Thursday 21 July 2011

Sometimes I Lead Myself Astray


Sometimes it takes a few tries to work out how the story should be told.
Sometimes you get led down the wrong garden path.
Sometimes the story changes.

Celtic crow is on a wonderfully organic piece of wool blanket with a primitive feel to it.
Which by the way is a pleasure to stitch.
Left brain voice told me he should be grounded with some weight beneath him.
A row of conkers/pebbles were duly stitched along the bottom.
Wrong!
Looks too contrived to me...not the look I want...they will be removed.


So where to go next?


The wool makes me think of an ancient rock face.


As a participant in Jude's Magic Diaries class,
I am thinking a lot about stitch as marks from a moment in a lifetime.


Ancient rock faces are covered in markings recording
fleeting moments of the long life of this planet earth. 


The very DNA of birds such as Crow is marked with memories
that give them the instincts necessary for survival. 


I think he needs to be surrounded with stitched scratchings!


While typing this post, I suddenly noticed
the hint of another crow in the markings on the wool
and Celtic Crow is looking right at it!
Do you see it?


Gosh I love this process!
Sorry to be so wordy today.

16 comments:

  1. yes I do...also like the feathery quality of the stitching

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  2. yes i can see it, a crow memory.

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  3. your words help me to learn your process. you always seem to know exactly how to make it right. i just love that stitching behind the crow.

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  4. I see the other crow... and enjoying hearing about your process - not too wordy.

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  5. I am enjoying your words and thought process. I see the other crow too. Crows are the most fascinating birds.

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  6. Perhaps some rows of stitching underneath the crow, instead of the conkers, if you don't think they are right?

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  7. I love the fabrics you've used for the conkers, and the rows of stitches behind the crow. Beautiful!

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  8. a wool blanket...great idea! i really like this crow, but i do like crows! the stitching around him is an interesting addition, i like that. the extra conkers at the bottom...maybe leave them for a bit, see if they grow on you???

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  9. I love the ghost crow and thank you for sharing your process. I always learn so much from you and I am so grateful. I thought of the stones as walnuts as our crows steal from our trees and drop them on the street to make them open.

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  10. You're too funny! I think that you and I share the same process. Intuition and trial and error!!! LOL! I'm so impressionable and SUCH a good student! What if you added a vertical linear element at the bottom? No not straight lines, but something that echoed the wavy rust dyed striations?

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  11. A gorgeous crow, and I quite like the conkers at the bottom. But agree that more of that scratchy stitching would work too.

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  12. keep on talking......very interesting, your second craw too.....
    XXXm

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  13. The stitch marks strike me as another language, an older way of talking.

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  14. Found a crow feather today...thought of you...

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  15. This is such a beautiful old crow.

    Glad to see you on Arlee's arteries column about rust. Well done!

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Thank you for taking the time to comment, your thoughts are most welcome.