Wrapping a Small Piece around a Canvas

This is a piece I prepared for the local SEFAA square foot challenge. It is annual, no fee, and all are welcome. So, no pressure. Well, not much anyway.

My square foot piece for 2023 started with a thermofax screen from Jane Dunnewold. I am enrolled in something she calls Screen Club. Each month subscribers receive an original screen from Jane. I joined in March and so received my first screen recently.

After messing around to organize my set-up, I was ready to start screen printing on fabric. I've done this before and have a small collection of screens from Marcy Tilton and others. I have had uneven results.

My first attempts with Jane's screen were not successful. I got only a faint print on this eco-dyed fabric from stash.

I pulled one of my old screens and the result was darned good, if I say so myself. Same cloth, same paint, different screen.

Of course the screen from Jane is quite different. Hers has a lot of pen stroke line and a sketchy feel to it. It need not be totally crisp but I was a little disappointed.

I posted these results to the group asking for suggestions. The one that seemed to make a difference was the one that suggested that Jane's screens sometimes take a heavier hand than other screens.

Next experiments were more satisfying.

I got all excited and printed multiple times in approximately the same location on this true blue cotton. The effect is sort of out of focus. I decided to like that. A lot.

Then I added a print from a favorite stencil. I love the intricacy of this koi stencil and have enjoyed using it on other projects. It did not disappoint. The paint is a gold metallic.

Next I inserted a strip of greenish batik. And left it alone for a day. I decided I've been cracking* open a good bit lately so I thought - what the heck - and I cut it into 3.5" squares in solidarity with my cracking episodes.

I shuffled the squares and put it back together. Along the way, I introduced these little striped pieces to bring in another shade of green - chartreuse. 

I was ready to start stitching. Of course, I warmed up with a bit of sashiko on the striped bits. Then I used some thick gold rayon thread to couch onto the surface. 

I lived with that a day or so and took it out.

Finally I returned to simple sashiko, with the gold rayon thread, as well as a turquoise rayon thread. This process gave me joy. I do not know what it is about sashiko but it brings me joy. Especially when I just meander and don't try to follow a pattern.

Because this is going in a show, I wanted to wrap it onto a 12x12 canvas for a more finished, and less quilty look. I researched the web for best ways to cover a canvas with a quilt, took note of what I liked and what I did not.

I had already added the chartreuse border to give me plenty of room for wrapping. Also when I basted the batting to the back of the piece before the sashiko, I made sure the batting was just about 1/2" larger than the 12x12. I was hoping this would create a smooth but soft wrap without a lot of bulk from wrapping the canvas.

The technique I used was maybe an amalgamation of techniques I found on the web, though I did not spot anything exactly like this.

First, I marked the 12x12 square on the back of the piece with 4 little dots in the 4 corners. Then I drew lines connecting the dots and extended the lines to the raw edge of the piece. Then I used my favorite Linda Lee mitering technique to create a box for the canvas to fit inside.

This allowed me to trim some of the excess from the corners. I still had a bit of bulk when I wrapped it all the around to the back of the canvas, but not much. The back part of it was single layer with no batting. I mitered that too.

 Card stock paper was glued to the back side to cover the staples and raw edges. Then I signed and dated it. I'm pretty jazzed with the result. 

BTW, I am documenting all the steps so I can repeat myself some day!

Now it's ready for the Square Foot Challenge. The title is Welcome to the Deep End.

*As the saying goes, the crack is to let the light in. (Hemingway?)

Goodbye to 2020

Just a quick post to wrap up this strange year. I've been dreaming of sewing more than actually sewing, but I now have several projects all ready to start in the new year. Instead of sewing, I've made a few Christmas cards. 

This is something fun for me. I don't stress about making a million of them and getting organized. Instead I make one or two as the spirit moves me. So a few (maybe most) recipients are receiving these late.

Here is a recap of the very small amount of sewing I've managed in the last couple of weeks: 

I used a remnant from my last pair of black ponte pants to make a layering shell. I like to have these on hand during the winter. It's nice to wear like a camisole.

I also made just a couple of Christmas gifts, again making sure these were no stress gifts. I made two rice bags for my son using some pretty royal blue silk twill. He has reached the age where he injures himself in his workouts from time to time. I'm not sure how he got to be that old. I thought he might appreciate these lavender sacheted bags that can be heated or frozen. I did not manage to take a picture but they were not all that interesting anyway.

Lastly I made my daughter an apron to match mine using Tessuti's free apron pattern. She is quite petite, so I made some adjustments in hopes it would fit her proportions better. 

I think that this is a fabulous pattern given its price. I might have even paid for it, as it is similar to some I spotted in France summer 2019. It has the feel of a European kitchen to me - simple, crisp, functional. I used some lovely linen purchased in Paris.

And I added a tag that reads "My mom made this."

Happy New Year, fellow creatives! I hope 2021 greets you with lots of fun sewing projects.

Good Friday

Each year, for the last few years, I've approached Easter with thoughts of one station of the cross. This year, though different due to the world-wide covid-19 pandemic, I return to the rhythm of my Lenten preparation. For me, and other artists in my church, St Patrick's Episcopal Church, this is a time of meditating, visualizing, and actualizing a depiction of one station of the cross.

As you may know, stations of the cross are a tradition in many Christian churches. I think the goal of the tradition is to remember Christ in his darkest period, a time when he knew what was next, and his closest friends could not fathom the days to come. There are several versions of the Stations with differing numbers of stations. This year, ours has 14 stations.

I chose Station 11, the repentant thief. It is based on this passage from Luke 23:

42. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43. Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

My journey began with a trip to the High Museum. One of the art leaders at St Pat's took a group of us there and taught me (us?) a new way to visit a museum. She explained that the viewer of art completes the art, and so we are all participants, and without us, no piece of art is complete. She also encouraged us to sit with a piece for a while and be still.

The piece that spoke loudest to me was Stefan Bondell's "Pyramid."

Dark, isn't it? It's huge and sits in a room with an audio installation that sounds like a Gregorian chant. Commanding. Not pretty. Not pretty at all.

It's a trinity, of sorts, and references the 3 Abrahamic religions - Islam on the lower left, Judaism on the lower right, and wait, what's that at the top? The closer I looked, the less I wanted to look, but I also felt drawn in, inexplicably.

The top of this pyramid is based on a well-known depiction of our (USA) atrocities committed in Abu Gharib in 2003. So, no, this is not a pretty picture. The image stayed with me and I began to imagine the three on the cross, only not crosses. Instead I imagined them posed on boxes, dressed in rags, heads covered (it would have been harder to ignore their humanity without covering their faces), and wires extending from parts of their bodies.

I thought, yes, this will become my station.

But I could not do it. I mean, I could sketch, I could add a little paint, but then nothing. When covid-19 reared its head, I gave up and listened to my need for nurture and beauty.

In the past, I've sketched and painted but then transformed the idea into cloth. This year, I decided to paint my station. It was a leap. I have never worked so large and it was a learning activity for sure.

my husband's right hand

I like drawing hands; I took my time playing with hand images.

And I was enjoying the now-flowering Dogwood near my deck.

This is a small (8x11)  mock-up that I later ruined in order to learn some techniques.

Many times, I was ready to wad it up and go back to cloth, something I know well. I could not start another painting, as I had the one piece of watercolor paper this size. So I continued. There are some aspects of it that are not pleasing to me, but not enough to trash it. More than that, I'm satisfied with it. It suits my need for beauty at this dark time in the history of our planet.

I was introduced to Dogwood trees when I moved to Atlanta in 1989. They are beautiful and usually arrive at the beginning of spring, foreshadowing of the riot of color on its way. And, as it happens, there is a Christian tradition associated with the Dogwood tree, with its strong, lean branches and delicate flowers. According to the legend, the cross of Christ was constructed from Dogwood.

And the story in Luke is full of beauty and hope. Hope for new beginnings, even while observing the darkest day in the Christian calendar.

With all the restrictions, of course, we cannot hang our stations in the church this year. I am so pleased that our director of communications put together a web site containing each piece with the accompanying narrative. It's not as powerful as the starving artists' dinner we usually have where we share our artistic journeys, but it is a nice way to document the stations for 2020. If you are interested, you may see them here:

https://stpatsart.com/stations-of-the-cross/

Also, if you would like to see our stations from 2019, and if you are interested in a meditation on Good Friday, I encourage you to watch this video narrated by the youth of my church. They put it together for today, and used images from last year's stations:

https://www.facebook.com/stpatdunwoody/videos/157585615546928/

I hope you are well. I am dreaming of new beginnings.

Now Sewing, for sure

Sarah Campbell
with a muslin she painted during my workshop

Welcome to the new world. It has now been a week since the corona virus changed the world. Of course, it's been coming for a while, but now we are all feeling it, I think. 

I hope you are safe and well and spending lots of time creatively. Sewing and other making keeps me sane and cheerful. So far. Perhaps you are finding that too.

Sarah has a fun sense of style. 

Like so many of you, I have a bit of a stash. Now is definitely the time to be sewing, isn't it. And I happen to have a few new pieces in said stash.

Striped linen, Japanese cotton crepe, plus two Sarah Campbell designs for Michael Miller

A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to attend another Sew Kansas in Topeka with Linda Lee of The Sewing Workshop (TSW). This one was very special because Linda brought in the delightful and amazing Sarah Campbell from her home in England.

Sarah's design for Michael Miller fabrics

Sarah is a well-known print designer with impressive credentials. She and her sister Susan Collier created together for over 50 years before Susan died. They created prints for Liberty of London, for example. Lately, Sarah has created designs for home goods found in West Elm.

Another of Sarah's designs for Michael Miller fabrics

For an entire week we created pattern, as Sarah called it. We started with plain newsprint, then muslin, and finally some fabric of our choice from the Sewing Workshop. We played with shape and color and repetition, all areas where Sarah is expert. It was loads of fun.

one of my muslin pieces

For my workshop design, I chose some wonderful light gray linen from TSW. It is one of those really good linens. You know the kind. Perfect weight, soft after washing and drying, lovely to sew, and a dream to wear.

another of my painted muslin pieces

I chose the Cottage Shirt pattern for my workshop piece in the linen.

But then I got cold feet. So, instead of painting the linen, I painted my paint shirt. I needed more practice. It was a fun project without any worries or second guessing.

If you look carefully, you may be able to see that I spelled out my name.

You may have noticed that my aesthetic is a a bit different from Sarah's. I do love Sarah's wildly exuberant style but that kind of painting takes a lot more practice than I've had. And I'm OK with simpler designs, in general.

Linda Lee, Sarah Campbell, and me!

Next I began to paint on the linen. 

My idea was to rough-cut pieces that could be re-cut when I was home. It was not a bad idea, exactly, because it's a lot easier to manage small pieces in shared spaces. I did not have the actual pattern with me and so made rough guesses as to the size of the pieces, based on a finished sample from TSW. 

Once I was home and had washed and dried the pieces, I began to cut out the Cottage shirt. Except for the cuffs, nothing fit! I had to completely rethink the pattern placement. This is what I thought the front might look like. I thought I would make the Cottage as a pull-over, perhaps with a front placket.

Here is the actual front:

Likewise, here is what I thought the back would be:

And here is the actual back:

Something else happened that surprised me, but should not have. Maybe it's more accurate to say it disappointed me. The color faded quite dramatically. I feel certain that the color attached to whatever sizing was in the linen and then washed away.

It's finished now. But I may go back in and paint some more, now that the sizing is gone. I'm running a little experiment with a washed scrap so that I can compare the results You can see in the picture the pre-washed paint (black and red swirls at the bottom), and the new paint I added at home. We'll see!

For now, I'm quite happy with this piece. I really like the cottage shirt and the linen feels great. Of course, for now, I'm all dressed up with no place to go.