Today is Thursday ie. my dance lesson night so I started my studio day with deciding what I am going to wear. I've promised myself that at least once a week I am going to make an article of clothing for me to wear out on Thursday night. (I have a fellow stitcher who meets me there so I get the appropriate amount of praise for my efforts) I was inspired by the white tank top I'd slept in and some skull and cross bone fabric I bought over a year ago and whipped myself up a tank top dress. I just used my tank top as a pattern for the top and followed the curve to create hips and just ended it at the edge of the table-figuring I could take it up as needed. Setting my machine to serge I did the long sides first, then across the top of the straps and slipped it on for a fitting. Then I just finished up the neck and arm holes and the bottom hem with the same serge stitch and through it in the wash for tonight.
Then on to more artistic endeavors. That same stitchy dance partner had also introduced me to Pentel Fabric Fun pastels last week and I just had to have some to play with. I'd also been saving a dead wood bee in a brown paper bag for months, knowing someday I would draw or paint him. For the last few days I'd been tossing around the idea of drawing the wood bee on fabric and then machine embroidering over him and turning it into an art quilt. Inspired by other such works in an Art Quilt magazine I dove in today.
First I drew the bee on paper in pencil, then over again with purple sharpee to easily trace onto the fabric. (My daughter commented that the drawing changed each time I re-did it. This is because my drawing style is kind of fast and loose) Once drawn on the white cotton fabric (actually a queen sized cotton flat sheet purchased from a thrift store) he was cut out and placed over some batik purple and blue fabric. I then started stitching the layers together by free motion sewing on my machine.
I wasn't 100% happy with the eyes I drew so I cut them out and let the batik show through. I then added a layer of purple-grey netting over the eyes and stitched around them. I also used this netting on top of the wings. I was just getting into the groove of it when I realized it was time to start dinner and head to the bar.
Tomorrow I am taking the day off to go critter hunting with my family...hopefully some inspiration there.
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