Monday, March 22, 2010

Back to work, Granny

Sigh.  The dear ones have gone back to their home nest.  It will be my turn to travel next.  I miss them.


 This morning I unwrapped my arashi pole (Glennis' shibori class).












Here it is on the counter with a little bobbin made with a twig from the apple tree.  The thread I used to wrap the silk on the pole is buttonhole twist; you can see it on the bobbin.  This bobbin idea came from Deb G.


















Here is my arashi after I ironed it.  My goal is to create a pattern like water and then to make a lap cloth:














with several to many of these (above) sewn together.  I'm practicing Jude's piecing method.  The silk is tricky to manage because it is slippery.  On this piece I used starch, then I tried a fabric interfacing and that worked well, but the silk no longer felt like silk...more like cotton.  I have a couple of other ideas to explore.

12 comments:

  1. These colors are so lovely, the colors of the sky and the sea and the clouds. Very soothing. Very spring! I've been wanting to try using silk to dress some of my silhouette paper figures, but haven't been brave enough yet, because of the slippery factor. I might have the same problem with starch, too, although maybe I could use starch as a fixative after I got a miniature skirt gathered into pleats and folds. I might try this . . . I'll be interested to see what suggestions you get for handling silk!! xo Kari

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  2. hey, i am experimenting with silk too at the moment, going to do another video soon....
    glad to see you experimenting with this technique....

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  3. Oh I am excited to watch that video! I am very much enjoying seeing how you do things. I love working with the silk and learning to have a lot of respect for the challenges it presents. Thanks Jude!

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  4. the lines in the cloth are a little like the grain of wood, it's very beautiful.

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  5. Thanks for the nice comment on my blog. It is hard to live the whole continent from g'kids...isn't it? Mine are in California....
    Love your shabori work...would love to try some of this. I will be back to see how it progresses.

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  6. Silk is the Queen of all fabric-these are really lovely pieces you have dyed. I think using lots of pins whilst you stitch is the only way to sew with it.
    Thank you for leaving the lovely comment on my blog-I have enjoyed seeing your stitched bees.Are the wisterias already in bloom where you are?

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  7. Thank you Threadspider...I do love the silk; my fingers felt so clumsy with it at first, but it is teaching them to be softer. Oh the wisteria...it is hovering on the brink of bloom. I'll take a picture and post it.

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  8. very very beautiful, you're learning so many nice techniques, and they all come out so well.

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  9. Hi Sandra...it was a wonderful class and it seemed to push me off into a new direction.

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  10. Fun to see your bobbin! So many ideas to explore...

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  11. Thanks for stopping by, Deb. That bobbin idea has helped me a lot!

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  12. thanks for stopping by my blog suzanna, love this piece you are creating xx

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