Despite appearances....

It is always a long, slow journey to exhibition with many, many rejections before the "yeses" come in.  I have 19 applications out there for both solo and group opportunities.   I have heard from 10:   7 rejections and 3 "yeses".  Gotta love those "yeses."  Gotta have faith in those "yeses."  They usually arrive just as you are about to give up.  There are no solo's here.  But this work will be seen.

KEEP THE FAITH, my friends.  Apply to enough opportunities, some will come through.

Interior Torus; going to the Black and White show at Gallery 311, Raleigh, NC

My Mother Myself will be featured in the Surface Design Association Exhibition in Print

My Mother's Marriage will also be featured in the Surface Design Association Exhibition in Print 

Selfie 2018 will be going to No Big Heads, University of Alaska.

Stitched: Themes and Variations

Stitching on Rives BFK.  Digitized in 6D Embroidery software. STabilized with medium weight cutaway stabilizer.  Threads are rayon, polyester or cotton.  There is a thin layer of batting between the stabilizer and the paper.  Hand coloring with watercolor: bold pours; brush swooshes and staining from the back of the stitching with the rayon thread.  The rayon wicked the watercolor to the front, containing it to the stitched area.

This one is my favorite.  Stitched inoff white rayon, stained from the back with watercolor.

 

Erotica Aquatica Lace in production

The embroidery machine was in the shop for three weeks!!! but that did not stop me from digitizing more designs...or writing the grant that I unreasonably hope will support the next phase of development.

In the last post you saw some failed display efforts, on grids.  The grids overwhelmed the lace.  I moved on to biological specimen boxes, pinning the shell/vulvas to the soft backing.  Ish!!!  I think that is actually the response I want, on some level. 

I also threw a few on a small light box.  They are beautiful that way.  I have multiple 24" x 48" lightboxes in the garage.  I will drag one in this week and try a few things before I order more specimen boxes.

 Meanwhile, now that the machine has returned, I am stitching, threading, stitching, threading.  Many broken and shredded threads!  In the following photos you will see, not only 8 plus hours of stitching, but a technique that helps me prevent problems (only sometimes) and helps me to target adjustments needed in the designs.


I printed these designs out while the machine was in the shop to play with composition and develop photos shoots for the grant...helping show steps in the process, showing the technical mastery that is necessary for completion.

I have always printed out designs for cataloging purposes.  It's far easier for me to think of what I want to stitch if I can leaf through a binder.  Print-outs also print out thread instructions for multi color designs....exceedingly important since correct thread specs rarely transfer to the machine!

In the photos below, I have matched print-outs with stitch-outs.  The stitch-outs are still on their wash away stabilizer (Vilene) where is it easier to see obvious faults that need correcting. In all but one of the photos, you may be able to see orange highlighter marks. I have marked areas that need editing and improvement.  Once the stabilizer is washed out, more flaws will likely be evident.

For the embroidery nerds:
digitized in 6-D
75/11 needle
Threadart polyester thread
Vilene wash away stabilizer

Minor pull-aways.

This will probably hold together, but can be cleaned up.

The only one that needs no editing, so far, unless the red motif does not hold together!

This has a couple of minor pull-aways and needs higher density in the final satin stitch.

This needs a whole new layer added on the right side of the design in order for it to hold together.

So what's ahead?  More testing!!!  More digitizing.  I need to try these out with different threads: 60 weight will probably look flabby.  Try them out with cotton, will probably need less density. It will be a meaty looking lace.  I will be trying out different kinds of fills that will still hold the lace together. I get tired of tried and true crosshatch.  Gradient fills...motifs that I develop...inset text...stitching on netting.

Meanwhile, I am studying different way to think about assembling lace...developing motifs that can be mixed and matched to make a lace fabric...like the doilie in the machine.

This doily is in the machine now, shredding thread at an alarming rate! Time to change the needle and maybe order a higher quality, fresher cone of black polyester.