Category: embrilting

Posted in a collusion of ideas, Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, Ecoprints and Natural Dyes, embrilting, Residency 2017

maybe it’s this, maybe it’s that, maybe it’s neither, or both

Posted on by arlee

I’ve never before experienced such vacillation in choosing to do something! The residency exhibit is going to be hung Aug 27th, and i still haven’t started anything for it, going back and forth with so many, too many ideas that just aren’t inspiring, or gelling. I *do* usually have a fallow period after completing a big work, but months long is just not going to cut it.

I am still looking at this cloth though:

now with these:

and maybe doing a free style work like this from 2010:

Haystack, 2010, hand and machine embroidery, naturally dyes, ecoprint. In private collection.

combined with elements from this (2011):

“Girl: Strength”, 2011, natural dyes, hand and machine embroidery, in private collection

Obviously this year the work will be much smaller than previous years, due to the time frame! Best get cracking!!!!

Posted in Commission, embrilting, in progress, Tabula Memoria

backsides are beautiful too

Posted on by arlee

I’ve always loved seeing the back of work. Not those neat tidy “don’t carry floats, don’t use knots” kinds of embroidery and quilting techniques, when someone worries that Gramma Stitch Police Member Emeritus is going to pass judgement, but the ones that are worked as they are needed to be worked. Nobody sees the back of my completed works, so why worry about it?

I have miniscule amounts of embroidery to finish in the top left panel (reversed, it’s the right side top of this photo), the figures to attach  in that open section in the middle (the standing one has two inches left to work), a teeny bit at the bottom of the centre panel, and then i can stretch and mount the whole.

 

 

Posted in embrilting, Indigo Dreams, Moons

indigo moons again

Posted on by arlee

I just can’t resist these. I love looking at the fabrics i’ve dyed, envisioning new moonscapes, different thread colourways, unique stitches i haven’t tried before.

I’ve got quite a little stockpile of these now to work. Not all are in the photo!

I’ve been alternating these with the res work, and the large commission.

 

Posted in Commission, embrilting, in progress, Tabula Memoria

more heart

Posted on by arlee

Slopped around some paint and sketching in the Am to just get out of a major futz, and then picked up the second figure for Tabula Memoria. YES. “More heart” indeed: the first attempt was arbitrarily stitched, but i think the actual heart attempt on this, the second attempt, is MUCH better.

The first/older aborted start, below:

The new Valdani threads came in handy, but rather than dividing the 3 strands, i left it as a 3ply. Seems to be finer than DMC (though not as smooth), but worked like a dream.

And using the stretcher was actually much easier than i thought it would be. I left re-starting this one a (too long) while, as i hate using hoops of any sort at the best of times, so KERPOW to you Misconception. I wrassled ya down. This haremcloth behaved itself beautifully.

Posted in embrilting, in progress, journal: lessons to learn, Tabula Memoria

last man standing

Posted on by arlee

The second figure for this piece has been a bit problematic. The original sketch’s colouring (above centre right) did not translate well the first time to the haremcloth—too green, too dark. The sampling (above centre left) was actually done before the large attempt at the stitching, but i lost sight of what it was and didn’t go to the now aborted attempt with it.

I’ve gone back to the idea of the stitched sample (which will become a small piece on its own, as i quite like it), for the colouring and the “flavour”. Less is more.

I however DID like the stitching i did on the first, so will be doing that again.

The tapestry frame worked a dream for stretching the expletive deleted haremcloth, keeping it taut and 99% on grain. I’m sure any nun or lace maker would agree that the 1% should be more important, but considering the piece when done will be loosely attached to the main background, subtle stitch manipulation will true it up.

I stitched it to both sides, then flipped it over and stitched one end because there was enough overlap, but the other end had to be stapled because there wasn’t enough at the end to fold over. Poohpoohpeedoo, it worked.

Now we’ll see if i can work it this way, as i am unused to hooping of any sort, except on the very very rare occasion. I suspect i’ll be propping it on the edge of a table, and working stab fashion, instead of my usual fold, borgle, crumple method.

Posted in Ecoprints and Natural Dyes, embrilting, in progress, potassium permanganate, Tabula Memoria

out like a lion

Posted on by arlee

I really need to photograph this at my favourite time of day, the mid afternoon, when the light bends properly over tactility. There’s little left on the right panel to work, but i still have void areas that will get a bit of treatment to balance the left side. (Photo shows side panels folded together, with middle panel not visible.)

It’s time to map out areas time wise. The amount of hours that have gone/are going into this, now need to be divided into other areas. I’m ready to start the top moon to stabilize the centre panel.

 

Posted in embrilting, in progress, Sketchwork, Tabula Memoria

in a bit of a fix

Posted on by arlee

I find myself extremely irritable today, probably because i took an over the counter sleep aid last night–which bloody well didn’t work. Minor snags, literally and figuratively with the stitching on this piece has me kind of pissy right now, so it’s time to stop. Especially since i can do this one only in the stoodio in good daylight. The stitching corner is not going to work for this element.

The original paintsketch:

seated-fig-paintsketchAnd so far, with foot sort of fixed:

fig-seated-fixLess of a heavy sock effect now, though i think the toe needs picking out too……

E N U F as Momma says. No stitching tonight either, break time. I’ll pick it up again tomorrow.