Wednesday, November 29, 2017

INSPIRED

About 6 or so years ago I found textile artist Deborah Lacativa 
and fell in love with her and her work.
I wrote to her to introduce myself and told her about my young 3-D students.
She graciously sent me a box of her delightful hand dyed linen pieces
that I gave to my students to work with.
From each of those pieces I cut a small piece for myself to stitch with alongside my young ones.
Of course my students finished their pieces 
but it wasn't until this summer that I finally finished mine.
I was tremendously moved and inspired by her art pieces at the time,
so Deb,
this is what I came up with.
Thank you for sharing with us,
and letting me learn from you.
And I dedicate this to you and your generosity.

I don't know about all you stitchers out there,
but I carry my work with me wherever I go.
I have with me at all times at least 3-4 bags with different ongoing projects
that I toss onto the floorboard of my car.
They get accidently stepped on,
spilled on,
tossed into the backseat when I travel with a passenger,
generally abused to the max.
The bag that held this baby traveled in both my car & mountain jeep
for the past 5 years until I finally finished it this summer.
It went in with me every time my hubby and I went into Denny's for breakfast/dinner
(once a week).
So over the years I was working on it, 
water spilled on it or it picked up condensation from my water glass on the table,
and some of the fabrics bled a bit on the white linen backdrop
(see the turquoise piece above, and some of the pinks below).
But I felt it added to the look of the piece and kind of tied everything together.
It was this summer that I used the Kantha stitch to quilt 
(in the white areas only)
the finished piece to the light turquoise border.
I used a slightly off white #12 perle cotton thread.
Then I put it in the washing machine on my most gentle cycle and laundered it
(cuz it was pretty filthy after all those years of working on it)
It did a bit of shrinking and fraying which I really liked,
and I received the nicest compliment from my harshest critic,
 my daughter.
 She thought it was pretty cool.
Oh yeah!
I'll have to mount it now for wall hanging.
Hope I can get it done by Xmas for my girlie.

4 comments:

  1. Think of all this cloth has witnessed ... how much it will see in the future ... forever holding beauty and memory

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  2. I am so glad you shared this piece, it is stunning! I like the idea that you carried it everywhere, the stories it could tell

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    Replies
    1. So great to hear from you Susan, and I'm thrilled that it moved you to send in this wonderful encouragement!

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