Color at Play...Dancing in the Wind

March has arrived, and the wind is blowing a gale today.  In fact, it's been gathering velocity since about the 23rd of January!  I thought it fitting to honor the wind with a post about my newly-created prayer flags.  During the holidays, my friend's daughter-in-law gave her a three-yard-long artist's interpretation of a Tibetan prayer flag.  It just captured me!  The colors were vibrant, and it had such a great feel.

I was so taken with it that I wanted to make one for myself, so I studied the construction and took note of the materials required.

MODA markets several fabric products that feature similar patterns in a variety of color combinations and sizes:  Charm-paks, Layer cakes, Honey buns, etc.  Even the names of the products appealed to me.  In the Charm-paks, each an assortment of 5 X 5 inch squares, MODA offers many combinations of batik patterns.  I love batiks, as I can see the artist's hand in the fabric design, as well as the spontaneous color combinations that occur within the dye and wax-resist process.  I chose the batik Charm-paks for these very reasons for my version of the prayer flags.

Authentic Tibetan prayer flags are limited to these specific colors:  red, white, blue, green and yellow.  They signify fire, air / clouds, sky / space, water and earth.  The flags traditionally contain writing, a sacred animal, or a mantra.  They are used to promote peace, compassion and wisdom.  It is believed that the prayers contained within are blown in the wind, bringing joy.  The Tibetan word for the horizontal prayer flag is Lung ta, which translates literally as wind horse.  Over the years, since 1959, when China invaded Tibet and made refugees of many peace-loving Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, the flags have become symbolic of prayers for a peaceful world in the Peace Flag Project.  The people of the world have been invited to make their own flags to express their wishes for the world.  Although the flags may be hung indoors, they are intended to be strung up outside where the wind will disperse their messages.
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My prayer flags are hung across the bar separating the dining room from the kitchen, and remind me daily to remain hopeful.  They serve as a visual reminder to send prayers out for world peace, kindness, compassion and generosity.  Their bright and vivid colors both delight and lift my heart whenever I gaze upon them.
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The Tibetan prayer flags depicted here are made of fringe 3 yards long with two batik squares sewn back to back along the top of the fringe base tape, equally spaced in a row.  It's important to find fringe that has a significant band at the top, greater than 1 inch in width.  I took many liberties with the colors used, and chose their placement randomly.  The result is color at play, dancing in the wind.  What could be more appropriate as we celebrate March and the promise of an early spring...?