Well, we have had pieces of the reef at various fiber festivals for the past year but for the first time, we have put up a serious glimpse of what it could be when we install it in Lincoln City this September.
If you are anywhere near Corvallis, Oregon this month, stop by the Footwise window and take a peek. We were unsure if we had enough corals and creatures to fill the space and we had Plan B and C if we ran shy of corals but unbelievably, we didn’t use all the corals and creatures BECAUSE WE RAN OUT OF ROOM!
Renting the van and packing it with 17 bins and 8 coral structures was a big job but I met Shanna at Footwise and she brought her 6 bins and we got busy putting it all together.
Our chosen plan to make vignettes was a lifesaver and certainly is the way forward. We still have many more vignettes to make as more donations come in but it allows for the reef to be put together like an ever changing jigsaw puzzle.
We really feel that this window will be the most challenging space as we were so restricted in how we could put things together but perhaps it’s best to do the difficult thing first so that we can learn for next time.
The bleached area is looking great but we definitely can use a lot more bleached pieces. It would also be great to have pieces with height as that adds a lot if interest.
The fabric background was also touch and go as we weren’t sure the clips I had would actually hold it up but thankfully it did.
The kelp, fish and jellyfish add so much to the reef! We have many hanging pieces that we weren’t able to fit into this small space so look for even more hangables in Lincoln City.
As a fiber person, I am drawn to color and texture and just looking at the variety offered by the reef makes me very happy. The biggest things that I appreciate are sometimes the smallest things. I love that our healthy reef is populated with such a variety of creatures and I love that our bleached reef contrasts that with its plastic anemones, plastic jelly fish and garbage that has started to become encrusted from being in the sea.
The one thing that I have been asked repeatedly since people have seen the reef in the window is whether we are still collecting corals and creatures. The answer is YES! This is just one window. We have a ROOM to fill!