Shelbee on the Rags: “Unicorn Tears” Raggery Wall Hanging
It seems like each raggery project that I complete leads me directly to the next raggery project. After finishing the “Not That Innocent“ rag curtain, I had a some scraps left over in the pinks, reds, and purples when I got the idea to remove the red and add in some random bright colors of scraps to make a unicorn themed wall hanging.
All these vibrant colors made me think of unicorn tears and suddenly the piece had a name even before I tied the first knot.
I wanted to use this funky bendy branch for a very colorful rag curtain. At first I was thinking a rainbow curtain but my creative spirit guides kept telling me it was meant for “Unicorn Tears.”
What a process it was to get the darn thing anchored to the table though. The shape is so odd that it ended up being anchored all askew at the corner of the table. I was picturing the rag ropes cascading down in an asymmetrical way so I used painter’s tape to mark an outline on my table to guide me. But I ended up completely disregarding the angular shape in the end.
First I cut up an old white sheet to form the anchor pieces on the branch. I liked the idea of the white border because it looks like the mane of a unicorn while the branch appears to form the profile outline of a unicorn head.
Then I began adding the colors to build an asymmetrical form that reminds me of unicorn tears flowing down like a waterfall.
When I tried to hang it up like this, the weight was so unevenly distributed that it almost fell off the hook. Oops. So the next step was to even out the length all the way across and then figure out how to properly hang the thing with even weight distribution.
Once I had the length all evened out, I really started to see the form of a unicorn head. So with a few little tweaks and extra knots tied, I got the raggy pieces into the abstract shape of an equine profile. Finally, I stamped one side of a natural wood round with my business card stamper and tied it where it looks like the unicorn’s eye. And the poor thing cried so much, her tears turned her whole head into a raggy rainbow!
Do you see the shape of the unicorn head? Neither of my children can see it but my husband and I can’t not see it. And my goodness, this one really makes me smile! In case you didn’t know, I absolutely love unicorns. The unicorn is my magical, mythical, mystical spirit animal!
Right now “Unicorn Tears” is hanging in my bedroom because I am not quite ready to part with her. In fact, next weekend when I take Becca’s “Carolina on My Mind” rag curtain to her in North Carolina, “Unicorn Tears” is going to take her place in the boys’ game room until I make Ralph’s “Safe from Harm” rag curtain. He told me that the rag curtain hanging on the attic door in the game room makes him feel safe from whatever the heck he is afraid of in our attic. That’s all this mom needed to hear and I am ready to create a curtain for my kid that is infused with all sorts of positive, protective mom energy.
So what do you think of this raggery project? Is it a yay or a neigh?
If you are interested in my other raggery creations, click here for the full list.
Keeping it on the rags,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
8 Comments
Marsha Banks
I love how you had the idea for this wall hanging/curtain before you even began it. I think that white at the top really makes the unicorn’s tears show up so much better! I absolutely see the unicorn.
Does Ralph have a color scheme in mind, or are you going to wait to see how the spirit moves you? Have a fabulous time on your trip!!!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Marsha! This unicorn makes me so happy even though it is crying. Ralph’s “Safe from Harm” curtain is going to have a celestial theme of sorts. Since it is going in the game room with the blue nebula wall, I am looking for purples, blues, black, and silver. I have also been looking for garments that have celestial prints like moons and stars. The idea for the colors and celestial theme came to me when I was meditating one morning and asking for creative guidance on Ralph’s curtain. It came to me in such a way that it was clear it came from my father, who was also named Ralph!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
This is a really cool idea!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
What a challenging project! And I do indeed see the unicorn head. Very cool! And what fun colors. I can see why you want to hang on to this one for awhile.
I was probably about Ralph’s age when I became afraid of the spirit of Bloody Mary. A slightly older girl introduced me to this terror. Thanks! But like Ralph, I created a system by which she couldn’t get me. In my case I surrounded myself with all my stuffed animals – I had A LOT – who would protect me while I sleep. Now Ralph will have one of your curtains protecting him – until he’s older and his fear fades.
xoxo
Michelle
P.S. See you soon!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! Oh my gosh, I am familiar with that girlhood terror of Bloody Mary! I created compulsive rituals to protect myself from the potential horror of seeing Miss Mary in the mirror on a late night bathroom trip. Who in the world came up with that? So not cool, kids. Not cool at all!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Isn’t the whole Bloody Mary thing awful? Kids can be real asshats.
Xoxo
Michelle
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Humans can be real asshats…it happens at all ages! Hahaha