I found this hideous little heart that I photographed in 2006 while cleaning up some old pysanky pages, so I probably made it a decade or more ago. I have no idea where it is now (nor do I care). I do, however, have an open slot for the week, part of a month long series to catch-up all the old kumi and beaded embroidery that's been gathering dust for the past 5 or 10 years, because while individual pieces may not be especially interesting, they do sometimes show evolution[1] in my approach.
Cotton fabric, beads, thread, sequins. Perhaps 2–2.5 inches at widest point. Photographed 16apr2006. Page made 13sep2015, & finally gone live 14feb2018...
This started out as a GLBG project, which argues for it being older, since I mostly stopped going to meetings after we moved in 2003. However, I did make the occasional meeting, and the timing—April—suggests that I might have started it for the February (or January) meeting, given the theme.
Front side.
Stylistically, it's closer to stockings than the semi-precious infused bead embroidery I've been documenting. Technically, however, the time-consuming thread embroidery—the wavy buttonhole stitch,[2] or the silver curlicues echoing a subtle pattern in the fabric—put it closer to the bead embroidery category.
In fact, the styles are converging, and have been for years, though this is a particularly good example.
[1]Evolution in this context does mean improvement, we hope. Though I suppose the work also reflects my changing environment—not only the presumable increase in understanding, but slowly failing eyesight, joint health, etc. In that sense it's a response the current situation, I guess.
[2]As always, a flaw—in this case, the hole for the stuffing—became the driving force for the design—the first photo shows the back side.
Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.
