More than a year ago, I started embroidering a piece of fabric that I had soy wax batiked and then dyed. I am not an embroiderer, and I don’t know what the heck I am doing, so was just having fun. It was a very portable project, and I took it to my kids’ soccer practices, piano lessons, dentist appointments and our beach vacation. I just stuffed the fabric, flosses – and bits of thread I had been collecting that unraveled off fabric when I washed and dried it — into a little basket, and took it with me whenever I knew I’d have some time to work.
I called this embroidered piece Petri Dish Promenade because it reminded me of bacteria cultured in a petri dish. You can see the embroidery stage of this piece in my previous blog post here. But everything came to a standstill because I couldn’t make up my mind about how to finish it.
Then, earlier this summer, I dyed a piece of silk-cotton blend fabric called “Radiance” and it turned out beautifully. The silk gives it a wonderful sheen and shimmer. Even better, lots of the colors were similar to those in the embroidered piece. Last night, I trimmed a window in the silk-cotton fabric, and I’m getting ready to hand appliqué the pieces together. Next I have to decide whether to do more embroidery out into the frame, and whether to quilt the piece by hand or by machine.
Posts
I did not realize it was long and thin when you were pondering about it last year. Funnily enough I thought it was much bigger (hence the coat suggestion) but as it is I am glad you did not cut into it! The background colour is lovely.
ReplyDeleteRight now, the embroidered panel is about 10 x 27", and with the silk-cotton border the whole piece is about 20 x 38". I considered cutting it up, but couldn't bring myself to do it, so I had to figure out how to set it off with more fabric on the edges. I'm pretty pleased with this so far.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Susan love this idea!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous colors going on. I like the hand stitching, too.
ReplyDeleteIt looks gorgeous. Love the title for it.
ReplyDeleteI would be sorely tempted to embroider some of the circles out into the border.
it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI like it the way it is, gives it a nice art look.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Susan, this is beautiful! Am I remembering correctly that the embroidery is the piece you were working on at the beach last year? I love to see the evolution of a piece like this!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have been working on this off and on for more than a year...and I did work on it at the beach.
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful. I love the way the silk-cotton fabric compliments your embroidery. If you decide to add more embroidery outside the existing borders, it might be attractive just to finish off the incomplete cirles and leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about embellishment that it seems to have a mind of its own. When you have appliqued it down it will seak to you as to what else it needs. I sometimes have to edit the speech as I get a little too crazy with the embellishment.
ReplyDeleteHey Mrs. Knapp! It is Lily Sexton, I went to school with Lea. I love your quilts and so does my grandmother. We have been working on a quilt together for quite some time now, but we enjoy every second of it. My grandmother does most of the stitching and I do most of the "coloring." When Lea had one of her birthday parties at your house and I saw the quilts I absolutely fell in love with quilting and the arts. Thanks for being such an inspiration to me! -Lily Sexton :)
ReplyDeleteOh, hi, Lily! You are so sweet! I would love to have you and your grandmother come over sometime. Lea would enjoy seeing you again, and I'd enjoy seeing what you are working on. Give us a call sometime, or e-mail me at susan@bluemoonriver.com
ReplyDelete