I choose GRATITUDE for my 2013 Word of The Year
The piece began with a picture of my hands
My hands are open, as if accepting
I printed the image, then traced it onto freezer paper to get the image started on muslin
I added value one shade at a time
Then I added rays of light
The back is almost as interesting as the front
Hand stitched beads
Detail
Each night my husband and I write what we are thankful for each day
then add it to a monthly Gratitude Jar, this is January's
This is February's, at the end of the month they are dumped into a really big jar
We've both enjoy writing our gratitudes each night
Next year we will read one, and write a new one
Final piece
I truly enjoyed the meditative process of thread painting this piece
but, I would do two things differently next time.
1. Paint the muslin first, this would cut done on white spaces, and save thread
2. The piece became very wonky as I stitched. I sought the advice of an expert, Susan Brubaker Knapp, here is what she said: “When I thread sketch, I only do it through the top layer of fabric and interfacing (Pellon 910 or Heavy Weight Shaping Aid), sometimes two layers of interfacing. It looks like you have done it with batting and backing fabric, which do not give you enough of a solid foundation for all that thread. Also, make sure you use very light weight thread (50 or 60 weight).”
