I wonder – pages from my sketchbook

I wondered what would happen if I took this scrap of fabric (about one inch by two) that I couldn’t bear to throw away, applied it to another piece of fabric (in this case some vintage evenweave), started stitching on the fabric with matching thread and then continued onto the evenweave?

This was an out and about fragment project, using threads I had with me, hence the variegation in the stitching.  

Having had enough of cross stitch, I wondered what would happen if I tried the same idea but used long and short stitch?

The way the pattern distorts into something more abstract is certainly an interesting outcome. Two more pieces for the sketchbook.

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Scraps of felt – felt flowers

I really struggle to throw away scraps of fabric which is probably why so much of my work is based round bits and fragments.

For ‘Guards! Guards!’ I made some felt to pad out and stabilise the helmets worn by the Watch and somehow ended up with an oddment. Not very big, but just big enough to make it impossible for me to throw out. Every time I tried, a little voice pointed out all the things I could do with it and so it sat on my desk until the show was over and I got round to colouring it with water-soluble pastels.

There was enough to cut out six simple little flower shapes and still have the piece above left over.

More bits I couldn’t bear to throw away, this time scraps of yellowish hand dyed cotton and oddments of thread, made the centres. 

Scattered on some hand dyed green cotton.

When the flowers had their french knot and blanket stitch centres and their petals defined, they were blanket stitched onto the green cotton.

Quick, fun and it shut the little voice up – the felt is no longer cluttering up my desk and the voice was right – what a waste it would have been to throw it out!

Somehow, that’s a bit worrying…!!!

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