This is essentially my representation of Gaia or Mother Earth. We have the four elements represented (wind, fire, water and earth, from top to bottom) made up of mosaic panels of color-coordinated upcycled fabric scraps, and rimmed in a pebble-esque black and white border, representing the static of electronic/digital life that surrounds us.
The panels are connected throughout by various ropes and vines, sometimes with feathers (for air), glass (for fire), shells (for water) or bark/moss (for earth). And each panel is connected with a small rainbow strip of ribbon, which spills out at the bottom along with the rest of nature, representing the spirit of the earth and how it spills out despite us trying to keep it contained. To the left, there is also a jute strand coming out of each panel that are braided together as the piece unfolds, and shows the interwoven connection between the elements.
I planned it all out rather meticulously, backed it in a yellow fabric, and then used a quilt-as-you-go method in order to embed the ends of the ropes at different places into the piece. It was a bit time-consuming but paid off in my opinion. I then trimmed it all up and bound it in binding made from the "static" fabric. I added some final elements hanging from he bottom of the hanging (stick, etc...). To display, I made the hanging tabs at the top, and found a branch to hang the final piece with.
This is now living in my dining room, and I am kind of in love with it. A fun project to have done, and am appreciative of having had the opportunity through taking a class-- not sure I would have made it otherwise. A very interesting project to plan out and execute. And interestingly, I based the design on some experimenting I had been doing earlier with mosaic panels before even taking the course and contemplating doing an art project--- serendipity worked out well!