more slow cloth

i've been getting a lot of rest recently while stitching a book doiley - i've been posting about it as it grows but i wanted to say a bit more now it's 'finished' (or is it?)

it started with a bit of aimless boro-style scrap patchwork, using eco-dyed yarns and fabric - some of it was used in the boiler doiley mark 2, the rest was put to one side ...... to be stitched as a break from other cloths - i picked it up again earlier this summer and extended it, i had lots of scraps to use

it was getting bigger and while i was following jude's what-ifs i wanted to try stuff out so it became a what-iffing cloth - soon it was big enough to be useful and i knew i would want to hold it ..... it felt so soft yet textured and i wanted to keep it close - even when not working on it i was stroking it

adding hints of colour was something i pondered over - i was limited by what i had with me in the caravan, which was a good thing in the end, but i had some of my favourite hand dyed variegated threads and they fitted right in

i was really enjoying trying out different stitch textures with simple stitches and needle doodling - blending the vintage doiley in was easier than i thought it would be - somehow that doiley reminded me of my afternoon at Gawthorpe, although i'm not sure why




i had some larger strip of eco-dyed cloth with me so i was able to start on the inside before coming home - it won't be seen much but i'll know it's there

the scrap 'hug' edging had to wait till i got home as i had run out of some of the thread i wanted to use, but that was fine as i was still working on the front - while working on the 'hug' i heard the programme about wabi sabi i blogged about earlier - it felt so right to be stitching this while learning about the beauty of imperfection - one of the things i love about handstitch is that i can listen to such interesting things at the same time

i could have kept adding stitch.... and maybe more cloth..... but i wanted it finished for the guild competition - no prize but that's not what it was for - it was good to see it alongside other works which had been so care- full-y and lovingly made - i hope they all bring as much pleasure to the makers as my own book doiley which brings such warmth to my bed-time reading

Late edit: gallery of work in progress

Comments

Debbie said…
Just beautiful, lovely.
Anonymous said…
oh wow, seeing the inside really adds to my appreciation

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