Tassels made for stockings: the cord is made with a bradshaw winder. Dec 2010. N.b.: I combined two photographs, one with flash and one without, which is why the one on the right is slightly out of focus—it was moving, obviously, between the two shots.
So I guess perhaps it was the second kid for whom I purchased Pat the Bunny: I know when I bought that child's gift I was already thinking to The Velveteen Rabbit, another classic children's Christmas tale. The protagonist is a stuffed rabbit who wishes to become “real”; his best friend, the ‘Skin Horse’ was probably the second most important character, and so it went on the flap, both as part of the story but also to represent the child's relationship to his elder sibling. —And, given the masculine color of the first stocking I deliberately contrasted that for the next one, using a pink background: in effect, using the color of his mother's (not to mention Pat the Bunny’s cover) to represent her equal importance in his life. [1] The ball (again reprised) and a child's block, another classic toy, complete the design.
stocking. Completed 2010. Felt, tassels, cordmaking, sewing machine applique.
Not too surprisingly the kid for whom this thing was made complained bitterly that he didn't want a pink stocking, which to my mind just shows how much he needed one![2]
[1]And, again, in the interest of honesty, I was pushing back against the patriarchy—it's rather dismaying to be what I assume is the most rabid feminist in my family, because I don't really think of myself as particularly radical. But the gendering of children's toys and dress—as a pushback against the gains that more fluid gender identity, gay rights and feminism have slowly been making—have truly been reactionary.
[2]Besides which, it's actually one of the best-designed, at least in my opinion.
Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.
