Every now and then, I need to touch cloth. I will use this space to show my play with cloth and tell my thoughts while stitching.

I will only use unwanted clothing, cast offs, remnants, unfinished WIPs, cloth napkins, table cloths, curtains, and my stash which is pretty extensive.

I also intend to ramble randomly about anything that might come to mind. My rambles may be long or short or with photos only.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

GP's Got Your Back

Dear Timothy,
I've known for a long time that I would use GP's old shirts for the back side of your cloth. But first I needed to over dye them in a green bath to bring them together in a color-way.  I ripped the backs from the shirts to start with, holding in reserve the fronts and arms. 

Tim, always know that GP's "got your back".  


I had no idea until I placed the first shirt back onto the center of the backside how attached I was to the stitches showing there. I frequently flipped it over to admire my handiwork. Aside from being beautiful in my eyes, to see all those stitches was some way of measuring my progress. Whenever I share your cloth with anyone, I always flip it for their response to the gazillion stitches. 




The stitches are becoming on the inside as I cover them with new stitches and GP's shirt backs.

Tim, sometimes we have to let go and just keep the beauty an inside memory.

Sometimes, I can't leave well-enough alone. I really thought I wanted to add color. I rolled and wrapped with twine this shirt-back before dropping it into the green dye bath. And I was getting excited about the image that emerged. I was thinking about how a story was coming forth on the backside of your cloth. And how this story was about me, the maker of Tim's Cloth.  And you know all of my stories are in color. But now, I wish I had resisted the color and just kept stitching. 

Tim, I'm going to remember that sometimes I should resist my first impulses. And maybe you should too. But most of all, I'm going to remember that "there is always two sides to every story". 

11 comments:

  1. Beautiful....love the watercolor pencil and embroidery...xox

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    1. Thanks Corrine. I like them to but as it turns out, this piece didn't need them. But that's OK. It will work.

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  2. Beautiful! I often feel the same about covering the beauty inside. I also love the water color effect.

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  3. Hi Sharon: I love how your "Tim's" is progressing. You have inspired me to finish my "Houses 2" little wall quilt that I started after taking Jude's weaving online class. Time to get myself back to hand sewing and s l o w working...beautiful work. Julierose

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  4. Hi Sharon,
    I haven't seen this quilt up close and personal in a long while, and it certainly has come a long way since! It is so beautiful. I enjoy sewing but I've never tried quilting- other then when I made the tiebacks for my sons' room over 20 years ago. I think I blogged about that once upon a time. Your stitches are beautiful, and I understand the admiration you can feel for the backside of a piece. Sometimes I turn over my needlepoint as I work on it, just to see if it is looking neat-or not! Do you work with fabric scraps that have unfinished edges? Some of the fabrics look that way to me, and I wonder if they won't fray over time? On another note, I visit your painting blog very often as I always find you to be an inspiration. I love the latest that you have on your gentle giant! Have you named him/her/it yet?
    jenny

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    1. I do use raw edges a lot in this quilt. I'm not worried about them fraying. I'm putting so many stitches in it that I don't think that will be a problem. It sure makes it easier. But I also like the juxtaposition of raw edge with some turned edges too. I really like that I'm following no rules.
      Thank you for visiting my other blog. I haven't named my gentle giant yet. I keep thinking.....

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  5. Sharon... I LOVE your hand work... I too hand quilt.. Your work is very inspirational..and BTW i really like your yellow rims:)
    Please stop by my blog and enter for a chance to win the lovely bracelet..
    .all you have to do is become a follower :)and for a 2nd chance advertise the giveaway on your blog..
    Thanks so much
    Hugs
    Maggie

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    1. Hi Maggie, I'll pop over but I'm terrible about entering for draws. I always think....I never win anything.
      I'm glad you are out there and I do appreciate you.

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  6. You are a poet, a quilter, a philosopher, and an amazing artist. When I visit your blog, and read your written words that mingle and intertwine together with your artistry . . . there is a magical moment that happens . . . I don’t have the words to explain. You dear sister blogger, are awesome :)
    Connie :)

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