after the hand piecing of the center nine patch, the patchwork layout has been built with stackwork... stacked patchwork...stacking layers of ragged edge squares. i used the invisible basting technique i developed ... a method that has become very important in to my cloth construction. it is a very tiny invisible running stitch taken on the front of the piece and a longer stitch on the back. the stitch on the front disappears into the fabric but still holds the layers together...it is basting, but it stays there. unseen. matching the thread to the fabric works best. i have a basket of thread ends, leftovers, to be used for this purpose. depending on the piece, the thread color may need to be changed often, so small thread pieces can be used up and given purpose. happy endings.
the longer stitch on the back is a guide to where the color fields meet.
...and in this case, a cutting guide because i am carefully removing the hidden layers to even out the cloth's thickness.... and because i don't like to waste this precious indigo cloth or any other cloth unless there is a good reason.
so poof! the layers have disappeared.... and lightness has returned.
this cloth is now a bit big for my limited design wall space. i hung it where i usually hang the smaller pieces. the last square ring is an old worn floppy black linen. i stand back to take a photo and notice the distortion of the square frame as the fabric drapes. the squareness has temporarily disappeared. and it almost looks like a magician's cape in some way. probably just because i have magic on my mind. time to let this rest for a while.
i am going to get back to my journal for a while, to make that real journal a part of this process. i am inspired because today i really really like this.
( please note that these little green words that have started to appear are highlighted because they will eventually be linked to a special glossary (focused on redefining) that i have been building in the background for many years. i am excited to finally be putting it together in its usable form. so while many things maybe disappearing, some thing new may be appearing as well. poof! i think it will be a real treat.)
oh and i forgot... i don't know how i managed to appear over at poppy talk but i should say thank you for i've been nominated for a poppies award in the category of crafters (embroidery/crochet/knitting/quilting) artist/designer/shop). thank you to those kind folks.
