There’s no arguing that persistence is one of the jewels in our proverbial bag of tricks. But there are definitely times when there’s more to be gained from allowing yourself to switch gears, especially in the face of a wall that, for the moment, seems insurmountable.
In Process ©2016 Elizabeth Fram
I have been struggling with too many false starts on this piece over the past couple of weeks, spending as much time taking stitches out as I have putting them in. While I am loving the colors and the swoop of the pattern as it rises and falls through the layers, I am having a heck of a hard time taking it to the next level. So it’s going up on my wall where I can live with it, allowing time and distance to work their magic. Having put it aside, I’m on to something completely new to give my brain an airing out, making for a nice change this week.
Stitching guidelines marked on raw silk
Stitching, stitching, & more stitching
Just slightly pulling the threads begins to reveal a beautiful pattern.
Although this form of shibori is named “mokume”, meaning ‘wood grain’, it also reminds me of Ansel Adams’ photographs of sand dunes.
Soaking the fabric in water allows me to pull the threads all the tighter.
The first application of dye
A mixture of red, brown and eggplant. I have to be careful that the dye gets into all the nooks and crannies.
Since this type of dye only adheres to protein fibers (i.e. silk, wool, etc), it doesn’t affect the cotton thread, which is a cellulose fiber. This makes it much easier to find the tight knots and to snip them without nicking the fabric.
Removing all the threads reveals this incredible pattern. It still takes my breath away each time.
And now to get begin the next stage…