Tuesday 23 August 2016

A Mountmellick Crumb - Week Thirty-Four


This week I thought I might as well use my crumb to work out some
Mountmellick stitches because I will be making a piece
based on this Irish embroidery for a show next year.
Traditionally Mountmellick is worked white on white using thread similar to crochet thread.


I tried out some filling stitches using a crochet thread.
Perhaps it will be easier on a larger design.


Buttonhole stitch might be useful for my project.


I tried thorn stitch....not a favourite of mine.
I tried Mountmellick stitch...think I could play with that one.
Couching....will use that for sure.
Cable chain...not too keen on this one.
Feather stitch....yes
Cable braid stitch....yes, that can be played with.


Fishbone stitch....perhaps.
Herringbone....for sure.
Cable stitch has possibilities.
Bullion knots....not sure, though I do like them.
All part of the process of getting into the mindset of a new piece.

As I write this it is a lovely rainy day, finally!


Wednesday 17 August 2016

Crumbs on Fire - Week Thirty-Three


tried to depict the charred woods
with a hot, hot sun and
blackened charred trees.


Fabric has been brewing
wrapped around all the gathered findings at Diane's camp.


Something new for me
started wrapping rusty bits with paper towel
to protect the cloth I wrap around it.
Also 
soaked some paper towel in rusty water
and included that inside and around the bundles.


This was a huge bundle!
It is my grandmother's old table cloth
and will be used as the back of a large piece I am about to start.
Very tempted to forget that plan and design a new piece for it
but so far I am sticking to my plan.


Lovely watery markings.

Have a great day.

Monday 15 August 2016

Crumbs for a Hot, Dry Summer - Week Thirty-Two


A lovely hot, dry summer for me
but the land is suffering
grasses are drying up on parched lands.
The woods are dry as a tinder box.


Way too hot to stitch outside....
...well, for us northerners!


Parched
Not a drop of rain for ages
seems so strange
 we are completely surrounded by oceans
that stretch for mile and miles.


Over two weeks ago
Diane and I spent a day at her camp in the woods
on one of our many lakes.


A lovely isolated place.


Water levels in all lakes have dropped this summer.

 

Mighty rocks hug the edges of lakes in these parts.
Mind you, they don't just stick to the edges they tend to
dot themselves all over the lakes hiding just below the surface
lying in wait for novice paddlers like me!

So glad we went when we did because
the woods have been on fire ever since.
Our brave firefighters must be stretched to the limit.
Water bombers have come from as far away as Quebec.

The woods are closed to everybody now.
We had some rain last night 
but I can't imagine it was anything like enough.

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Shield of protection.... Perhaps


It takes time to know when a piece is finished.
Hanging it one a wall where you will actually see it.
Living with it
not so much sitting down and staring at it
but noting your reactions as it catches your eye.
What is new for me in this piece
I never felt the need to fill the background with kantha or running stitch.
Just the mottled markings of rust and tannin are enough for me.


The delicate random markings....


....in the background speak loudly to me. 


A speckled moon looks down on
silk rouleaux couched down in a shape that I initially
thought would be a rock.
Today I think of it more as a protective structure
A shield perhaps.


Protection for this glowing ember or perhaps a sun.
It might change again as I continue living with it.
The last time I wrote about this piece was mid July.

Monday 1 August 2016

Crumb Thirty-One .... Just Couldn't Resist


 Simply couldn't resist because....


....Ashley has taken up drawing in real sketchbooks
and even staying inside the pages.
As you can imagine I am wondering how soon
she will agree to collaborate on a piece.


I had photographed my crumb using the back of
Stitched marks on the backsides 
always feel freer
less perfect
Uninhibited.
Some of the things I am always aiming for on the front.
Haven't got there yet.