Long Weekend; Take-It-Further

Things are still busy and 12 hour days are taking their toll--I have things to say but am rather scattered. But as of this moment I'm on holiday! I'm taking a long weekend to attend a niece's college graduation. No computer (I'm feeling some separation anxiety about that, which is making me more happy I decided to leave it all behind for a few days.)

I do have more thoughts on my June TIF and conversations with Jane on Monday helped me focus my thoughts. The first thing I did last weekend was wander through my stash and make a representative collection. My plan was to do a collage and I have fabrics, trims, paper, beads, and general stuff (no fibers yet). I was pleased with the combination--in the pile here--but it just wasn't quite right.

I also had an idea for an embroidery. I use antique cotton pillowcases. I love how they feel. I'm not allergic to them. And the antiques are a nice cotton, and less expensive, than new ones. In the way of things, they wear out and a pillowcase I love has done so--it just ripped along the folds the last time I washed it. I has a lovely monogram M on it.

I thought it would make a nice background for an embroidery. I could pull some of Rita's silks from my stash and embroider a flower from one of my antique magazines. Perhaps add some bead flowers. I made a sketch, based around the triangle surrounding the monogram. I decided on bead flowers using round and oblong pearls from SJ Designs, a floral spray from a WWII era British magazine from Jenny's mum, a crewel leaf, just because I want to do some crewel, and perhaps add some beaded, jeweled and sequined wire flower centers that I used on favors for a niece's wedding and have leftovers. Here's my sketch and some notes. Not brilliant design but okay.

I transferred the design by the simple means of turning the tissue over and rubbing the back of it so the pencil transferred to the fabric. Here's the fabric. Sorry for the bad scan. I only had a B&W scanner available. The M in the middle is actually embroidered but I had to make the scan so dark to read the white on white it looks no different than the pencil lines. It's not quite this dark in real life but the pencil transferred to the cotton really well!

But that's not my new plan in it's entirety. I decided the best way to explore the possibilities of my stash is to do a two-sided project. Side one will show the end result of what the stash can create (with my help, of course). And side two will be a more or less collaged homage to my stash.

I have no idea how I'm going to get this done with my life going wild as it is now, but it's the story my stash wants to tell.