Making Crows


Digitally printed silk organza fabric layered atop painted timtex.


It's best to stitch all of the finer bits of the bird before cutting out the shape, otherwise those bits will be damaged by the presser foot.


Cut away the excess fabric/timtex before cutting out hte final bird shape.


Trim away the excess threads for the final bird shape and add additional stitching if needed.


I still need to add the eye.


Auditioning the crow to see how it looks in the niche.


A closer look.


Barbed wire detail, backed with a piece of watercolor paper painted with gouache, watercolors, and ink.

Digitally printed silk organza fabric, machine stitched, aurifil threads.  Natural dyed silk organa, painted timtex, wooden clock body, and barbed wire.

Immersion Dyeing


Spring has finally sprung here in central Iowa!  Rumor has it it's going to make it into the 60's today.  Starting next week, after I hang my upcoming solo show this coming Sunday, I will be hitting the dye pots and hard.  Also on the docet is the natural dye garden, I'm planting native dye plants, and if all goes well madder root in a livestock barrel to prevent it from overtaking the lawn.  Stay tuned for photos, video, and more.

Auditioning Elements for a Work in Progress


Very simple, but lacking in additional interest.  The goal here is to avoid being cutesy.


The piece definately needs a pop of colour, but which colour and where?  If I attach the cochineal dyed silk organza I'll add stitching in a contrasting colour.


I'm not sure that this works either, but it's interesting... just the wrong colours and not enough of them. Acrylic on watercolor paper.


Here's a bit of gouache and watercolor, with ink sketches, on paper behind the main panel.  The main panel is still lacking, it needs a pop of something, anything... but it has to be the right element otherwise it just sits there like a lump.

So I will continue auditioning elements into the wee hours of the night, once I have this niche figured out the remaining eight niches will be a snap since I'm working in a series.  I will be adding additional elements to the outside of the niche in the form of copper and/or black brads and tacks.

WIP - Niche's


Niches for an upcoming solo show, am still playing off the theme of Queen Anne's Crows from last year.


The door on this piece, and another similar piece, were confounding me.  This issue has now been resolved... the big reveal will be this coming Sunday at Cafe Diem, stay tuned. 

She was Third Class to the right of these two pieces.


Rust Dyeing eClass

 
Growth.
Rust Dyed Cotton Fabric
Machine Stitched.

I'm working on the content for the Rust Dyeing eClass!!!  Learn how to rust dye fabric, paper, and how to overdye with tannins, etc., for a gorgeous one of a kind surface!


Bjorkboda detail.
Rust, tannin, and indigo dyed cotton fabric.
Machine and Hand stitched.