The Contrasts Series

Building from the Bottom Up

When I made Cloth Strokes, I first sewed layered rectangles, and then arranged them into a composition. This time, I decided to first come up with a composition, and then construct the entire piece in layers, from the bottom up. Whereas in Cloth Strokes I attached the rectangles to the base layer with pins (which didn’t work so well), this time I wanted to try fusing. So I started by ironing a fusible web onto the entire base layer. 

Once I knew where I wanted the top-most layer to be (that is, the textured home décor textiles, as in the picture above), I began by cutting sari silk strips and placing them where they needed to go on top of the fusible web. I ironed those (and the bigger upholstery pieces) onto the web, attaching them directly to the base layer. The fusible web worked well for the thin sari silk. Sadly, it didn’t work so well for the thicker fabrics, which just didn’t want to stick. I still had to use pins to hold those. 

Next, I added a second layer of ribbon, and finally a layer of textured fabric at the very top. I played around with colors and textures, adjusting things intuitively as I went along.

When I was happy with how the piece looked, I machine stitched all the layers together. As a final touch I added a bit of hand embroidery.

Contrasts Galore!

Just like in Cloth Strokes, the result was a delicious combination of harmonious contrast: thin fabrics vs. thick, light textiles vs. heavy, matt cloth vs. shiny, flat fabrics vs. textured, opaque vs. transparent. There were sharp edges vs. frayed, variegated colors vs. solids, dark hues vs. light, and the perfection of machine stitching vs. the sloppy messiness of hand embroidery…

You can see some of those contrasts (and perhaps more!) in the detail pictures below:

The Contrasts Series

When everything was done, I wrapped the piece over a stretched canvas. I decided to call the series—how not?—The Contrasts Series. The below piece is Brick Contrasts.

This is Lavender Contrasts:

Teal Contrasts:

And last but not least Magenta Contrasts:

As usual, I love how all the pieces in this series look together:

*****

I was very excited when, shortly after I completed them, the last three pieces were accepted into the 54th Annual Textile Exhibition at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont, CA. The show will run through August 3rd 2024. If you’re in the Bay Area, make time to stop by–it’s a really fun textile art exhibit! If you can’t make it in person, there’s a virtual gallery.

All the artworks in this exhibition are for sale. You can find the price list here.