Posts tagged as:

cotton

Another view of Symmetry

by Kit on December 29, 2009

in Bird motif,Works on Cloth

From my favorite perch watching sunset yesterday, the sun, streaming in from it’s low angle near the horizon, revealed a new view of my piece, Symmetry, which hangs on the wall next to my chair.

stitching and paint casting shadows on the back layer

stitching and paint casting shadows on the back layer

The shadows of the stitching and printed bird on the front layer are projected momentarily on the back layer. I love the intense and fleeting shadows this time of year and this time of day.

a bit closer up

a bit closer up

After sunset the front layer catches the light as it fades. It is hard to reproduce this on a gallery wall, or on a professionally done slide, but it’s what I most enjoy about this piece!

after sunset

after sunset

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Some time ago I began to make some wall hangings with stencils I had previously used for other purposes. I put the project aside because I couldn’t remove the grid lines I had drawn before pasting the stencils. The lines are permanently locked in between layers of soy sizing and pigment dyes. I tried soaking them out in an oxygen-cleaning product and still they persist! If any of you wonder about the permanence of natural pigments in a soy binder, here’s your proof.

the grid lines

the grid lines

Soon after, I found some wonderful Japanese cotton fabric at a favorite treasure hunting spot in Minneapolis, call Indigo. The weave includes a deep eggplant color and golden green. From a distance the piece reads as a rich, deep brown.

traditional handwoven cotton yardage from Japan

traditional handwoven cotton yardage from Japan

I think it will offset the owl image nicely, and the cotton fabric is very close in weight to the silk twill I used for the owl. I am piecing these together and will then construct a pillow.

owl and Japanese fabric pieces

owl and Japanese fabric pieces

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Caw and Response

by Kit on February 15, 2009

in Events,Shows,Works on Cloth

I’ve finished my work for 2009 BirdxBird. I made two pieces simultaneously, so I would be sure to have one for this cause, and to play with two variations of my idea. The work Caw and Response 1, below left, will be part of the silent auction, to be held next Saturday evening, Feb. 21st, at Northrup King Building in NE Minneapolis. This event features work by 130 artists in all media to benefit Audubon Center of the North Woods & Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. It is GREAT FUN! If you live in the vicinity, please attend! Details can be found on the website. My works, below, each measure approx. 22″ x 15″, including the border. Hand dyed fabric, paste resisted, discharged, hand pieced and embellished.

Caw and Response

Caw and Response

Two blogs have been hugely inspiring to me this past month, nudging me to think outside the box and pull out needle, thread and thimble more than I usually do. Threadspider is working on some beautiful embroidered birds celebrating Darwin’s birthday. SpiritCloth‘s creativity with hand piecing, stitching and quilting is mind-boggling, as is her documentation of the creative process. If you need to get un-stuck, spend a few moments over there.

Caw and Response II

Caw and Response II

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Creating a spiral

February 12, 2009 Process

Beginning this project, I wanted to use some of the many small dyed and printed pieces, which I had also used in the 3 two-layered pieces (Symmetry, Remembered Contours, Matrix/Mourning Doves). Working within my theme of the golden spiral I hand-pieced two rectangles to approximate the geometry of this fascinating form. Fabric is so forgiving [...]

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Symmetry / This Recurring Kindness

September 25, 2008 Poetry & other words

My piece, Symmetry, followed by the poem Tera Freese wrote in response. To read more about this project see this post: Venus: Poets and Fiber Artists Reflect and Evening Star/A Walk with Sadness. This Recurring Kindness by Tera Freese Every August it happens white blaze of afternoon ripens the fruit makes even the birds fat [...]

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Evening Star / A Walk With Sadness

September 25, 2008 Poetry & other words

Here is Tera’s poem (the one I chose to respond to of the four she shared with me) along with my piece. In working on my piece, I allowed the imagery and emotional tone of the poem to stimulate my imagination. A Walk With Sadness by Tera Freese Sadness sits in my lap like a [...]

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State Fair Piece: Remembered Contours

September 25, 2008 Works on Cloth

My piece entitled “Remembered Contours” was accepted into this year’s Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, and received an “honorable mention” (pink ribbon). I tinkered and tinkered with the problem of how to hang 2 layers like this, and finally came up with something that works well for me.

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Dyed, Printed Backgrounds

July 20, 2008 Works on Cloth

I made about 30 of these little dyed/printed “backgrounds” after we came back from Ireland last fall. I’ve tried stencil prints on them, sort of as “illustration,” and have incorporated some of them into my Experiments in 2 layers. I am waiting for them to speak to me further. They incorporate bucket dyeing, screen printing, [...]

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My Sister's House

July 9, 2008 Works on Cloth

This piece was included in my recent show at Unity Unitarian in St. Paul (May 2008). The inspiration was my sister’s lovely home in the woods near Deer Isle, Maine. I used a variety of techniques including rice paste resist through hand-cut stencils and found materials, large freezer paper stencils, block printing, etc. The work [...]

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Experiments in Two Layers

July 3, 2008 Bird motif

I’m experimenting with 2-layered pieces. These are difficult to photograph because the lighting is so critical. I’m not 100% satisfied with the way these are presented; more ideas re: presentation are percolating in my imagination. The piece called “Symmetry” is part of a collaborative project curated by fiber artist Erika Mock. Erika has paired fiber [...]

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