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My chance to wonder about hand made things and tell the world about those I make, love and cherish!

Monday 18 January 2010

slow cloth

I have been reading Jude Hills blog for a while and recently she has been leading a discussion on slow cloth. Its pieces that evolve slowly using recycled cloth and generally hand stitching. This sums up my pieces well. I cannot even start to list all the places where I agree with the conversation.

I will be exhibiting some work later in the year so I have started a new piece of slow cloth. I have stuck with my usual white and have pieced together the background fabric. Now I have started the stitching. This is usually done in the evening. I find it hard to settle to hand stitching during the day. The day is for machining or making things. The evening is for hand stitching. The rhythm is better. I was stitching lines last night and as I finished a thread I decided to leave the thread on the top. Its quite had to see on the photo as its such a tiny detail but I like the way it breaks up the lines. Considering how much I admire neat precise stitching, mine is getting scruffier and scruffier!I really like the way Jude responds to events in an abstract way on her cloth. I think I will try to move beyond just enjoying creating textures and patterns.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of slow cloth, rather like slow food.

Lina said...

So beautiful.

Catherine said...

I am very impressed with anyone who can make white things. I have a total inability to veer away from colour! Gaudy, my stuff, gaudy.
Looks really lovely. Do you just go with the flow and make it up as you go along, or draw it out first? And do you join bits of cloth up by machine?
Looks gorgeous.
x x x
Catherine

Amanda Makes said...

Good morning. This looks absolutely beautiful!Love, Amanda xxx

Chrissie said...

I love Jude's work, too - looking forward to seeing yours progress. I think I would like to do a slow cloth ... only quickly!

ginny farquhar said...

i am going to follow your link ... as someone who sews often under the pressure of a deadline... slow cloth appeals greatly... i have some hexagons which i am piecing by hand and this feels good.
have 'slow' fun building up your work for your exhibiton
x

angharad handmade said...

Lovely stitchery - I really like the idea of slow cloth.