These are wired, stitched down around the drawn design, then buttonhole stitched, some sparkly ribbon cut to fit and stitched in as I go. You'll see the last segment, drawn but no wire yet, and that will approximate the other tail section when all's said and done. You can't quite tell here how sparkly the base ribbon is, catches the light at every move.
The muslin it's stitched on, natural unbleached, is only the support for these pieces. When they're stitched, I'll cut around the wires -- this is stumpwork -- and remove them to attach them to their permanent support, using the wires at the back to help secure them. Then I'll stitch a body for the moth.
There's an element of faith that enters in at this point, where this is one fragment of many fragments of a piece full of ideas that I hope will come together as hoped and even work. So this is where we are. Just as an index of size, the hoop is about 4" diameter.
Wired with fine wire taken out of the ribbon, didn't have the necessary beading wire, wire stitched down with silk and gold threads, the inner parts couched with silk, then floss split stitched on the tail section. All the raw materials, muslin, silk thread, couching thread, floss, hoop, even needles, are donated by kind people wanting to see work like this happen.
Fortunate, really since I'm constitutionally incapable of deliberately buying items for any artform. It's all recycling to me.
Constitutionally incapable - great description! Too bad more people didn't subscribe to the same philosophy.
ReplyDeletethis moth is coming along beautifully, stump work for me I struggled with when doing my C & G course so afraid never tried again!
ReplyDeleteWaiting with baited breath.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure many husbands around the world would wish their wives were "constitutionally incapable" of buying new stuff for their art/crafts. Love that turn of phrase. I have been sort of trying to work on that state of mind myself lately - use what I already have!