Saturday, January 14, 2006

Spinifex take two...



Today I made another attempt at interpreting my spinifex drawing in fibre. I'm not sure which picture I like better so I offer you both (the top is with the flash so the sheer organza's sparkle a little, and the other using natural light so the reds look a bit pinkish)

I'm much happier with today's efforts. I did a couple of things different this time:
  1. Purchased some new double sided interfacing (not heat'n'bond - which I don't normally buy, but did recently as it was all that Spotlight had). This was much better to use;
  2. built my image up gradually, fusing and adding and fusing and adding
  3. used a clean peice of baking paper every time I fused (yes, bought that too - a BIG roll)


There's still no stitching on it and again I'm not sure how to approach it. I don't want to ruin it and as yet I'm not all that confident that I could get nice steady lines - even though some simple straight line stitching not following any particular grasses, but using the same shape.

Looking at it now (it's pinned to a board and leaning against the television cabinet for contemplation), i could see it built up (3 dimensionally), particularly in the lower left-hand corner.

Perhaps I could do both....

Edited: Thanks for the encouragement - it really helps. I should not also that this piece is not all that large. It measures 10" x 16". The size, and the fact that they grasses are already overlayed means that stitching around individual grasses is not really an option, but sewing over them randomly is, and it will also serve to hold any flyaway grasses down. Besides, it will only be a wallhanging and won't be subjected to washing or general ruffing up.

2 comments:

Debra said...

Sophie,

This one is so much better!! And you now have the small pieces to test your machine quilting ideas on. You do have to do something; I have found that sheers, even fused, do not stay permanently on a commercial fabric.

I would use very fine threads and smaller needles, and I would be tempted to machine stitch the top with only a thing backing behind the background fabric, or only a thin batting. GO SLOWLY. Use your walking foot (unless you're a Pfaffie and don't need one).

Maureen said...

Ugh! Yes! Heat'n Bond - never again!
The second attempt is great, and yes I would use a foot on the machine, not fremotion, and stitch it down on the edge, not hard zig zag, just soft edge applique, with a thread that closely matches each stem of grass if possible.