TAKING THE COLOUR AWAY.
My painted fabric usually brings a pop of colour to these pages, but as you will see in this post I sometimes like to strip that colour away. This is a quick run through of some the more subdued things I have made in the last couple of years.
WHICH WAY IS UP?
This piece was made to showcase a number of simple mark making techniques. It was put together with machine stitch, in an improv style, and then stitched by hand. I stitched through the top and wadding which made the whole process easier on my hands. The backing is part of a fine cotton sarong that I stitched into place separately. It might seem a long way to go about things, but I know that I wouldn’t have been able to complete this level of stitching if I attempted to get my needle through all three layers. I have worked this way before and it really didn’t take long for me to complete the random circular shapes.
Here is a fidgety video which gives you the chance to see things a bit closer.
CROSSROADS
This next piece was again put together to highlight some more surface design using some homemade stamps.
It has a combination of hand and machine stitch
The printed panels are hand painted fabric.
The surrounding strips are cut from a no longer fit for purpose pair of black/grey jeans.
I also have a quick video of this one.
PINWHEELS
This piece, that I have stretched around a canvas, came about after a tidying up session in my workroom.
All of these fabrics had been huddled together in a bag for a very long time. At some point in the past I must have thought they belonged together.
As you can see there is a little pop of red on this one, which I made stronger with thread.
The beauty of stretching it meant that I didn’t feel compelled to cover every inch with thread. As a result it came together very quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed making it.
This small piece which is part of my Scrap Busting Mini Quilts project, was made from a square of sun printed fabric that I probably made over 20 years ago.
Proof that those special pieces of fabric that we keep do eventually have their day.
If you are interested in the techniques mentioned here, as well as more information on how I have constructed these pieces, I demonstrate this and more so much more in my Fabric Paint Stitch Membership