STITCH exhibit at Morehead 3

A few more things I liked at the STITCH exhibit -- today's technique is felting.

Here's a small piece that makes a big impression with very modest means; it's small, it's subtle, it's straightforward, it's stunning!  A little hand stitching and a few beads are the only embellishments to the beautifully rendered portrait.

Adrian Blackstock, Betty Lou (details below)

Here's a piece by a friend of mine, Christine Levitt, who has a special affinity for maps and charts.  A couple of years ago we attended the same workshop and Christine brought a big supply of gorgeous old geological survey maps, which she graciously shared with some of us.  I've been in her debt ever since!

Here she uses the maps to cover the frame, and sets a map-like piece of felt inside.  Machine stitching adds a grid that resembles latitude and longitude lines, with glass beads accentuating the grid.

Christine Levitt, Seeding the Plains, detail below. 

I only wish the glass hadn't made it hard to photograph.  Yes, I know that glass protects fragile textiles from light and dust, but it also puts a layer of glare in between the work and the viewer.  I always wonder if it's worth the trade-off.