funny. when you first start working with a new material, working with it a big way, you realize you don't really know it to well. silk has crept into my work over the years but just in bits and pieces. i remember thinking, silk is shiny . it is slippery. it is hard to sew. it is too expensive. it isn't washable. it is much too delicate. well, silk comes in many forms and i know i have just scratched the surface. and like most anything, if you don't know it, everything you think you know turns out not to be true. just like people i guess.
this small piece is almost all silk. the silk moon has been applied to an indigo shibori dyed silk bat. this is the first time i have used the silk bat as a base. i like the way small pieces of slippery fabric can be placed down and not slip around. the bat takes tiny stitches so well, you can just merge the silk applique so easily... i felt like a human embellisher. ha!
the bottom of the piece has been sliced and interwoven with some hand dyed silk gauze. i am finding gauze nice to work with not only because of its sheerness, but because it tears well and the crimp in the yarn discourages fray. it is also very easy to manipulate. it cooperates with whim. and it loves the bat. and lets not forget it is as light as a feather.
the moon shadow was created by layering an embroidered scrap of black organza (a gift) over a textured silk moon which was already applied to the bat. after stitching i carefully cut away parts to allow a bit of moon light through. organza is nice too, but i like it better in small doses because of its stiffness. it has a much harder surface which i need to warm up to a bit.
...so i ended up with this small piece, meant to be a book mark and now what i want to call a book mat. and as you have probably noticed, a one heart (silk of course) has found shelter in a silken moon's shadow. a very soft spot.
the one thing i knew all along. silk feels so good.
