Sunday, October 24, 2010

Two Bears Floating

Two Bears Floating


Two Bears Floating was a dream to create. It is the simplest  design I have made yet. It was such an enjoyable process. The colours are as clear as crystal and the tonings worked well, I think. (You can tell I am pretty happy)!

I am getting better at eliminating clutter.  I feel that each time I begin a storycloth I am more more confident trying out, arranging and re-arranging. I can 'hear' myself thinking what I want the focus to be, what color and type of fabric, what effect I'd like to create. For example, the two sets of horizontal stitches at centre bottom took some working  through. I didn't want any markers that took away the effect of free-floating, yet I wanted some little grounding point, formalised so it suggests human dwelling. I also wanted to pull the two pieces of cloth together, to provide an achievable 'bridge' between the two bears who seem to be floating inevitably away from each other. This is also why I added the birds at centre top - just a little, but I think strong, tie between the two floating bears. Marks that make the hope that the bears will get back together, more certain, if that makes sense.

They are each six inches by three inches and together form this week's storycloth. Any honest feedback is appreciated. Really appreciated.

At close of weekend needle I had begun the backing cloth for my next cloth. A wintery one I think.

Happy stitching everyone, Gilly

11 comments:

  1. brings back memories of 'winnie the pooh' which was my favorite when I was teaching grade school.

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  2. I recently came across your blog and am thoroughly enjoying watching your fabric explorations. I think your new pieces are quite charming. You have definitely captured a sense of floating and your small marks indeed serve the purpose that you had in mind...at least, to my eyes they do. Lovely!

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  3. Hi Deanna - yes that is for sure. My dear husband has been reading me a chapter each night!

    Hi bm jan - great to have you visit. Thank you very much for your comments.

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  4. Perfect! Absolutely minimal; each mark in the right place and with the right meaning. I feel I could float with the bears!
    Love
    your Mum xx

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  5. gilly... thanks for the sweet message you left! and now the bears. i have always loved winnie and my boys did too. you have really done a good job at the weightless floating feeling! if i may, i would say that the panel on the left has the diagonal quilting going up and toward the other bear and the one on the right is going up and away . so would it be possible to change the quilting on the right to mirror that on the left? i think that would subliminally suggest that they are coming together a bit more. either way, its a very sweet piece. you are moving right along!

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  6. oh that's just so freaking adorable! i agree with mirroring the stitching! very very nice!

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  7. Wonderful! I'm another Pooh fan and these just capture that look so well. What a wonderful, simple composition.

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  8. sometimes simple is everything

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  9. Hi Gilly...I'm admiring your goal for simplicity and laughing at myself who always clutters things up. Am also remembering happy days with Winnie!

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  10. Hi Mum - thanks for the visit. xxx

    Hey Nan and Mnem - thank you for the suggestion re countour lines. I did thinkabout mirroring them at the time of making but was concerned that it would not look like the same sky if I did that. Still thinking - thanks a lot.

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  11. Thanks Kristin - your kind words are making me smile.

    Hi jude - mmmm simplicity keeps grabbing at me.

    Hey Penny - your clutter doesn't detract from the whole. Try a re-read of Winnie - he just gets more adorable.

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