"A picture of a bat (fu 蝠) can be a visual pun for "good fortune" or happiness (fu 福) because both characters are pronounced fu. Often the bat is shown flying upside down because the character (dao 倒) for "upside-down" and the character (dao 到) meaning "to have arrived" are both pronounced dao. Therefore, if a person were to say "the bat is flying upside down" a listener could just as easily hear this as "happiness has arrived" which, of course, has a very auspicious connotation." Here you can see my stylized pink bat of happiness flying upside down into this recently completed block. 
The symbol of the upside down flying bat is found on doorways during the Chinese New Year festival. I used DMC's rayon thread to embroider the bat...that brought me no happiness. I watered, waxed and fought with that thread every inch of the way. The thread has a lovely sheen but really, no thread should be that difficult to work with. The Pekinese stitch was used to outline the bat's wings.
DMC's satin thread was used for the "auspicious clouds" drifting across the face of the moon.
If you would like to leave a comment and I hope you do, please click on the post title, Pink Bat of Happiness - June CQJP 2014 and the Comment dialogue box will open. Thank you and Enjoy!
this is a gorgeous piece. Thanks for the commentary on your stitching too. I love when a stitcher includes their thoughts on their inspiration and creation.
ReplyDeleteHoly pink bats Batman! I love bats and thank you for the information and magical art.
ReplyDeleteThank you Miss. Dorie. This block was lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol for visiting. The block's Chinese theme is in honor of my Dad.
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