Ribbons



Hand Embroidery on Water Colored Muslin

This is Ribbons. It can be seen in person at the Fulton Street Gallery in Troy, New York. This piece was very twisted to embroider. I started it and then got distracted and picked it up again and then got distracted again and then finally finished it. It is outlined in black because it didn't seem finished when it was just red. That is also the reason for the kantha stitching which seems to bring the whole piece together.

Perhaps it was too floaty or too much of a concept. It was one of those pieces that just kept twisting and turning until it seemed done just like a real ribbon does. I am starting to look at a lot of my work lately. Adding one or 100 more stitches when in the past I would have just said this is done. Now they just don't seem done until they seem done and looking at some of my old pieces displayed around my house I am looking at them anew. The watercolor and painting seems to become much more prominent. I find that I sometimes get the same feeling out of painting the background as I do in stitching the piece. I would have never thought that even a possibility. I am even starting to notice the subtle differences in using different types of paint.

The kantha stitching is a new element too. I love the way they tie a piece together but most of all those tiny little background stitches are so meditative and peaceful. I am beginning to love those tiny stitches. I turn the the television off and it is just me and those tiny little stitches. Very peaceful. And I am now looking at my older pieces and asking if they need a little more. Maybe I will embroider myself into some sort of embroidery nirvana.

Life has been very hectic and very twisted. No straight paths here so the idea that there is something I love so much that can get me out of my own head is certainly a blessing like one of those little ribbons that people wear on their lapels that do something good for somebody, or a lot of different somebodies. So my tale of the ribbons has come full circle. Hopefully life is calming down and I can have my embroidery and my blog too. Hope to see you soon.

Comments

Judy Olson said…
I love the way the kantha stitching ties the "subject" to the background, like a mediator between opposing sides. The red ribbons are very strong against the soft cool background and the kantha stitching ties it together. I think you are on to something here!!
Deborah said…
Embroidery nirvana sounds good. This is a lovely piece and it must be a wonderful feeling to have work displayed in a gallery.
painter of blue said…
I really love where you are going with this piece and the also the cross you recently posted. They are really special. I posted a poem which made me think of you today on my blog: http://sybilarchibald.com/blog/2010/02/14/needle-and-thread/.

Happy Valentine's Day!
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Anonymous said…
nice article. I would love to follow you on twitter.
I am a stranger to Kantha -- but you are absolutely right - it really brings the piece together... The ribbons idea is WONderful... I just love being inspired to try new things... now I may have to investigate! Good work!!
Anonymous said…
tanglestitch.blogspot.com; You saved my day again.
lee said…
oh congratulations on your gallery work.....you deserve it, such beautiful work
mendofleur.com said…
All the elements in this piece are so fitting. I like the way you have used the kantha stitching as well as the painting. I think this is how we best evolve in our work, with experimentation, trial and error. Sometimes for me, though it might feel a little confusing, but the results of letting go and trying to create a new path are always rewarding.

Hope you feel a little less hectic and twisted. I think life these days can simply be just that for so many of us.
Lynda Lehmann said…
Debra, it sounds like you are exploring and growing. I didn't know before what those tiny stitches are called, but now I do.

I agree, they add a lot. I think that just as in painting, a stitchery piece gains interest from complexity. The trick--and to me the hardest part--is to know when to stop!

I'm so glad your work gives you such peace and calms your spirit. We all need such an outlet in this busy and often fragmented world!

I like the piece a lot, and it's exciting that you're experimenting with paint, as well!
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Janet said…
Your ribbons are vibrant and beautiful. Congratulations on having it in a gallery!

I could especially relate to what you said about your stitching being meditative. The same thing happens to me when I create although I use a different medium.
Deb G said…
I like how you're combining the painting and stitching. Fun!

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