Monday, August 4, 2014

Dorothy Caldwell Extravaganza 9


Maybe my favorite of everything I made in Dorothy's workshop was an extracurricular project.  On the way to lunch one day, Dorothy stopped in an antique shop and bought a birdhouse, one of two on display.  Overnight she decided she should have bought its brother as well, and on the way to lunch the following day, went back to the antique shop.  I went with her and while she was buying a birdhouse, I found an old photo that called to me.























It was in one of those fancy faux-leather folders that photographers used to present their work, and surprisingly, when I brought it back to the workshop my friend Marti exclaimed that Woltz Studios in Des Moines was where she had her high school photos taken.

Inside was the most beautiful little girl, and in a stitching mood after several days of workshop, I whipped out some silk thread and gave her a pink dress and a gold crown.

I still need to attach the photo to its folder, which I think I will do by simply stitching through both layers.


5 comments:

  1. oh she's beautiful. What ever gave you the courage to stitch through the actual photo?? LeeAnna

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  2. This is wonderful! I've seen a few embroideries on paper lately and I love the juxtaposition. Your interpretation is really glorious- I love the spare modern aesthetic of the simple stitching on top of the detailed antique photo!

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  3. I was so pleased with how easy it was to stitch through the photo -- it was stiff and substantial enough to allow you to pull the thread taut without bowing or puckering the photo. I would love to find more photos and stitch on them too.

    As to courage -- since it only cost me $4 what did I have to lose? and if the stitching didn't work I could always use her in collage. There's no such thing as ruining a background!

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  4. A sweet interpretation of this wee abandoned one. "Lost" photos such as this are so bitter-sweet. Whose family either was so uncaring as to toss it away...or, sadly, had reached the last soul and then... You might check out the work of Susan Lenz for further inspiration on this sort of work. :-)

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  5. I am scrolling thru your log archive to feel better after a rough day and am simply enthralled with the little girl with the pink dress and gold crown. Well done!

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