..Stitches and Sketches..

I've been "fiddling" with some ideas for my Moroccan pieces...

...not sure about the stitching on this though...






I think I prefer to use henna/dye to do these motifs...really cutting back on stitch.

Here are a few pages out of my Moroccan sketchbook - I jotted down patterns wherever I saw them...on tagines, bowls, and even sneaking photos of henna patterned hands where I could!





A lot of these motifs appear on Mid/Anti Atlas textiles - Haik shawls in particular. I love the triangular ones....they remind me of Old European Mother Goddess iconography... (more on this theme later on)

(Thanks to Rebecca for a comment that gave a link to the Henna Page...a really great site for all sorts of henna designs and lots of other information too!)

These are some Berber symbols painted onto goatskin - found in a little shop in Essaouira...



...will HAVE to do something with them ....:-)

I also feel that I want to use more natural-looking beads and embellishments, but can't seem to find a decent sized pack with a reasonable price-tag. (Everything's in tiny sachets dispensed out of a large bag....and then a big price put on the small item! Rogues!)

So, I'll just have to make my own....

... learning new things...

While I'm working on some Moroccan-inspired textiles...and thinking about painting some pattern rather than stitching it all...(off to Cardiff for some tubes of henna/mendhi...)

..I'm also expanding my knowledge (never a bad thing I believe!)

Always interested in other cultures, especially those with a rich textile heritage..

..I've come across these....

Please have a look - it's well worth it!





How can anyone not be bowled over by the hand craft here?!

As I've said previously, most of what I've done in recent times has been "stan" inspired....

The textiles that come out of these countries still have the ability to stop me in my tracks and gape like some kind of smitten fool...

...but I'm discovering new countries too. I'd never even HEARD of Chuvashia until I came across it in Sheila Paine's books that document her search for a particular kind of Amulet.

(The Afghan Amulet; The Golden Horde; The Linen Goddess)

I'm the sort to "have a nose around"...and found the videos above. WOW!! or what?!

There's also a site - www.chuvashculture.org that has a number of galleries showing embroidery and many other things too, plus lots of info. Here are some piccies from there...









What is it about this kind of embroidery that fascinates me?

Maybe it is because some embroidery patterns/designs/motifs are deemed to have "magical" or "talismanic" properties.

Certainly there seems to be a "commom thread" in some of the motifs, and these are found repeated on embroidered, felted and woven textiles all over Central Asia and parts of Europe.

This fact grabs my imagination.

I'm going to follow the threads and see where they lead me....

..switching continents...

Thus far I've gathered my inspiration mostly from the Indian Sub-Continent - northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan......in fact....a lot of the "stans"!

This is continuing...but in the background for now...

...and this piece....




..will be the last of it's kind (for a while).


My little trip to Morocco was an absolute joy! So much to take in...so little time...

...but I'm going back there now - via the studio anyway :-)


The necessary winter task of shifting tonnes of firewood took it's toll over the last couple of weekends. And a long-standing affliction - carpal-tunnel-syndrome - reared it's ugly head and dictated that no-way could I do any stitching for about 4 days! Flaming nuisance!...

..but...

...it spurred me on to get up to my elbows in the dye pot....with the following results....












...inspired by some of the colours I encountered in Morocco.


And where am I going with it....?

...well, here's a clue.....





I'm also thinking of switching other things...

...by trying to work "less fussy".

Most of what I've done up to now has been very labour intensive, with LOADS of surface decoration....stitches upon stitches, and hundreds of beads....

I can't continue with this....mainly because my eyesight isn't what it used to be, and I'm finding that I can't focus for too long without discomfort.

The carpal-tunnel is also becoming a more persistent problem - maybe it's time to get it sorted - finally. So much of what I do relies on my hands - not just stitching, but drawing, painting and playing music - all of which give me such immense joy that I cannot bear to think what life would be like if I couldn't do them.

A blog-friend sent me some links the other day...

...which made me think that it might just be possible for me to change to a more "understated" way of working...

..that might also allow me to produce much larger pieces....

...without the pain.

I have to give it a go, but I'm not expecting it to be easy....

...old habits die hard.

...looking forward...

I introduced this piece here, after I'd done a small amount of stitching on it....

....but decided to undo some, and go a bit further with the stitching that I've seen on Afghan and Uzbek textiles lately.

Here's the result....




..with lines of closed herringbone and bhukara couching.

The couching was quite time-consuming, but mostly because I used an Anchor Pearl 8 thread, which really was far too fine for this stitching that has to completely cover the background fabric. (I actually used an ironed-on shape to work to - you may be able to see the pink showing through!)



I enjoyed doing it, but will use a thicker thread next time - probably equivalent to 4 strands of floss.

That was the last piece of prepared background lurking around, so I can now really start on new work. I've been doing some searching, on the net, in books and in places, like ARTIQUE, that have wonderful stocks of tribal textiles....

Here are just a few of the pieces I found there this week...



















...and there are plenty more to show later too!

(For those who would like to see more...I've uploaded all of my Artique photos to Flickr...and put them in their own Set.)

I'm now completely fired-up to start new things....

....but I'll still keep the essence of the old.

I'll also be taking it slowly, with thoughts of the many women who have also loved the feel of a needle in their hand, and the feel of fabric on their skin....

OWOH Winners 2010

Using a "Random Number Generator" here.....

..the winning numbers are :-

1) 26
2) 119
3) 148

That means.....

1) is.....Maya who gets the sketchbook

2) is.....Cindy McMath who gets the "Tribal Brooch"

3) is.....Amanda31gifts who gets the "Spirit Brooch"


Congratulations to all......


...and thanks to everyone who took part!


x Chris

...merging....

Whilst tidying up in the studio, I came across another piece of "Soft and Red" prepared background. So....

...rather than making a complete change into new tribal-inspired work....

..I decided to let the two simply merge....

...to change slowly.....

...to evolve into their new selves.


Inspired by a gorgeous piece of stitchery, again from Afghanistan (supplied by Rayela),





...I used one of the chain-stitch bands on my own piece.





It feels "comfortable" in there....

...I'll go with it...

..and see where it leads.

...latest bit of red.....

...and likely to be the last of this kind for a while.




After my Moroccan adventure, I'm really eager to get back to my "Tribal" work.

Work like this.....



....and this.....

...and this.....

...and this....


....has inspired me immensely, and I'm now itching to get back into the "Tribal Groove"!

I've enjoyed the little escape into the "Soft and Red", and techniques employed there will now carry on into new work.

The dyepot has been out, and piles of coloured fabrics are on every horizontal surface in the studio...

Threads and beads are in baskets and pots everywhere....


..I REALLY need to go and tidy-up.....