creative process. So freaking awesome.

Velma Bolyard link
11/1/2017 07:38:03 am

well, it does look particularly fine right there. it's wonderful to have this lushness as winter approaches.

Lynn
11/2/2017 05:43:05 pm

That is glorious!

beth smith link
11/3/2017 05:10:56 pm

Though our work is slightly different you never cease to inspire me. Thank you.

Carrie Brown link
11/7/2017 04:33:11 pm

I'm at a loss for words. This tapestry is amazing.Thanks for posting it.

Rita Corbett
11/8/2017 01:02:12 am

Sarah, this is a wonderful piece of work. I love the colours, the intricacy of the detail and the overall composition/design.

Peggy Estes Cross
11/9/2017 01:00:42 pm

Wow. Just wow. Nothing else can be said but WOW!

Jennie J K
11/10/2017 09:04:05 am

Quite a while ago I seem to have missed a beat- Why did you drop weaving tapestries? Why -ever, I will honor that, but your designs were so personal and your craftsmanship perfect plus

Renee
11/19/2017 02:27:54 pm

Thrilling, Yes, That's it exactly,


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    ​Sarah C Swett 
    tells stories
    with
    ​ and about

     hand spun yarn. 


    Picture
    Click for info on
    my four selvedge
    warping class
    with
    ​ Rebecca Mezoff  
    fringeless


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