Embroidered Figures, revisited

A Walk in the Woods

Back in December of 2020 I posted about my involvement in a critique.  This was an invaluable experience made available to me through SAQA.  Studio Art Quilters Association is an international community that I have been proud to be part of for many years.  They offer endless opportunities for education, exhibition and comradeship in a like-minded, creative community.

At that time the suggestion was that the figures were working but the background had some issues.  I have since gently removed them from the original background (check out my post in 2020 to compare) and now this is their new home.  I took this photo in the Laurentien mountains in Quebec and had it printed on to cotton.

Detail: In this photo you can see the dense embroidery as well as the sky light peaking through the trees.

Detail:  Here I am trying to demonstrate that the figures are popping forward from their background.  They have extra batting to create this effect.

Detail:  Focus on the grass that is embroidered at their feet.

Detail:  a view that is more straight on.

I will leave it with you as to whether the new background is a better home than the old one.  Please let me know what you think!

 

New Wedding Canopy

Wedding Canopy Project

This time for my first born

This assignment felt especially special,  and significantly important.  

Its not every day that your son gets married.  

Bride and Groom express their love with a ceremonial kiss

 

The process began with a concept.  My son and his fiancee are both chefs and so without hesitation he let me know that their canopy (chuppa) was to be about fruits and vegetables.  I received this information with some trepidation.  How to create fruits and vegetables in fabric without the appearance of childish cut and paste?  Spoonflower to the rescue.   They had many options to choose from and after great deliberation, and much study of many mailed samples, the betrothed chose this fabric.  It had an elegant grey background but many fun colours to give it life.  

I chose solids that picked up the tones and worked out a design.

The women in The Workroom, (1267 Queen Street W. Toronto) were incredibly helpful.  Together we decided to use the chosen fabric as a central round shaped medallion and then create four corners around it to make the final shape: 6 feet square.  This photo is at the shop with the staff able to see the final result as we chose the colour of the binding fabric.

I had made a decision to applique and quilt the five pieces separately since the project was so large.  I had never done this before so it was a challenge to fit the five pieces together like sweet puzzle pieces.  There was a significant learning curve to this process which will help a lot the next time around.

The applique theme was fruits of the vine.  The bride is studying to be a sommelier and both enjoy a good glass or two of wine.  Too, I feel that the grapes symbolize joy and fertility.  I wanted to imbue the project with these hopes and wishes.  Each grape and leaf was appliqued by hand with turned under edges. 

The thicker vine leaves were fabric applique and the thinner curlicues were free motion sewn with heavy weight thread.  The thicker vines were doubled over as I tried to create a 3 dimensional quality as I did with each grape.  some of the grapes have more fabric under than over and really pop forward from the background.

after much deliberation, this was the chosen binding fabric chosen, 

sewn on the front by machine and on the back by hand.

This is my first view of the chuppa installation.

The grooms first sighting.

A joyous ceremony, happy couple, feeling lots of great energy in the room.

After the ceremony, other young couples, in love, got swept up in the moment!

 The wedding canopy now sits in pride of place, on the wall in the young couple's new home.  May it continue to spread joy and happiness, may it signify food and wine of plenty, and may they feel the love it was created with always.