Sewing Project

On Tuesday afternoon after I visited the Mayville police station and made all of the calls and emails that I could think to do at that moment, I started a sewing project.  I was too addled to read and too restless just to stare at the television and I started thinking about manipulating fabric in a way I had not tried before.  Using an unbleached cotton (very close to muslin, but with a higher thread count and softer hand), I cut four identical panels out about 2 feet long and 1 foot high.  I started smocking the first panel, using a navy blue thread for contrast (so the cause behind the contortions  are obvious) to gather the cotton together.  I wanted the smocking to be violent and uneven rather than the neat, uniform smocking one thinks of decorating the front panel of a young girl's dress.  I continued working on the piece yesterday when I woke up - my eyes were so scared and worn yesterday morning compared to how happy they felt (and I felt) by the evening time after my day out with J and M. 
Today I appliqued the smocked panel to one of the other, flat cotton panels.  My next step will be to begin embroidering on this joined panel, using colored embroidery floss.  I have an idea already about the design and texture I want to establish and what it means, but for now I'll keep posting pictures of its progress.  This type of needlework is different from what I have created before - it's uglier really, less finished and less joyously colored and patterned, but purposely so.  In terms of the texture for the smocking, I have been inspired by a wonderful book I've had for many years now and brought with me on my trip, The Art of Manipulating Fabric, by Colette Wolff.

Comments

[Gwen]

My mother has that book, and I love to steal it from her.