I decided that instead of cutting up and reorganizing my painted piece, I would cover it with swaths of painted sheer silk organza to give it a dreamy, filmy, rich look. I just love layering sheers that I've painted over cotton that I've also painted -- it completely transforms it into deeper, shifting, rich, mysterious colors.
I pinned through the silk, the cotton background and batting and then started hand stitching along the organza edges.
I have a luscious pile of silk and other sheers that I've collected over decades, but I still needed more blue and green so I painted another piece and put it outside where it dried in minutes in our hot desert sun. (It's still in the 80s here!)
I debated how to attach everything. Normally I machine quilt, but that would make too harsh of a line on what I want to be a delicate airy piece. I finally decided to use just two strands of embroidery floss and do a loose herringbone stitch along the edges of the silk.
It's not quick, but I love the rhythm of the slow hand stitching. I do it standing, with the work spread on my ironing table and the Grateful Dead providing the beat. On one hand I find the work very relaxing, but on the other the beautiful colors are so uplifting!
We also have some beautiful colors going on outside. Here are just a few photos from a one-block stretch near my neighborhood.
Have a colorful day
No comments:
Post a Comment