Couching old domestic linens to long pieces of an old tablecloth is one of the stitch projects I've been doing in the car during our trip.
Yesterday we were reminded that we are going home to winter when we drove north through the Adirondrack mountains in New York state. Snow!
This kind of work goes through a lot of thread and I ran out in Wisconsin, so re-stocked in Illinois. The perle cotton weight no 5 is half the price in the states to what it is in Canada.
I brought five pieces of this project to work on during the trip. Four others were left on Manitoulin for the circle project women. Julia volunteered to keep it going for the past two Thursdays.
I've refined the technique a bit over the last few days. Instead of working in long continuous strips of cloth, I sew shorter ones together as I go along.
The results have a comforting texture that pleases me.
They have a calmness.
Couching old domestic linens to long pieces of an old tablecloth is one of the stitch projects I've been doing in the car during our trip. 
Yesterday we were reminded that we are going home to winter when we drove north through the Adirondrack mountains in New York state. Snow! 
This kind of work goes through a lot of thread and I ran out in Wisconsin, so re-stocked in Illinois. The perle cotton weight no 5 is half the price in the states to what it is in Canada. 
I brought five pieces of this project to work on during the trip. Four others were left on Manitoulin for the circle project women. Julia volunteered to keep it going for the past two Thursdays. 
I've refined the technique a bit over the last few days. Instead of working in long continuous strips of cloth, I sew shorter ones together as I go along. 
The results have a comforting texture that pleases me. 
They have a calmness.
15 comments:
So very beautiful. The snow and the snowy drifts of cloth. Lovely. Karmen
these have the look of a rag rug.
a serene calmness...
Thanks so much for sharing this detailed look at this project. I'm overwhelmed by these couched pieces, and now that I know they are recovered domestic textiles, can you share how you are getting them? I'm fascinated by the ways that recycling of this particular kind seems to spur the building and rebuilding of networks of sharing between households....
love the way its coming along....
all mountains have that similarity of calm in the winter--reminds me of Rogers Pass in the Canadian Rockies--and the folds of snow and ice that keep the trees and soil warm are like your stitching, enveloping and serene
I think I would love traveling in a car with you :>}}
we were going to the mountains for supper, but changed our minds when we heard about the snow--had none up here.
Travelling through the snow, quietly stitching ...there is a quiet serenity to this piece.
The strips do have that lovely rag rug look about them .... so peaceful in the white.
Take care on those roads.
Jacky xox
Good grief....to the snow that is.
Glorious...to the work that is. your work always has a 'comfort' feel to it and soothes the soul.
RE: where I am getting the vintage damask.
Some I purchase in thrift stores - there is always at least one bundle of napkins or a table cloth when I go.
Some has been donated by people who are interested in the meditation panels, members of the church I am working in mostly, but sometimes my friends or just people who find out about it and drop table cloths off.
In fact, I have received some textiles that I don't know how to use, like crocheted doilies and large lace tablecloths, a lot of embroidered table runners and tea cloths. Some ancient garments.
I hope to be able to use what I have received in a new, reverent way.
Thank you kindly for your reply Judy, it adds yet another dimension to this work. People save these textiles out of their own reverence for them, so there is something quite wonderful that they trust you with them, that the time has come to pass them on. Wonderful stuff to think about, thank you.
They look wonderful Judy, you know I am dying to touch those panels - I will have to wait until we both get home from our travels.
These are so amazing Judy! They indeed have a feeling of serenity!
Your photo is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
~ the colours - grey/black/white (I love those colours)
~ a hit of yellow (I am going to rethink the colour - I thought I didn't like yellow)
~ the bend in the road - what's ahead?
~ all captured by your artist's eye.
Post a Comment