Friday, February 18, 2011

Romantics




The melt and warm, lulling breeze makes it feel like spring, but there must still be a blizzard out there in the Dakotas with our name on it.  The February full moon shone along the creek, and was heartbreakingly beautiful last night.

The belated Hard Times Valentine here is just an idea for anyone to try next year.  It's another variation of the wound up rag surprise ball, this time made with vintage rag balls, with randomly sewn on texts  I cut from a bodice-ripper romance novel (discard from our library). I tried to pick out the juicier parts.

It could have held trinkets, tickets, jewels or anything inside.  Mine included  fragments of a lusty affair between Gilbert and Eugenia.  I don't know how it ended.  I cut the rag strips arbitrarily, so all the Valentines ended inconclusively. Maybe everything will work out in the end.    I love to unwind a rag ball, made by someone else, to see the fabrics that were part of someone else's story, the soft faded colors, lumpy textures,  unravelling threads, flannels, plaids, rayons and cottons.  They tell another story, an authentic story.

6 comments:

Gloria Freshley Art and Design said...

Love the rag ball. What a wonderful idea -- so many directions--figuratively speaking--that you could take this. Beautiful images. Thanks!

Susan said...

Thanks, Gloria. Many directions to go with rags--you're so right.

Velma Bolyard said...

susan, this is superb! conceptually brilliant. i hope it's ok to borrow this idea...

Susan said...

Velma, I "borrowed" the idea from surprise balls wound for special occasions with crepe paper--old and new ones. I hope you will try it--it's so much fun--see where it takes you.

Flotsam Friends said...

That's the most divine idea. I think I can work it out... I'd love to see you make one from scratch (I'm a little slow when it comes to anything out of my creative comfort zone). I'd definitely attempt this though. Those moonlight shots are heartbreaking. Like being in one of the novels in your rag ball. Pruxxx

Susan said...

Flotsam Friend,
That sounds like a fun idea. I'll see if I can put some pictures of making a surprise ball together