Thread Painting

I started a new Thread Painting a couple of days ago. I transferred one of my "zentangles" to a piece of muslin, backed it and started stitching. It was all right, but not really fun until I started to change things--sew over shapes in a different color etc. It made me think. I get bored with "coloring things in". I have to have the flexibility to change the piece. Otherwise, it is just a coloring book exercise in a different medium, no matter how skilled you need to be to do it. Developing my Thread Painting skills, is great, but, for me, it is not an end in itself. Personally, I need to be able to make decisions at every step in the process. The hand-stitched pieces are interesting for that very reason. I make decisions constantly about what color to use, how many different colors to strand together, what direction to stitch etc. Quilts are the same way. I don't want to make a bunch of the same blocks and sew them together. The results may be wonderful, but I find the process mind numbing. I want blocks I can arrange in an infinite number of ways--like a kaleidoscope quilt. Arranging those blocks on a design wall is like making a painting. I want the whole process to be flexible and interesting right up to completion, as the process is what I enjoy.

Waste Not Want Not

This weekend I got busy and put my winter clothes away in plastic storage tubs and took out the summer clothes. In with the summer clothes, I found a very old pair of light weight sweat pants that I like to wear over my bathing suit going to and from the health club. So, I was pleased to find them and happily put them on this morning. When I did, I noticed that the elastic made a crunching sound and they were very loose, but I ignored that and wore them anyway. When I got out of the car at the club and started across the parking lot, they fell down around my ankles! I don't think anyone noticed. I was relating this adventure to a friend of mine at swimming class and mentioned that I should put new elastic in them or cut them up for rags. Her advice was to put them in the trash can at the club on my way out. They were too old to mess with and if I took them home, they would sit around waiting for me to do something with them. So on the way out, I did stuff them in the trash can. Only now I keep thinking I should go back and get them. I would never do that, but the idea keeps pestering me. I could have fixed them couldn't I? Can you believe that? Waste not want not?

Can Can

7 x 8.5

Machine embroidery on monoprinted fabric. I embroidered some shapes in and then took them back out by sewing over with another color. Substraction again. Did it work? I am not sure. Will have to look at it for a while.

Dart

Dart

6 x 9

A machine embroidery on monoprinted fabric with heat transfer overlays and hand embroidery.

Relax, It Is Only Art

I decided to take a break and make something just for fun. I made paper cloth. Glue everything you can find to a piece of muslin and spray dye on it. Big fun and a good way to clean out scraps.