Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Small(er) Things, Embroidered and To-Be-Embroidered

Remember that Japanese fabric that told me it wanted to be embroidered? I've begun.


(That was taken after dinner on my back deck because the weather has been beyootiful!!!)

Here's almost what it looks like now, not including what I added while I sat on the deck while my daughter played in the sandbox because the weather has been...oh, you know. I already said that part.


This right here is several things. Firstly, it's just under 4"x6", by design. Secondly, it's the first time I've embroidered on a multi-colored background, except for the August Stitch-a-Long, but that was different. I've admired many of the pieces I've seen that embroider on top of patterned fabric and finally got the nerve to try it (because the fabric told me to). This is just a simple design, so so basic--overlapping circles of primary colors, definitely not anything complex there! But I'm discovering that as the colors in the fabric gradually shift, my perception of the seed stitch against the background subtly shifts too; in other words, it's more interesting than I anticipated. It makes me want to try more (adventurous) things with color shifts of floss against color shifts of background.

Also, I think I am drawn to this piece of fabric because I had a similar-looking flannel shirt in college... (Pearl Jam, yes! Nirvana, blech).

I was intending this piece for a local gallery's Postcard Fundraiser (which does not appear to be limited to local artists--please click the link if you're interested). But then there are these...


(Photographed on the big rock in my yard, in the sunshine, because the weather has been...right, you know that already.) These are stamps I've carved, printed on cotton using textile ink, each 4x6. One of the thoughts I had while reading Hoopla was to try mixing embroidery with other images on the fabric. So these were heat-set the other night and are waiting to be embroidered upon, when I'm done with those circles.

I have some knitting to show you, too, but that will have to wait until the next post. But before I go, I wanted to share some of nature's own elegant weaving that my middle child spotted this morning:


Linking up with our creative spaces (click to see more creativity!).

11 comments:

Karen Isaacson said...

those are some great projects you've got going on, and what a treat this week has been - can't believe how much has grown in my garden in the last 3 days. I had a closet full of flannel in those early 90's - was living in Seattle at the height of grunge (more of a nirvana girl myself, but I love pearl jam more than just about anything on commercial radio these days)

amy said...

I am fairly certain if I was living in Seattle during the height of grunge I wouldn't remember a single minute of it now. Ahem. Providence wasn't a bad place to live mid-90s for live music, although I'm still kicking myself for NOT going to the show at Lupo's where the Dave Matthews Band opened--opened!--and the live version of Ants Marching was recorded. I coulda been there...

Twig&Blossom said...

Fabulous embroidery - love it!
Cate

Shell said...

Wow, you have a lot on the go at the moment ... seems like you never sit still. The embroidery looks great.
We like both Pearl Jam and Nirvana in this house. As for flannel shirts, my husband still wears them and it has resulted with the kids calling him Earl after the 'My Name Is Earl' programme.

Donna Lee said...

Who doesn't love a good flannel shirt? They can be hard to find but I always manage to keep one or two on hand.

I love what you're doing with the design on top of the multi colored fabric. I was thinking that you are quite adventurous but then I thought to myself, "it's just thread and fabric, YOU could do that too". I think it's all in the way you approach your materials. I was taught that there is one way to embroider and that is pictures on plain fabric so when I see your beautiful embellishments, it tilts my world just a bit. In a good way.

Megan said...

I have been in a bit of an embroidery mood lately too. I love your circles, very venn diagramish!

bells said...

so I take it you've had some good weather this week? ;-P

Slowly but surely your adventures in embroidery are wearing me down. I know I'm gonna have a go. And I'm surprised at how good embroidery on a Pearl Jam style piece of fabric looks! Who knew!

bells said...

so I take it you've had some good weather this week? ;-P

Slowly but surely your adventures in embroidery are wearing me down. I know I'm gonna have a go. And I'm surprised at how good embroidery on a Pearl Jam style piece of fabric looks! Who knew!

lamina @ do a bit said...

So glad you are enjoying the beautiful weather... and doing a bit/a lot of flannel embroidery :)

Cameron said...

Wow....what patience you have.....but it is looking amazing!

I giggled every time you mentioned the weather....heehee!

....and I love spider webs....that's quite a specimen there!

Sally said...

Love love love your stitchery! Brilliant. Loving the circles, loving the colours... it's all good. And yes ... I loved Pearl Jam and Nirvana too when I was at uni. Ahh... they were the days.