zen circle

Originally this design was called ‘zen circle’ because it was so very simple and quiet.  All of the fabrics in this panel are donated or thrift shop table linens.

The technique used throughout the Mended World panel is string piecing.  Using a sewing machine, four or five long narrow strips of a variety of textured damasks are sewn along their long edges into a new striped fabric.  This fabric is then re-cut several times and sewn back together to make a wide stretch of striped fabric about four inches high.

Colour choice is very subtle in Mended World.  The damasks used in the central circle are off-white or pale beige with some blue and yellow while the damasks in the surrounding square are all pure white.  The circle was hand pieced onto light-weight foundations, the square was machine pieced.  

The other technique is the use of foundation cloth with a flip and stitch construction method. Several people hand-sewed sections of the circle at the same time.  They used two threaded needles, one to sew the seam and the other to mend all the little string pieces as they went along.

The thick linen thread is used occasionally in the circle in a back stitch and also a quilting stitch

Sewing on this panel began in mid 2010.  In May 2011 the hand quilting began on the frame.  Mended World was installed in the sanctuary in June 2012 after two years of work.

The Manitoulin Circle Project is part of the Manitoulin Art Tour.
It starts tomorrow at 10 am.

On Sunday, the four panels are being dedicated to the Little Current United church .