Before and After

When I was a teenager, I used to love seeing the dramatic change of someone's face in a magazine's 'before and after'. Just a small change here, in the spiral, where I couched a strip of bright fabric to make it more visible.

Closing the Gap

The sun illuminated this holly tree outside my window and a rainbow appeared just after I completed this piece, and I noticed the parallel shape and colour. I have made cords and added them, as well as outlined shapes with stitch and added fringe to the focal point. It is about closing the gap or making the connection that is part of growth and I hope it creates a feeling of tension or uncomfortability, which is often the case when I reach a growth edge.

Scrap Happy

A night sky in progress: And imagine my joy when I found that this old Hungarian cotton tablecloth I bought for a dollar at a garage sale has mended patches and holes! Signs of being loved and valued.

I notice how I'm drawn to the smallest scraps that seem to magnetically pair together, becoming more beautiful - the simple beauty of fabric itself.

This one reminds me of a feather.

And I have been developing a focal point with machine stitch in this piece - but still have further emphasis to add. I am understanding what it's saying to me now.

Adding More Colour

After I finished embroidering the bouquet on this small quilt, I felt disappointed at how my eye wasn't drawn to the flowers, but to the vase. I could see that the brighter reds, yellows and oranges were not bold enough in just thread, so I decided to paint the petals in. The sample on the right is before painting. I've also been auditioning various fabrics for borders and hadn't found anything that felt right prior to painting, except the plaid for a 'tablecloth'. Maybe now it will be easier to make a selection.