It's Wednesday. I have 3 bases, one is already a very important gift. They are basted. And they all feel great. I just lit the fire and that popping noise is the pine cones.
I'm ready for some trees.
When I did this one (which I am still working on) , I asked myself what if I cut the triangles for the trees and wash them up to enhance the fringe before stitching them down..., which I did, but now I want to take that idea a bit further. See you later....
So. What if the darker section is on top? Ok. Snow, winter, right. The snow is lighter but it fell to the bottom. Ha!...There seems to be story in this kind of grounding. I found this linen napkin scrap. I love using corner details. And the hand embroidery could just be a ghost of a warmer season, or some snow covered foliage. I like this variation. And also the scale change, isolating the figures in just one section, smaller, giving the season more power. and of course adding a moon perhaps.
I like this one. A great way to use some old family heirloom scrap or even highlight some nice white on white texture or stitching. Maybe just a lovely stitched version of the word snow. I like that the snow could be a cloth focus somehow. A blanket.
So usually my next step will be this, but because I am working ragged edge here, in addition to tearing the pieces instead of cutting, I will wash and dry all my pieces to encourage a bit more fray. I find that if you don't want to use the washer and dryer, roughing them up in some hot water and then rubbing them roughly in a towel, then hanging them in the wind to dry will get them to give up some loose threads and soften the edges a bit.
So I am off to wash up a few bits of fabric and I will talk a bit more about that step later. Yes, I want to talk about that more.
The new sketch and some thoughts if you want to save them for anything. PDF Sketch and story
well i finally picked up the needle today, sat by a warm stove and stitched a little color into winter's heart. pale and hardly noticeable. it is funny when you are dealing with the elements of extreme contrast, how color can get lost. i remember when weaving i learned that white didn't have to be white when used against black. in fact pale yellow always looks white against a dark color. i use that idea a lot now, substitution, white not being white and even black not being black... you can give your work more mystery by loosening that concept.
unless you get right up close and personal with a cloth, you might not notice the seemingly white edge is really a pale green. but you can sense something happening.
...if you didn't get closer you might not notice that even after all the layers, how the light can still pass through a cloth. the days are getting longer and winter is becoming thinner.
.....as i move forward with my work i have the strong desire to be telling more of a complete story. i have questioned the purpose of holding back, of shortcuts, of public image, of stealing ideas, of compromise, of identity...in short 'who we are'. in some ways selling your work can be unnerving but at the same time it is enlightening. since it has now become at least a small part of what i do, it has crept into my creative thoughts. surprisingly, the money part is not what is taking over, it is the story. ...anyway, my thoughts are in a tangle this morning but a small part of the path is clear. i have decided to pursue a collectors series. pieces that have a personal story in both biography and technique. to put it out there as is. some sort of personal beast saga inspired by "skitch-skatch" and an unusual rabbit. ....today i prepared the ground for the second one. some sort of a winged thing with no name. i have printed the image on fabric. this is a good time to start talking about that since it all started with what if (?) i just run the fabric through the printer. in short, that is what i do. in its simplest form, i back a fabric with double stick tape, press it onto a piece of printer paper, scotch tape around the edges to cover the fray and print. since, in this case i will cover the image with stitch and fabric, i am not concerned about permanence. let me say though that if you wait a day or so and then iron hot, when you wash, part of the color comes out, but part is permanent. you can experiment. i have other methods to discuss, but this is the cheapest and fastest and that is what i did today. the other thing is.... white fabric is boring. i used a tan chambray on this one to tone down the color... acts like tea dye. i will prepare some other samples to show after i get a new ink cartridge.
.... have shown here a close up of the unusual rabbit piece with part of the print still exposed to show the technique.
back to "listen to the river"...
and the life lions 3 are walking the edge and finding their way.
i am going to try this method to fill in some space in the garden, raggedy leaves perhaps and i think it will add lots of texture.
wait! i have been inspired to actually quilt with this method, which will require me to poke holes all the way though the quilt...to the other side....
tip-remember to catch your breath right after you catch a thought....
and speaking of life goes on, "a little ragged" as he has been named, has a new heart in purple as a reminder of his lavender stuffing, sweet smelling to bring on a good night's sleep. he has hitched a ride on an orb and is heading here where he hopes to create some comfort and a few smiles.
.....i always try to be very conscientious when i sew. i don't like to waste things, i don't like to use too much electricity, i recycle and lean toward "unplugged". the craft world can be very consumer oriented. i understand, but that is not where i am coming from. i don't like to buy things. i like to work with less. i am not a fan of tricks or gadgets. just more trash. if i could make my own needles i would. i have to work to make a living but i can't do that with stitching. i like to take my time and do it for free. so i use my free time , on a commuter train and it costs nothing.
somewhere along the way, i started reusing basting thread. and on a whim today i realized why not baste this with thread i will be using for quilting and embellishing? TIP: Baste according to plan...its a great way to test out colors schemes. it is a great way to precut lengths of thread to size....to eliminate the tangle of threads if you want to be portable. baste with a variety of strands and colors, and just pulled them out as needed . baste with no waste.
...this one
has become a gift, so although it was a what if, it is over here at
spirit cloth now...it is for a friend diagnosed with breast cancer. it
is pink...and i changed my mind on this a lot ...so i am calling it "working through it".
...i know i have mentioned this before, but i really like the texture of beading and knots. TIPregular beads do not feel good on quilts or pillows that will be used. and french knots do not wear well . i like to create beads with embroidery floss. the spirit of a bead with a softness that's just right. just stitch in place until the bead is raised off the surface. you can even quilt with them. i usually use 2 or 3 strands, but i have used one for fine work. tonight's commuter sewing was inspired by a mottled apple. i have begun filling in empty spaces on "the unexpected" with thread beads. and i can't stop.
E is for Eventually finishing this quilt and Evolution of style. this letter is a little different, the outline is embroidered and i let the underneath appliqué guide the letter design. not because i am clever but because i cut off the original E appliqué letter ...it looked so bad. only the outline was left and i became inspired or lazy . one or the other. TIP: both seem to be equal opportunities for creative results.
E is also for the friendly Elephant that has taken up shelter under the
trees. a fussy cut appliqué form an old print. soon to be embellished
with colored thread.
some work has begun to fill in the spaces between the trees with leaves and fallen flowers and forest floor inhabitants. the leaves are ragged edge. they will have embroidered details. i like how these organic shapes soften the grid of the patchwork.
the fussy cutting sometimes leaves a ring of interesting color from the ground of the print and since the edges are not turned under, this color adds a nice surprise halo to the appliqué.
my method is a tiny back stitching all the way around with a single sewing thread and then another with 2 strands of embroidery floss. i cut carefully to contour the edge to the shape and then clip all the way around. i then scratch fray, running my fingernail back and forth over the clip to fray. TIP pre-fraying seems to stand up the washer better.
some stippling experiments have a pleasing berry-like effect on the velvet moss.
the tree appliques are progressing...finding it convenient to use several needles at once-threaded with different colors for embroidery. it is helping me to see the effects of the color plan, instead of stitching all of one color first and then another, etc. you can see how the colors and stitches are working ( less to tear out if you don't like it) and it is also more interesting as a process. like tapestry weaving... the needles are like little bobbins of color.
tip if you are not using a color for a while, wind the excess thread around the needle and stick the needle into the fabric off to the side to get it out of your way.
this edge technique gives a nice ethnic decorative binding to a ragged applique.
