Slow Stitching - No. 019 - Kintsugi - Celebrate Imperfection

My next piece for the slow stitching challenge on K3N Cloth Tales.

It is week 19 and the prompt this week is Kintsugi - the Japanese practice of mending broken vessels with gold. 

I chose a blue scrap - possibly hand dyed. Not batik as it was nice to stitch. I cut the blue to create my fissure. I layered a piece of yellow cotton between the blue and the foundation layer.

I chose to stitch the wavy edges of the blue pieces first with an overcast stitch. 

Earlier I had checked what I had in my tiny supply of pearl cotton. 

I had a yellow but I thought it too bright.  

My sister suggested tea dyeing it.  That worked wonderfully.

In the end, I chose to mix the two. I ran 2 needles one with each color and I just used them alternately along the curve of gold.  We need to cover the fabric underneath completely so it took a long time to stitch it.

It is very textured and looks really great.

I did add some fine metallic thread through out the fissure as well.

I am really happy with this piece.

 

Slow Stitching - No. 012 - Bundle Book

This is my first piece for week 12 of the slow stitching challenge with K3N Cloth Tales.  

This challenge was to stitch one piece which will stay with me and one which will be exposed to nature for 3 months.

The poem Kathryn shared is the one where if you love something let it go if it comes back its yours if not it never was.  That was too much letter stitching for me so I just Free for my word on the the piece which will stay with me.

I put down the blue circle then the yellow word then the purple butterfly and then the seed stitching all the way around in green.  A final frame of yellow invisible stitch. I chose white cotton on a blue and white gingham fabric.

I chose Came Back for the piece which will be put outside for 3 months.  Mine has not gone far so I know I will be able to retrieve it. 

Those with more nature available in the form of yard, garden and or woods will have many nooks and crannys to place their bundle.

I made a book with four pages.  I ripped my 2 pieces of cotton and stitched down the center. I stitched in white cotton thread the circle and the words.

I had gathered a pinecone, some pine needles, a leaf from unknown bush, some green cedar leaves on my walk yesterday which was glorious.  I was able to wear my spring jacket.  I added a bit of rusty wire as well.

Here are my ingredients for the bundle. 

On the left handside the pages were not stitched together so I put pine needles in between the cloths.

The rusty wire was stood up so I could roll it.  

I found some jute to tie the bundle.

There is a pine cone as well but forgot to include it in the photo.

I did investigate nooks and crannys on my walk yesterday and decided that with the number of people and dogs around I may lose my bundle so I chose my balcony instead.

Today, we are back to the snow.

I will water my bundle regularly so the rust and decomposition can take place.

We will retrieve our bundles in 3 months time for the solstice in June.