Friday, December 19, 2008

Hommage à Jude ...




Yesterday night, I sat down in the middle of xmaspreps and started this "Hommage à Jude", a kind of what-if-project, using some of my favourite scraps (and the Jacaranda haze-thread!) which Paula sent me recently.

I needed a break, slipping out of that Mrs-Santa-costume, and I needed to do some stitching again:

I wanted to know what it felt like to be stitching like Jude ... and I do now realize that you can really get addicted to filling the fabric with those running stitches - it reminds me of weaving - taking you further and further, stiffening the cloth and at the same time shaping and re-shaping the surface ... Through the slow process of stitching, you come to care about the material in a new way.

And I enjoyed the fraying of the fabric, giving the piece a worn and kind of weary expression. Of course my thoughts went to Jude as I chose the dotted fabrics - which I had asked Paula for when swapping. While adding french knots for the illusion of more dots, I thought of Sara, who is frequently using them on her pieces of work.

I'm pleased with this sublime and still worked-upon look and will certainly return to this piece and probably integrate it with other special scraps ... next year.

6 comments:

Paula Hewitt said...

the jacaranda haze was the closest to could get to sending you the real thing. I like what you have done here very much. and it gives me a new appreciation of the scraps I sent you - it is good to see them with fresh eyes. i need to slow down next year i think - i like you comment about coming to care about the fabric in a new way through slow stitching.

jude said...

looks great and i like how you used the french knots and the dots together. you can really feel the fabric when you slow stitch...some are more tense than others. thank you for the 'homage' and lovely eye candy on this wintry day...

Anneli/Bockfilz said...

Thank you, girls, for caring - you are both great sources of inspiration to me and I appreciate your comments real much!

kristin said...

this is so inspiring...thank you. i love seeing the whole piece like this. makes me want to get out my fabric and play

Yvette said...

it looks as if what you wanted you received...beautiful

Angela said...

What a beautiful piece!