Filed under Commission

Week Three – Clearing the Decks.

So here we are, beginning to get down to brass tacks.  If you think the last two weeks were a cop-out, quit thinking that.  This week I poured twelve hours into a fine piece of craftsmanship if I do say so myself.  I really want to use this year to push myself further in mediums I have used before, and to raise and unify my artistic style and vision across all mediums.  In short, I want to find myself as an artist.  I want to learn the sound of my voice and make it soar.

M. Moss, a Study 8x10 embroidery on cotton

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mr. Maurice Moss of IT Crowd fame.  Moss is an 8×10 embroidered portrait, satin stitched in 4 shades of 3 strand DMC cotton.  The hair, tie and background are 100% cotton fabric.  The hair and tie are both stitched down.  This is all satin stitch folks – 12 hours worth.  A rediculous amount of work, but well worth it in the end.  This is left unframed, as it is a commission and the owners wish to frame it themselves.

Look at that mug!I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeVille.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full disclosure – I’ve had this mapped out for some months now.  The actual build did not start until Monday, however.  I am contemplating doing these as commissions with very specific source image requirements, of course.  For which, I would need to make another that doesn’t belong to someone else.  I’m thinking John Stewart.  I do need to rest my sewing hand before I do another of these.  Stitching the appliques was the hardest part, and the hair took me several hours to sew down due to frequent breaks for my hand.

Hopefully I will have an animated gif of my 7 days of progress on this up later this week.  For now, I am signing off, satisfied with my work and hustling on to my next project.

Week Two – One Helluva Blue Dress

So I figure part of this journey is finishing up projects that are in backlog, and contemplating how to go forwards from that work into what I would like for myself to be as an artist.  Also – figuring out what I would like for myself to be as an artist.  Week Two sort of resolved it’s self in that respect.  A commissioned dress needed making, so I made it.

ComingGoing


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The clients chose a Vogue pattern.  I have very mixed feelings about Vogue’s pattern making abilities.  On one hand, Vogue adds in all of the beautiful finishing details and simple clean lines that make a piece of clothing stand out as a piece of craftsmanship and a thing of quality.  On the other hand, they are fond of giving you only steps one and five, leaving you to fill in the gap between.

This dress came out beautifully.  It was simple, but well cut, and in a beautiful blue linen.  It is certainly the most beautifully simple dress I have ever made.