Skip to main content

Black, White and Red - 29 Faces

Black , White and Red - a favourite colour combination! Tag Tuesday has this as its current theme. 
Here is my tag .... a stitched face. I use my sewing machine as my drawing implement.... a technique called free motion stitching or free hand machine embroidery. Of course, nothing is symmetrical or perfect but this is quite easy to do. Just lower or cover the feed dogs on your sewing machine, and move the fabric around manually while stitching and so the sewing machine "draws" a line, free hand.  In the photo, the black line is the stitched line - what I try to do is an unbroken line, so often I go over and over the same line to get to the next  section of stitching.
When I have finished stitching, I cut around the stitching and attach the face to a prepared painted tag with heat applique. Then, I use Inktense pencils to colour  features and/or shade the face.  In "Spots" I have also appliqued the clothing and the head wear.  'Spots" is the first in my current series #29 Faces. The faces are on larger #8 manilla  shipping tags and  are a development from a previous series of art tags , called 'Red Cheeks' 

'Red Cheeks' 1-9 - stitched faces  
The  "Red Cheeks" portraits  are much smaller but were created in exactly the same way. I thought it would be easier to do larger portraits but the first two have proven that this so far isn't the case.   I much prefer working smaller! 
'Red Cheeks" 10-18 - stitched faces

I am currently participating in the February 2020 Art Challenge - 29 Faces , so I created for myself a month of prompts just to keep myself on track each day.... " Spots " is the first of my 29 faces . 
" Fruit" below is the second.... not only black, white and red, but a few other hints of colour, again applied with pencil. 
My goal for #29 Faces is the daily practice of stitching a face each day for February  and improved fluidity of motion and control of my sewing machine during free motion stitching. I am also looking forward  to exploring the potential of using Inktense pencils on cloth.  Hope you will see improvement as you follow posts of my work during the month - please watch this space for more.... 

Comments

  1. Fabulous tags Wilma, you always have wonderful ideas. Great to see you supporting Wendy at Tg Tuesday, thanks! Hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fantastic. love all of them. I love doing free motion stitching and am doing a lot on the two year course I am just completing. I will keep visiting to see all your other work. Thank you for your support, great to hear from you again.
    Hugs Wendy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow Wilma you are very talented! These are just amazing. What a challenge! Good luck with it all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow! i'm fascinated by the stitching technique! gorgeous results. xo

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

Connecting and Interpreting : Story #3 from the ATASDA Collaborative Golden Cape

  Connecting and Interpreting : Story #3 from the ATASDA Collaborative Golden Cape  Background : The Golden Cape is a collaborative project for ATASDA members and it celebrates the 50th Anniversary of ATASDA in 2024. 50 present day members have  received  an image of one of 50 yesteryear members artworks, to use as a muse, to create new artwork based on the past. Inspiration can come from textures, colours, style, design, subject, culture or history of the original artwork.  The new artworks have become panels stitched together to create a Golden Cape - an anniversary art wearable .   The Golden Cape will be displayed at various venues around Australia from May 2024.  Vine  (Exotica 2009 ATASDA exhibition ) : Norma Warnecke Meg Buchtmann chose Norma Warnecke's 2009 artwork shown in the ATASDA  exhibition "Exotica" as her inspiration for her contribution to the golden cape project .  Golden Cape panel 2023 : Meg Buchtmann Taken with the colour combinations and the 3D natur

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons   The work for the "Stitched Up " Project  continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood  Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours.  Trimmed and cut if necessary  Ends sealed with matte sealing solution.  Drying  - solution goes on white but dries clear.  First wrapping - foil to create a body shape  Second wrapping - stretch fabric.  Third wrapping - fabric strips  Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to come.  Follow thi

May I Present Mrs Chalumeau...

Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h