Skip to main content

Wall hanging work-in-progress

 

I thought I'd talk a little more about my wall hanging that's getting nearer completion.  It's my interpretation of the theme 'Creation', and is made with a calico base, measuring roughly 16 x 17 inches in size.  I've pieced together various fabrics to try and represent sea, land and sky, and embroidered and appliqued fishes and - so far - just a solitary bird.  There will be more!  The material making up the land is my handpainted material, done with a mix of acrylic paint and Inktense.  The line of yellow that runs between land and sea is meant to be sand, as on a beach.  I did think about making some pretend rocks and pebbles here, using either grey material or grey beads, but neither of those looked right when I tried them out.  It's all very much been a process of trial and error, and there are definitely things I'd do differently if I started from scratch all over again.  
The trees are made of brown felt which I've lightly padded out, stuffing them with tiny scraps of leftover thread or felt offcuts, and I've used green crewel wool for the leaves.  I've padded a couple of the larger fish out too, but just used Bondaweb to attach the smaller fishes.  
There're little shrubs with berries or flowers, and lines of back stitch to represent grasses.  
More back stitching to attach the light blue seaweed - made from sari fabric, of all things - and I've added seed beads too, including clear ones to represent bubbles coming out of fishes mouths.  Finally, just in case you want a peek at what the backside of my wall hanging looks like - 
It's messy!  I was going to add a backing material to neaten it up, but don't think I will.  I mean, who's bothered about the back of it?  That won't be seen once it's displayed on the wall.  I do need to add hanging loops or something similar, and maybe add some kind of trim or beads to the base.  

The entire thing needs to be complete by mid-September, so I need to crack on with it, don't I?  

Labels:

Comments

  1. Cherie25 August 2024 at 00:42

    For years I've wanted to make a big wall hanging. I might get it started this year as yours has inspired me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Valerie blogs at rubykittyruby27 August 2024 at 08:39

      Oh yes, definitely make something. I want to see it when you do.

      Delete
    2. Cherie27 August 2024 at 09:55

      It's definitely on the cards as the days get shorter and the nights draw in

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sari scraps, PVA, a couple of books and a necklace

  I'm typing this as snow's falling, and has been steadily all day.  It's not settling to any great extent, though I bet by tomorrow morning the paths will be slippery with ice.  Which always makes me paranoid about falling over and at the very least looking undignified, but at worst breaking a bone or twisting an ankle.  Oh well, it's ideal weather to stay inside and craft, isn't it?  I finally got around to listing packs of sari scraps on Etsy this morning.  I only made up six bundles as I've no clue whether they'll sell or if I've set a reasonable enough price point.  Time will tell.   This is a link to the listing, if you're interested.  This vaguely pink fabric isn't from one of my Etsy packs.  It's from a bit of experimenting I was doing yesterday.  I'd seen a post on Instagram showing how a DIY version of batik could be done without using hot wax.  The Instagrammer used PVA instead, and I wanted to try this out....
4 comments
Read more

What are you watching? Part One

Another cold, bright day, and I spent the morning indoors, reluctantly dragging a vacuum cleaner around before getting down to the nicer task of adding wadding to the back of this patchwork.  Backing fabric's now tacked on, and it's ready to be stitched.  I also squeezed in some reading.   I'm currently immersed in 'Transcription' by ever-excellent Kate Atkinson, who can be relied upon for a well-written book.  The book I recently finished - hmm, not so good.  I'd fancied a lightweight cosy crime, something easy, quick to read, and picked 'A Pen dipped in Poison' by J.M. Hall.  Oh my, I've never come across a story in which so many people sigh.  Characters sighing all over the place!  There's a fair amount of frowning too, and one character is constantly depicted as stirring a cup of coffee, supposedly to indicate thoughtfulness.  Seriously, if I was in a coffee shop with her I'd be snatching that spoon out of her hand and yelling 'For g...
Post a Comment
Read more

HOW TO MAKE: these decorative birds

 I suggested yesterday that I'd run through how to make a fabric bird wall or window hanging (can't think of a snappier title for it than that!) so here goes.  I'll start with the first decorative hanging I made.   It's something you could make in any colour combination you want, and would look good hanging at a window with translucent beads that'd catch the light   I used five birds for this, but you could make it longer if you prefer.  (Incidentally, if you're wondering about what's hanging off the bottom on this, it's a metal Christmas decoration, shaped like a lantern.  For some reason I thought it looked appropriate to leave it there, looped over the end.)   WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO GATHER TOGETHER:  Assorted scraps of fabric for the front of the birds - aim for a mix of colours and textures.  Silk looks good, as does anything with embroidery or intricate patterns.  You might aim for a hippy-ish boho look, or maybe you're ...
4 comments
Read more