Indigo and Embroidery

I’ve finally completed this series of indigo and embroidery pieces!

This series took a very long time to complete - and now we’re having the coldest day of the year. So I’ll have to re-photograph two of these images due to lighting conditions.

I started this series in August with Flocking. This was part of the group show “X marks the Spot” with Missouri Fiber Artists. I was interested in the strong contrast of the indigo with the yellows and the oranges. In my work, the X’s became the silhouettes of birds in a flock. This piece is 10 x 10 and mounted on stretchers.

I was interested in the positive/negative structure of this type of indigo dyeing which is called Itajime Shibori.

In Void 1, I was able to explore the positive/negative spaces created by the Shibori technique. I selected a triad of strong colors; echoing the Indigo blue, strong red, and gold yellow. I used a freehand embroidery technique to fill the negative spaces with swirling spirals. These shapes recall the traditional quilting patterns that I utilize in my quilted work. I was surprised to find that I could visualize and stitch the shapes the same way I do on my machine. (Albeit, at a much slower pace.) This piece is 14 x 14 and mounted on stretchers.

In the piece, Squares, I focused on the shapes and a different style of Shibori. This style of Shibori is called Mokume (wood grain shibori). This piece is thanks to a class with Professor Laura Strand at Southern Illinois Carbondale. I’d struggled quite a bit with this Shibori technique, so this piece represents multiple attempts. I’m interested achieving bold graphic shapes with the indigo technique. The class was invaluable in improving my Mokume and my bhandini as well as finally achieving a sample of ori nui.

I was surprised to find that I prefer a heavier linen blend for these techniques instead of lighter weight cotton that more closely mimics the weight and thread count of silk. This piece is also 14 x 14 and can be framed since it is mounted on stretchers.

The final piece in this series is Void 2. This piece is hemp cloth, so the texture is somewhat similar to the linen that I used in the last two pieces. The individual threads in the fabric are denser and have a slumpier texture. I was able to create large circles with the Itajime technique and slowly filled the voids with freehand embroidery. I found some of the shapes within shapes that I was was able to explore intriguing. But this hand piece took a long time - and you can see my interest in the different shapes shifted over time.

This piece is 16 x 16 and larger than the previous pieces in the series and is currently unmounted.

Flocking

Void 1

Squares

I’m done with this series until next summer. My indigo pot is stored in my garage and winter is too cold to work outside. (Proper ventilation is important.) I’ve got several pieces in progress - I’m working on several stitched pieces and refining my bhandini knots.