Water Goddess Wall Hanging

I wanted to share my lasted, finished project with you. Did you notice that I actually used the word FINISHED? I know, I can hardly believe it myself. Beginning to end I stuck it out and WOW it was so worth it!

I began working on this project a couple of weeks ago. It was just something that I felt compelled to do after I got home from Phoenix. I chose blue for a number of reasons. Primarily because blue it is my mother's favorite color. But also because blue is totally out of my comfort zone. And I wasn't even sure that I would be able to stick with it long enough to see the end results. Sadly, now that it's finished and it is so beautiful, I don't even have anywhere in my house to hang it. Not even in my studio. I just can't bring myself to go to the blue side. Oh well!

Additionally, blue symbolizes the element of water, its direction is West, and the moon phase is waning. Its angel is Gabriel, the season is Autumn, and the zodiac sign is Scorpio, which oddly enough is also a water sign.

Blue also represents peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, cold, technology, and depression. It is also said that blues can slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature, and reduce appetite. And is considered a good business color because it reflects reliability. The various shades of blue have their own unique representations and psychology.

All of that being said, here SHE is in all of her 20" by 20" glory.



She started out as an art doll based on the Butterfly Goddess Pattern by Kivett Studio. This pattern is just one of three that are offered for free. The studio blog showcases her projects and designs.



She has been assembled using multiple layers of silk and cotton fabric, batting, muslin and cotton backings, hand embroidery, and hand quilting/hand finishing (using transparent thread). She is embellished with layers of lace, beads, trims, and buttons.



Her face is baked clay, painted with acrylics. Her body is hand embroidered using both cotton threads and silk ribbons.



Each of the four corners are embroidered in a Celtic design representing all four of the elements, their directions, and their seasons:

Green - Earth, North, Winter
Red - Fire, South, Summer
Blue - Water, West, Autumn
Yellow - Air, East, Spring

These were sewn using cotton threads and Press 'n' Seal for tracing and placement. I found this free design on the Internet and simply printed it out. No need to purchase a stencil.

This photo will give you a better idea of the layering process involved.



Lastly, I added the three silk loops for hanging. Just look at the wonderful dimension that comes the quilting. I did this piece by hand because it was such a relatively small piece but a sewing machine would have saved my hours upon hours. LOL.



I'm not sure if I will list her for sale or offer her as part of a give-a-way. But when I decide what will become of her, I'll let you know!

Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry