I made a few cards to take into the gallery in Cheltenham this week. They are machine embroidered but still take a long time, drawing, stitching,painting and finishing. But they are, with my photocards, an affordable option and when the fancy takes me, fun to do.
Sitting in the gallery on Thursday stitching was interesting too. Getting to discuss the work with the visitors and the gallery manager ,the lovely Jo. The stitching is repetitive and calming which occupies the left hand side of the brain and allows the right hand side to wander freely. ( see my post on Instagram) It takes a long time but the time, somehow sinks into the cloth. I have the time to consider the symbols and meanings. and it has become a calendar of these winter weeks.
The practical bit- it is thin silk on 4 backing layers of cotton.( an old well washed table cloth so very soft.) the whole thing is lovely to stitch because it is soft as butter for the needle to go through. It is kantha style stitching ( fro India)and tradtitionally old saris would have been the backing layers. The running stitch causes a puckering that the silk lights up. it is worked in the hand rather than on a frame like traditional English quilting where the backing fabric is held taut. Most of the threads are silk and it is destined for the Guild Gallery mini exhibition, Silk, within the gallery in April. So I have to get on with it! I am putting silk binding around the edges - work in progress above.
