Sometimes I feel like I hit a wall, especially when my pieces feel like they've become soulless. I was at that point so was very happy to start an online class with
Jude Hill on Story Cloths, hoping to get back to something deeper in my work. The thing I most admire in Jude's work is her connection to the fabric and the deep meaning behind every stitch she takes--something I felt I had been drifting away from.
The online class is, as to be expected, wonderful, but I've found myself struggling with the concept of using a story in my work. Jude uses the term "story" pretty loosely. Sometimes there might be a clear narrative and figurative pieces that have almost a fairytale quality to them as a story unfolds. I like seeing others do this, but it is not me. Sometimes, for Jude, a story is more nebulous, more the way the cloth speaks to you as it goes. (At least I think that's how she interprets it.)
After wrestling with the concept, I decided my piece had to be about where I was right now. I wanted to create something about emerging from periods of darkness.
I started with a solid black background, a base of darkness. Then layered on dark pieces that had vague bits of light to them.
Thinking about how moods always cycle in and out, I added some circles of dark and light, using a technique for frayed edge applique that Jude showed. (oh how I love this technique--it's hard for me not to use it for everything now!).
I stalled on my story until I found this Persian proverb in a book I was reading:
That seemed to give me direction. I wanted a face that was vague and uncertain, with some lightness emerging out of the dark.
And stars that appear as cracks in the darkness.
It's funny that when I started laying it out all together, it looks much more bright and joyful than I thought it would:
Another nice thing that has happened along the way is I've returned to my love of faces. I have been collecting pages of "what if" ideas for doing fabric faces, some so old that I've forgotten what the notes mean. I've been inspired by my friend
Z'anne--who is making a pair of earrings every day for a year--and decided to give myself a challenge, with a much lower bar, of posting a new face experiment every day for a week.
Not nearly as dramatic as the last one, but may have its place in a quiet corner. This technique was inspired by seeing the back of face #6. I like the looser rambling hand stitches here:
End of my one week challenge already--that went fast! I'm having too much fun to stop, so will continue til I hit a wall.
What if I put them on more energetic backgrounds?
Thinking about how moods always cycle in and out, I added some circles of dark and light, using a technique for frayed edge applique that Jude showed. (oh how I love this technique--it's hard for me not to use it for everything now!).
Everyone outdid themselves with the potluck goodies:
We sipped wine on the deck and thought we must look like the Real Housewives of Portland, minus the plastic surgery. Here's Cynthia, Lenall and Lorraine:
Steph, Dayna, Carrie and Jill:
I have been taking Jude's online Story Cloth class (more soon), and made this little piece as a thank you for Dayna:
It was huge treat to get to step into a different world for the evening! Thank you Dayna and Howard!
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