Longtime readers of my blog know that I am enamored of sew-off squares, those little bits of fabric that you sew onto at the end of a seam to make sure your needle doesn't come unthreaded. For me, they're both an essential sewing technique and an opportunity for small-time creativity.
Depending on what fabrics I'm working with and what color thread is on my machine, the squares end up with quite different characters. I produce these things by the dozen as I do complicated piecing and quilting (practically every seam needs to be sewed off) and stash them in plastic bags. When I needed to make two small pieces for a sale to benefit our local visual art association, I pulled out my bags.
My two pieces used quite different approaches. For the first one I gathered squares that had been heavily stitched, so densely that they almost became monochromes, obscuring much of the underlying fabric. I thought they looked rather painterly, especially when placed close together.
For the second piece I chose squares that were not so heavily stitched, and found nine made out of related fabrics (leftovers from two huge striped quilts made two years ago) to arrange into a nine-patch composition. I sewed them to a linen backing and mounted that to the canvas.
The gimmick of the sale is that all the works were the same size (8" square) and were hung anonymously; people only found out who did their art after they bought it. I checked out the sale a half hour after the doors opened and was very pleased to see that one of my pieces had already sold; not sure what happened with the other one.
Last fall at the Crow Barn, Nancy collected samples of all of our sew off squares. It was great fun to see everyone's personalities in their squares.
ReplyDeleteWonderful inspiration here. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful. I love how you presented them on canvas.
ReplyDeleteGreat job - and I love that little one with the numbers, too, although, obviously, it's not your's...
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of "sewn off squares" and can't figure out what you are talking about. Linda
ReplyDeleteLinda -- I guess I need to write about them. Stay tuned...
DeleteMe too. I would like to know more about sew off squares. I do like your painterly one - is it the one that sold?
ReplyDeleteno, the nine-patch.
DeleteI think I like the painterly one better too. I thought I had the nine pieces perfectly arranged on the linen (and sewed down) but when I stretched it over the canvas the pieces got out of alignment and look a bit haphazard.
I have save several of mine, and used a few in some art pieces. But now I will save them all! Yours ar wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI, also, have no idea what you're talking about--but the results are great!
ReplyDeletebest, nadia
What great use of imagination and cast off sewoffs and sewons. sew on!
ReplyDeleteLove this. I'll be watching for more description of what you did. I like that you are repurposing some bits and pieces. Found you on "Off the Wall Friday!"
ReplyDelete