March 14, 2010

"Blue Sweep" in Progress, with Witch's Window



Last night I finished hooking the two part piece Blue Sweep and tacked it up, while still on its linen backing, to take a look. I was happy to see that there actually was some some illusion in the curved forms; they do look bent toward us, don't they? fun. The next step is to sew the binding around each piece, after which I will cut them from the backing so the shapes can float free on the wall.

The scene above is on the second floor of my house, in the room that has become my winter studio. The slanted window is not uncommon in older houses in New England and is called a "Witch's Window"; I've also heard it called a widow's window. Its position allows a window to be placed above an adjoining shed, following its angle, when there isn't room for a vertical window (the lower edge of the window abuts the roof of the shed). This offbeat, off-kilter, opening adds whimsy to my everyday view.

6 comments:

  1. I have one of these in my house too -- we've always called it the sleepy eye window. The only other name I've heard for them around here is lazy eye window. So I learn new names for them - thirty miles away and everything's different! (Ours has a stick just like yours, though.)

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  2. Oh, and I love Blue Sweep, as I thought I would.

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  3. I'd call it a crazy window. it looks like being in a boat, tipped. - as in run aground.
    The ruglet is different from others, the floating forms.... and they DO look bent!

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  4. These types of windows can be fixed though. You just need to get a camera that has a lense at 30 degrees off plumb. I've never seen one though. Maybe I can invent such a one, get it manufactured and market it under different catchy names like "The Widow Witcher" or "Sleepy Eye Corrector Cam"? Hmmm... I could capture the entire market of crazy lazy eyes!

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  5. How interesting, Susan, to find that the window has yet another name, which I've never heard. Kim, I'd think before leaping into the lazy eye camera market. And rappel, I guess this piece is rather different, maybe because the shapes are lengthened, so animate the space between them?

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  6. I love this window.....Altoon...what a charming winter studio!
    Ive never heard of or seen anything like this. Like also the rugs - Blue sweep is an interesting departure.

    Sophie

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