Ramshackle: Margins

This month I finished this piece for the Stretching Art and Tradition 2020 exhibition. I didn’t get around to photos straight away because I had an extra project to get on with.
Anyway, finally.

Ramshackle:Margins
My series of ramshackle houses explores community. In this work, I am looking at the positive and negative space of community. Showing that different communities and those within their margins by definition also mean others are not included in that community.
So what about those on the edges?
Or those who who are beyond the periphery?

Detail

A bit of progress

A glimpse...

Halfway through quilting. Hope to finish a work on binding today.

This week’s project

Margins

I am working on a Ramshackle piece for Stretching Art and Tradition 20. The theme is Community. So, perfect for an idea I have had.
And here is a glimpse from early in the week when the sun was shining through the window.

The sun picked up the chalk marks I made for the villages and houses.

A traveller returns

The piece I did last year for Stretching Art has returned this week.

Sewing Large.

Makes me want to do another version. The first one was called Sew Large. It shows a large eyehand sewing needle.

The next challenge from Stretching Art and Tradition is about the number 20.
"It’s a big milestone for Stretching Art and Tradition. We turn 20! For SAT20, we invite you to explore the number Twenty in any way you can think of. Twenty Dollars buys a meal, twenty stitches to the inch (is there such a thing?), 2’s company, 3’s a crowd, 20 is a party, twenty pieces of fabric. We’re excited to see where you go with this theme."
I have a couple ideas, but probably won't be able to start it for a while.
If you are interested in taking part, let me know and I will connect you with the details about signing up.

Sewing Large - Finish

I had left the hand stitching in the area of the needle til after it was on, because I didn't want to fuse the appliqué over any surface thread. The thread being cotton crochet thread.

When I hung the nearly finished piece up to see the overall effect, I realised there was a section in the middle part where the hand stitching left a large pucker.

So, I took out one line of stitching and added some on a few different lines of that area. It still puckers some in this image, but I thought it might press out. And it did.

I did a bit of stitching on lines in a few other places to make it look like an overall fabric pattern design. (ish).

So, I got on with the trimming to size and the binding.

And here we are:

26inH x 18inW

Sewing Large

Very good feeling to finish this. It isn't due til February! HA. 😎
But I want to get on with another big project due before that. And this means it won't be hanging over my head throughout the holidays.

I just have to remember to post it off with sufficient time that I don't have to fret about it arriving on time!😰

Sewing Large

So, to replicate the needle -

traced onto adhesive web. I used the Bondaweb (I think it is called Wonder Under in America.) because it has a transfer paper. I know you are meant to be able to do this with Misty Fuse, but when I fuse it to baking parchment, it changes the thickness of the web when the little web strands melt together.

So, I trace the needle and its lines - the places where highlights or shadows are defined - onto the fusible web with transfer paper still attached. Then I fuse it onto a mottled fabric...I have a hand dyed piece that is grey and brown shades and tones. It is fused into an area that has a general colour look as  what I am going for.

Then I cut out around the outer line. Because the back side is where the fusible is, I use something somewhat sharp, (like my quick-unpick/seam ripper) and run it over the traced lines. It gives a slightly raised effect on the right side of the fabric. Using that as a guide, I use pigment ink felt tip for the shadows and white gel pen for the highlights. I just keep using the guide and trying to copy the image. The lower part of the needle on the right.
Oh and later, I did realise I was meant to mirror the image. It didn't line up properly with the top part. Oh. Being small and not too different from side to side, I was able to colour in some white and lighten some black.

When that was done, I placed the enlarged image on the quilt where I wanted the needle to go. I didn't want the space between to mess with the way the needle would look altogether.

I still wanted it to look like it was pushed into and out of the fabric.

Next, I fused it in place and spent more time drawing into the appliqué to make it realistic.

I used a pencil to draw the shadows onto the fabric of the quilt. Initially I had included the shadow on fabric part of my image in the appliqué, but I remembered that the realistic look of the first one I did had the shadow drawn onto the work. It made it, then, the colour of a shadow on the white as if it were a large needle pushed through the fabric. Not the colour of the shadow on the image, which was not very true after all the enlarging of the photo.

I didn't want to trust the fusing alone to keep the needle on there through packing and unpacking of exhibition touring. But I didn't want to alter the look by any machine stitching. So, I used black quilting thread and did a hand-pick stitch. (which is a bit like a tiny back stitch.) and the small stitches don't show unless your nose it right on top!

Next, A bit of adjusting of the hand stitching and pressing before trimming and binding.

Sewing Large

The 'new' quilt...
well I left you in limbo. I  have been working on it!

  I have been trying to do this 'pacing' thing that the physio and pain management team talk about. You think you are doing it, and then you find actually, you are trying to keep going regardless...again. The physio is helping alot! But now it is down to me to do the homework.
So, when I start realising I am beginning to twist around to stop my back hurting so much, I realise,  'Oh. My back is hurting.'  This may seem obvious. But when you have been trying to ignore pain for years because you have been told rub something like Deep Heat on it - or - there is nothing they can do about it - or - it is part of fibromyalgia...well.  You have to relearn to listen to the messages about the pain.
All that to say, I have been trying to stop and do something like reading and in a different chair. And when I start reading. I am gripped. Not much getting back on the computer!

So, enough moaning. 😐

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One change I made on the patches for the Sewing Large piece was to pink the edges.

It is not only neater, but actually gives a bit more interest to the whole than a straight edge. This was a little surprise. I like it!

Next step: the needle
Back when I made the first in this series, I took photos of different needles. Then I enlarged them bigger and bigger.
This is a print out of the enlarged needle I am going to try to reproduce for this work. (print out laying on the quilt).

More next week.

and quilting the new one

So, having solved the issues of sewing from the back for the squares, I realised it would not be easy to do the next step.

The background which the squares are stitched onto, have tone on tone stripes - damask-like. I wanted to stitch with large thread across them. BUT. To do that from the back would be more than my head could manage.
Also, my back is limiting the intricate stuff, even if I sit in my sewing chair for any length of time. My physio is helping me work on that, but at the moment. no.

But. I can sit in the chair in the lounge and stitch without my back hurting. I decided to hand stitch with my chosen threads across the lines of the stripes. And then realised I haven't actually did hand work on a piece like this. Well,  yes the red x's for the 70,273 project. So, for the stretching part, I would have the bobbinwork as well as hand quilted with big stitch.

Voila!

I have left some space in the centre to put the enlarged needle. I will do that before I finish the rest of the lines. I hope you can click on the photo to see the stitching. I didn't stitch all the lines, only selected ones.
I used variegated yellow and white crochet cotton and a variegated yellow, orange, blue, green (the same I used for the squares.)
So the needle is next.

more on the new one

So, bobbinwork.
This is not so hard - other than the technical aspect of working out how your machine can do it - when you are working from the back and following a design there. Sometimes stitching through something like paper or soluble film or fabric that has the design drawn on it.

But, what I wanted to do was stitch squares onto the front using bobbinwork.
ok.

I first tacked them on, this would at least hold the squares in the right place. But as my tacking wasn't exactly parallel from the edge of the square, I was concerned that my stitching would be randomly all over the place.

So, I also pinned at the outside edge of each square. I would be going slow anyway and if the edge of the foot travelled along using the pins as a guide, I shouldn't have much problem with catching pins in the footplate.

And it worked! There was one or two pins I realise had pulled out, so I stopped and rescued them. No big issues.
The one thing which was difficult was getting a 45° corner on the stitching. It had pulled the smaller thread creating 'eyelashes' as it does when you turn corners too quickly when doing free machine embroidery. But there was enough in the large thread tail from the start and end to pull it along and adjust the small thread to make the tension right.

On the front, the stitching is parallel with the edge of the square. and when taking the pins and tacking out, the square looks stitched on with big thread (crochet cotton) that doesn't go through the needle!

The reason I want it to look like big stitching is because I am going to do an enlarged needle like on the first one.

The new one

So, moving on from the sampling, I laid out the top fabric, the batting, and the bottom fabric. Plus a couple scraps still on the table from trimming the 3 secret pieces.

To do bobbin stitch around the scraps, I will have to work from the back. In order to tell where those scraps are, I need to have some sort of clue on the back!

So, I did some tacking round them. Also pinning the layers together so they will all work together when I am turning upside down.

Actually, I like the look of the tacking stitches! Maybe those will be a part of the work some how? Thinking about it.
We have Harvest this weekend, so being busy!

A new starting

Starting on my piece for next year's Stretching Art challenge, called Under Scrutiny.

I am in need of doing something that doesn't take all my energy. So, I thought I would do another Sew Large piece like this one.

H46in x W31in (117cm x 79cm)

I used slivers of fabric to recreate the image of the needle.

“Sew Large” - A closer look at one of the tools of my trade.

A simple hand embroidery needle stuck into a piece of cotton
covered with additional trial samples of cloth.

Any number of these can be found here and there around my studio.

The Stretching Art piece needs to be smaller, and part of the stretching is to try something challenging. So, I thought about using bobbin stitch  - where you work from the back using a larger thread in the bobbin.

Here is a trial (at the top above my order of sequins which came yesterday. Not to be used on this work, just taking one photo for both things!). I adjusted the stitch length and tensions using this thread I already had wound onto a bobbin.

I think it works like I wanted it to. Next step, create the quilt sandwich and figure out where to stitch.

Dreams of Sewing Dance in My Head

...otherwise known as Dancing with Sewing Machines.

Why? Because I had to give it a title before it was really started.

Anyway it is finished and on it's way to the Stretching Art and Tradition organiser in America.

The theme this time was Dream On.
This was the challenge: For Stretching Art and Tradition 18, Dream Big! Dream house, dream job, dream body, dream quilt - if dreams were reality, what dream would you have come true?  This year, complete a quilt 18" wide by 36" long using any technique you choose to represent your dream.

And for each one, we are challenged to honour SAT’s origins by identifying an area or technique of fibre arts that we would like to explore and incorporate that in our piece.

My challenge was actually getting it done with family death and extreme pain! But the official challenge was quilting using words. Not sure I was totally successful as I was thinking of my back more than the work!

But the statement about the quilt says:

Dreams of Sewing Dance in My Head

(Dancing with Sewing Machines)

One of the things I would love to do is to teach sewing to women who are marginalised in third world countries. I have friends in different African countries who support these women in developing skills. Sewing would be such a help to many of them. I have seen images of women dancing with joy when they receive a machine to use to set up a business.
However, at this point, it is a dream, a hope, a wish because I am just not well enough for the travel.
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But as I can, I try to help in different ways. and also to make more work drawing attention to the issues.

dancing with sewing machines - words

For the quilting for this piece I decided to use words of encouragement and blessing.
Here is a detail.

and the whole before being bound.

And today it is off in the post. Will show the completed piece tomorrow.

Dancing with sewing machines

The machines have arrived for the ladies. They are going to stay in their boxes.

The pink surround doesn't count, it is the excess of the felt I am using for wadding. It will be trimmed away.


I have been in a lot of pain. Finding I can only manage 5 or 10 min at most leaning over and sorting placement. I need to get this done and posted. Stop fretting over whether it is perfect! So, that is why the machines are still in their boxes!
So, today I am doing the sewing on my own sewing machine.

If I did it again, I would do one lady full of joy.

Dancing with Sewing machines

The normal dance of where pieces want to be positioned!

I find it easier to work out if it is right when I take photos...especially as my design 'wall' is really a table. So perspective gets distorted.

And even posting this, I think the orange lady might want some knocking back of the colour. I just could not find a print that read as 'African' that was big enough from my stash. And I like the idea of the butterflies for she and her companion...for me it points to the transformation a sewing machine gives for these ladies so they can earn money to support their family.

Dancing with Sewing machines

The ladies...waiting for the machines.

Deciding what I am putting in the middle a larger dancing lady or a stack of machine boxes?

On the design table

Ladies dancing with sewing machines

Another finish - For Want of a Shoe

And it is even in the post.

I used a grassy print fabric with a touch of gold to bind the edge. Not easy to get right because the background print is so off grain and all over the place!

Near the bottom edge, I used a piece of the dark green from the quilt to fill in the gap where I ran out of the binding fabric to create a bit of interest. I think it helps to sort of draw attention to the date, which is the feature of each quilt in the exhibition that will tie them together.


For Want of a Shoe

And the story:
Abebe Bikila - Ethiopian, was the first African to win Olympic Gold. At the Rome Olympics in 1960, he ran the marathon barefoot because he was a replacement on the team and the sponsors providing running shoes hadn’t any left to fit him. Since then Ethiopians have become well known for their long distance running.

Challenging Technique:
Learning a little Amharic and Painting letters on fabric.

This is for the Stretching Art and Technique group. Our 17th challenge will be exhibited in March in New Jersey, and then travel through the rest of 2016 to the other Mancuso shows in New England during the summer and finish at the PNQE show in Pennsylvania in September.

And we have heard that Mancuso is willing to tour our exhibit on an annual basis!

next up

Thanks for the comments about the meal. It was wonderful. A Certain Young Man excelled at the turkey. He had read about brushing the skin with butter to create a glaze, but did it before the main baking instead and added spices. But, that meant the flavour was not just on the surface...very yummy. And he roasted onions under it as well.

And for me, hardly any stress. I had all my part ready and did not have to worry about the turkey. So, when I came back from having parsnip soup and chatting at South Hill Park with my friends, I sat and did something totally random...mended necklaces and bits of jewellery in my new beading and etc space! and following the meal, I sat and read a book, which I haven't done for sometime.
Someone asked who did the washing up. The Thoughtful Man of course! He always finishes before me anyway, so he gets up and gets the teas/coffee and on major meals does the washing up.(We use the dishwasher for most things.)

So, on to the next project...
As you can tell, I have several things on the go. It keeps me from being bored!

The revised deadline for the Stretching Art challenge is January (it had been August). So, having cleared the decks from some things and choosing to change other deadlines for a more achievable deadline. I realised I better get back to this so I can get it off.

Some things you wonder why you waited! But then, I know I was under a lot of pressure - mostly on my self - in the summer, so took advantage of the chance to quit just then.

Anyway, all that to say I have sandwiched the piece about Abebe Bikila. I had some scraps of the vintage fabric which were just enough to piece for the backing. And like the pieces I did the previous year, I have used felt for the wadding.

We recently got this message:
Remember last summer when you were furiously working to finish your quilt for the fall PNQE show in Pennsylvania, only to find out that they had inadvertently omitted our exhibit from the program? WELL....

Good things come to those who wait.

Stretching Art and Traditions - "From Whence I Came" has been invited to TOUR. Our quilts will be displayed in March in New Jersey (as originally rescheduled...), in New England during the summer of 2016, and finish at the PNQE show next September in PA.

Furthermore: The new news is that Mancuso is willing to tour our exhibit on an annual basis!
So, that is me set for January over the next several years. I actually like doing this one because
-I have a chance to be involved with something I am not running
-The emphasis is Stretching Art and Traditions - so I can legitimately try out something new to me which has a purpose.

Not that I am reluctant to try new things, as you may know if you have been reading this blog long! but my trials are welcome for this group. This one is small enough that you aren't competing for a place. And as I said, I am not involved with making up the theme, curating or finding venues.

Running man

One (among many things this spring and summer!) of the delays on this piece was that I was not quite happy with the selection of browns I had to choose from. I wanted to cut a silhouette of a running Abebe Bikila to place on the larger green piece. I thought brown would help to reference the "1st African Gold Medal winner" part of things.

Lighter brown/tan would be more like the natural skin of an Ethiopian.* And was almost but not quite the colour of the lion. But it was too pale and insignificant against the bright colours of the rest of the piece. Very dark brown was not good either. So, the option was a slightly reddish brown. I hadn't much of it, but I thought I could manage to cut the figure from it.

When I was at the Festival of Quilts, I saw that Doughty's had a wide range of solid colours for good prices. It wasn't just about green - which I also was looking for - or brown, but which green or brown! And then a reddish brown kept catching my eye.

AND...

Wow. just right.
Okay, not very obviously reddish here.
But, it is more of a darker shade of the brown of the lion. And, more crucially, if you look close in the pattern of the background, you can see it is just the right colour of brown as in the background.

The selection of browns.

Two dark browns, the tan brown, the first reddish brown and then on the right, the just right brown!

So, the running man was duly cut from fused fabric using my freezer paper template.

And here is the finished top.

Now this will go on hold to finish the sandwich and quilting later in the autumn. (Because the Stretching Art Exhibition will be at a different show in the spring.)

I am thinking that when it is done with the exhibition, I might give it to my friend who works in Ethiopia. She can hang it in the school to urge on future Ethiopian long distance runners! Which is one of the reasons why this particular event in 1960 stood out for me. Already, one of the blind girls at the children's village has been scouted for a runner in the Ethiopian Paralympics and Ethiopian Athletics have begun training her!

Basically, I could finish this piece now, but I need to get on with the next project that has been pushed back. In theory, it should go quickly because it is a technique I use a lot, but you never know till you get started.

Unfortunately, I can't show it for a quite a long time yet. If it works and fits the plan, it may be in a book!
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*Did you know there is a creation fable in some parts of Ethiopia to explain their skin colour? Or so I read in a National Geographic Magazine some time ago. It is said that when God made people, the first batch came out not done enough, so He threw them to the North. The second batch was done too much and He threw them to the South. The third batch was just right and they became Ethiopians!