We are getting to the end of February and the end of the old pieces of fabric art. I think you have seen this one before--but, I forget if that is true. Getting old. Not trusting one's memories. The black is a very cheap black cotton I found at Walmart about 15 years ago. This is the back side.
So, today's topic is the second side of fabrics. The back. I liked this side so much more that the front. It has a sort of blackboard surface to it--not completely clean of chalk residue. I used it on a few of these long pieces. And on this one I did topstitch over drawn flower motifs. And then went back in with a few golden yellow stamen. The side triangles were cut from scraps of the painted fabric I kept on the table. As I mentioned, I wanted a cohesive set of pieces at the end. Telling different stories but using the same fabrics.
As February is ending--with bright sunshine and mellow temperatures here in Maine-- I will need to think of some new project for the days of March here on the blog. I am working on a nine patch handsewn piece these days and evenings. Appliqué. Needleturning. Hand sewn seams. I made the nine patch and then added circles to each. And that didn't seem to be doing much. So then I added more appliquéd shapes to each. Still not what I had hoped for but better than it was. You'll see it tomorrow. Sewing nine patches together by hand wasn't all that much fun. But I do like the way the uneven stitches look.
The whole piece is imperfect. My fingers and eyes go to the exposed stitches. It hasn't been ironed.
I like the look of perfect machine stitching and then pressing with an iron and a can of spray starch.
But the imperfection of hand sewing is always there, whispering in my ear. Which is why I do it. Try to do it. Always go back to the machine. And then pick up the needle and thread again. Back and forth. Like the tide going in and out.
It's just that the things on the machine are so modern and abstract and the things by hand so plain and simple. Like a split personality. Riley wants his lunch--it's way past his meal time.
2 comments:
Interesting. To me, it's just the opposite kind of thinking. That the things on the machine are so simple and the things by hand so abstract. I love that we can look at this differently.
I like it too. I wouldn't give up here but continue and see where the next "prompt" takes you. Some circles definitely evoke a moon. I would like to see how the quilting and embroidery enhance the quilt further. Again I like your painted fabric.
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