I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

This is the title I have given to my latest piece of work which began at a West Country Embroiderers workshop with the very talented Stef Francis; I have done many workshops with this tutor, she is very informative about the techniques she employs and is a great character - we always have a laugh.

Having some idea of what the workshop entitled 'Fun with Fibres' would include, I painted some white silk carrier rods and mulberry bark with very watered down silk paints.  These silk rods were then 'stripped' and separated and the resulting effects are visible in the completed work.

To construct this piece, I laid down on a piece of toning colour felt a number of layers of throwsters waste (fine silk fibres - and you really need soft hands to use these because they stick to every piece of rough skin - so not after a day of gardening). On top of this went the mulberry bark but it was pulled around in all directions first to distress it and make 'holes'. I then arranged the flattened silk rods, pinned and stitched by hand and machine. I used perle cotton threads - most from Tiggi Rawlings and then gathered some tubular knitting ribbon and added that in random places to form 'my roses' in the garden. 

 

 





I started this piece with an idea of it being mounted for a book cover but have decided I will now frame it as a panel.

For the dog followers, my puppy Indie, is now 20 weeks old and growing fast!

No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope and fear;
But grateful take the good I find,
The best of now and here.
John G. Whittier