Attending to Details

I've been rather quiet lately, but mostly because I've been attending to details on works I've already done the fun part on. I always find the finishing off really tedious!

I finished off two postcards, with two more to come. Instead of satin stitching them I thought I'd try a really neat binding that I saw on one of Erica's swapped ATCs. I forget who made that ATC so I can't credit her more directly, but I think it may have been Ellie Neil. Like most things, it was a little trickier than it seemed but I really like the effect. It's done like a traditional quilt binding, but the back edge is left raw, so it isn't as bulky as a traditional binding.

I cut 3/4in strips for my bindings, but that mostly because I had text on the back of the cards that I didn't want to obscure. I think 1in might be better. I cut mine along the straight grain of the fabric but I soon realised that bias strips would be way better, because they don't fray!
You stitch the binding onto the front of the postcards, right sides together, mitring the corners. I used an 1/8in seam, as I wanted the edge to be barely there.
Then you turn the binding to the back, and glue the raw edge in place. I used PVA but you could use something more temporary. This is the rock upon which I founder, because glue and I are not good friends. Glue always seems to want to escape my tender ministrations in all directions, even using an applicator and being really, really careful. But if you don't have my love-hate relationship with glue, you won't have any problems here.
Once the back is bonded into place, you free motion stitch over the binding. I used a zigzag motion on one postcard, like the ATC, and a pattern of little circles on the other. You could also use a programmed stitch on your machine.

This is the back of the Heartland postcard:

and a close up of the binding at the front and back:



This is the stitching on the Byzantium postcard:



I had thought I might finish Rites of Passage this way too, but I don't trust myself with the gluepot! It's having a more traditional binding. I may stitch over the binding, just haven't decided yet. But no glue!

Byzantium Postcard finished

I left it too late last night to post this, but I did finish the postcard. I added some gold paint, in the deeper parts of the relief, where gold paint might have survived the centuries. I still need to back and stitch the edges, to make it into a formal postcard, but that's just presentation stuff. As always orange is hard to photograph. It's not quite this dark so the gold doesn't show up in quite as much contrast.

Byzantium postcard

When I washed off the soluble paper, this is what the stitched surface looked like. I chose the deep orange because that colour is the background on a couple of Byzantine icons I really liked.

I used the soldering iron to distress the surface fabric. I had hoped it would melt and allow the brown underneath fabric to show through. But it didn't quite go to plan. The weft fabrics melted but the warp ones didn't. They happen to be vertical on the postcard, so it gave me an interesting worn fabric look. I actually quite like it, as it makes the textile look worn but it wasn't actually the look I was aiming for. I chose the high areas of the surface, as being the ones most likely to show wear.

Slow week

This week I've fallen into a slump. Partly physical, partly a lack of time, and partly reaching the moment of frustration that I usually reach at some point, when I really don't like what I've done so far and wonder if it will ever be worth finishing. I'll press on, because I know I usually end up liking what I've done at the end, but it's frustrating.

OK, this is what I did on the weekend:


Cute, aren't they? The big one is my baby, the little one is grandchild number 1, administering a very sloppy kiss. It was great to visit them and see how the grandkids have grown in the short time since I last saw them.

And this is what I did this week on Rites of Passage - coming along nicely:


I've made the colours very intense and rich, so it's recognisable as a Polynesian island scene but also looks a little bit strange and unrealistic. Well, that's the plan....

And this is the postcard I'm making for the Sailing to Byzantium challenge on Design Bytes Down Under.

Postcard 6in x 4in

It's a motif on a pier in the church of St Polyeuktos from ancient Byzantium. I looked at lots of photos of Byzantine art, and decided the things I liked best were the architectural motifs. I played around with a lot of different motifs, and finally decided on this one. This is the line drawing printed onto soluble paper and stitched with dark navy thread. Tomorrow, I'll show you what it looks like with the paper removed (right now it's still wet so the colours are deeper than normal). I still have a few things to do tomorrow. The motif is stitched onto two layers of fabric, backed with Timtex for stiffening. The bottom layer is silk, the upper layer a synthetic fabric, in colours that reminded me of Byzantine icons. Tomorrow, I plan to burn back the synthetic a little with a soldering iron, to give the distressed look that the icons have from so much fervent handling during 1000-1500 years of worship. Hopefully, the underlying silk will show through. I want to brush on some gold highlights too. Hurry, hurry, it's due the end of the month!