~ The Windows of Hutch ~
I have to say that of all the things that I make at the studio the window coverings are my favorites. There seems to be so many levels on which to appreciate them. You are drawn to them from outside the house and that experience changes from day to night. from inside the experience is different but the light from day to day and day to night always effects how the look. The shadows that are created by the daylight passing through the cut designs are always exciting to see. The above detail is from the spring and summer window covering I call "Rainflowers" . It is a paper cut using thin white butcher paper. I like the way the paper curls at the edges and gives the design some dimensionality. The cascading flower and leaf pattern has a second element of dangling paper raindrops painted grey blue that fall from a cloud valance along the very top edge. This rain can be seen silhouetted in the photo below.
"Rainflowers"
The "Rainflowers" window covering is available as a paper cut kit. The full design measures 34 inches wide by 67 inches high and can be adjusted to fit most window openings. The cost is $28. and will be in our blog shop soon.
"Winter Window"
Our "Winter Window" is my favorite. The design is a northwest woodland winter scene comprised of trees, snow, mushrooms, a bird, and a squirrel. It is cut out of quilter's batting which has a translucent quality that allows for beautiful lighting effects when double layered. Pictured above is single cut out layer that has great shadow casting qualities. This fall I changed them slightly by dyeing the cut out layer dark brown, giving the design greater contrast without the help of backlighting.
In our "sweet room" which has a lot of light aqua and soft pink colors I dyed the solid piece of batting a very soft pink and left the cut out layer the natural cream color. I also flipped the image to create a balanced overall design for the double but separated windows in this nook.
I often tell customers about the first time I went outside the studio after dark, with the lights on inside. It looked magical and felt that way too. It was that tingling sensation throughout the whole body that you only experience on rare occasions. It's like when you hear a singer hit that amazing note or see a dance performance that leaves you breathless. Anyway, it was cool. This is a photo from last season before I dyed the cut outs brown. It's even better now. In the fall and winter I set the upper room lights on timers so everyone walking or driving by after dark can experience this magic for themselves. Remember Morris Street in La Conner, Washington. Take a drive!
Like everything at the studio the window coverings are totally made by hand. The idea begins as a free hand line drawing that gets hand cut into a template. The template is then placed onto fabric, the design is traced, and then the fabric cutting is done. These windows are well worth the labor involved in making them, but don't take my word for it, come on by and see them for yourself.
"Winter Window Design"
Pictured here is an example of a completed double layer winter window with a dark brown cut out top layer that was hand dyed. This exact design measures 33 inches wide by 67 inches high and can be cropped to suit most window sizes.
The cost for the winter window pattern is $24. and will also be available in our blog shop very soon. Until then just give me a call at the studio if you have any further questions or to order. 360-466-2303.
