meta name="p:domain_verify" content="c874e4ecbd59f91b5d5f901dc03e5f82"/>

Pages

Sunday, January 03, 2010

What Do You Do...



when the BBC is showing a feature length episode of Casualty? Well, I don't know what you do, but I sit and stitch by hand. This piece has been hanging around for a while, only a third done. I used to take it to the Gallery to do on open days, but that stopped when I got the Paid Job. Last night seemed like a good moment to resume work on it, and despite a little jockeying for postion amongst the cats, and Merlin deciding that the thread was To Be Played With, I got quite a lot done. I'll be doing Open Studio in May this year, and I'd like to have some new pieces to show, other than the work I'm doing with BB. Besides, hand stitching is possible in lunch hours and the like, when I do go back to work.

The piece is provisionally entitled Strata, reflecting the way that the stitches increase in size in some places, as well as the markings of the rust, which seem stratified, somehow. The cloth is rust dyed silk habotai, stitched with cotton hand dyed threads by Myfanwy Hart. I very rarely dye my own threads, too fiddly for my liking, but I like Myfanwy's. I've got some rust dyed Evolon still to play with; there's instructions for that in the upcoming book, two different methods. I love the effect that rust dyeing gives; must do more of it. In the meantime, though, I'm happy to work on the first of BB's pieces; pictures of that tomorrow.

It's lovely to be back on the blog. Thank you to everyone who has been patiently waiting for me to come back...and a particular thank you to everyone who comments. I read every one, and appreciate them greatly.

6 comments:

Elaine said...

Like you I sit.. sit and knit tho I have sit and stitched in the past..nice piece Marion.. good to see you back:)

Dale Anne said...

GREAT to have you back Marion!
I LOVE the look of this piece....handstitching is soothing I find.

Nuvofelt said...

I love the texture. Looking forward to seeing it finished. There is something really therapeutic about handstitching. I love it too.

(Actually, I have to admit that I switch off when Casualty comes on, but stitching is good too, LOL)

Added you to my blog list too.

http://blogsworthasecondlook.blogspot.com/

frankieboy said...

It looks like skin - like a weird fetishist has had his skin stitched instead of getting piercings.

Purple Missus said...

I wish I had the patience to sit and handstitch. I've tried taking pieces to work on during my lunch break but find that I get bombarded with questions, even though they are all men. And the trouble with these men is they cannot see something like a vessel for what it is they always want it to be something i.e. a plant holder, a pencil pot, a wine cooler (?) etc. *LOL*
I shall come and visit this time in May - you're not that far away. :)

Ruth said...

I love the texture in this piece. And I think strata is perfect for it - that's what it reminds me of is rock strata.