Photo. Kit Miller

Wednesday, 24 July 2019

Woven Patchwork Square.

I wove strips of rusted, tea stained fabric and a cyanotype of leaves to create a patchwork square which measures about 19 cm across. The colour combination reminds me of dark wood and blue and white china, so rich and warm. There's something really relaxing about hand stitching. As with so many creative pieces, the process itself is as important as the end result.
I made a conscious effort to avoid a very neat finish, no straight lines drawn onto the cloth and only a couple of corrections to a misplaced stitch. A tendency to be too pedantic about the final piece means that my work is becoming increasingly tentative, which does not really suit me or what I want to say.
Having woven the strips together I tacked them to a piece of old cotton sheet.  This creates some weight and stability, while adding a third layer, which might be a bit bulky when it comes to joining squares together.
 Back stitch and embroidery thread worked well with the colours and proportions of the squares. The frayed edges create a softer and flatter finish than if the fabric was folded or hemmed. I don't know how well this will wear over time.


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