Monday, June 4, 2012

First Steps with Strips



I had this monoprint that I overdyed with a flour resist pushed through a stencil.  I like the colors, but it doesn't really stand on its own.  I took some of my vast stash of turquoise and cut thin and not-so-thin strips.

I know, Kathy's (very good) instructions said to use  skinny strips, but I had to try it both ways -- more on this decision below.



I also took some bits of the Caribbean-colored hand-dyes I did recently.  I found that ironing them open made them easier to stitch.


I started inserting the strips.  The orange/blue stripe was a mistake.  I decided to go with it, but it's my least favorite part of this whole thing.  


This is my "finished" piece (for today anyway) -- I think that the thinnest strips look the best.  They're not any more difficult to sew and they don't look clunky like the thicker strips.  And I still don't like the orange/blue stripe.  I'm thinking that this is one of those things that may never be finished -- as long as there is enough fabric to cut and sew back together.  

9 comments:

  1. I like the orange strips in there alot!

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  2. If you really don't like it, you could slash it out and put another strip in it's place!

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  3. It's really hard to replace one of the first strips you put in, because it's crossed by so many other seams. I wouldn't recommend even trying -- best to make another piece building on what you've learned in the first one.

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  4. But it is great that you show us what you did, the orange could have been the showstopper!

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  5. If you don't like the orange .... trot out paints or dyes and change the colour. I wouldn't even think of ripping out and replacing.... too much like work.

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  6. Sandra has a good suggestion. I remember when I had a strip in a piece I didn't really like; I used a Pentel fabric ink pen and wrote on the strip. It still stood out a bit, but in a much more interesting way.

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  7. Karen -- You might also find that when you square off the piece you like it better, even with the orange. And if not, make it into a placemat and put the plate over the orange part.

    But I do want to warn you and everybody: if you want to try this technique you're probably going to have to make a couple of pieces first before you start to internalize the piecing -- in other words, it will take a while to find your rhythm. So don't be discouraged if your first try isn't magnificent.

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  8. Karen -- just keep slicing and dicing. Pretty soon, the orange will be in little bits all over te place and will look just fine - integrated into the piece. Trust me on this.

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  9. Karen,
    I agree--the skinnier lines work best. I wonder if you would have liked the orange if it had been in skinnier lines?

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