Unpacking more sewing items, I unearthed my treasured 2 boxes of Gutterman silk buttonhole threads. Mum bought them at an Embroiderers Guild sales table in the 1970's ( priced at 7p a reel, she bought the lot! ) Love the decal of a lady at her sewing machine in her overall ( as Ian says 'looks like a Thoroughly Modern Miss' )
I've enjoyed using them over the years for hand stitching and more recently in the bobbin , machine stitching from the back . I was contemplating how much having these materials to hand and in these colours, have directed how I've worked and what quilts I've done. I used most of the greens up and a lot of the blues stitching 'blue-green algae' in the 1990's and then used the yellows, reds and browns stitching spirals in 'Maggie Springs' ( which I sold!) and more recently for the sand ripples in 'Erg Chebbi'. I've used them in a lot of other pieces too but I've noticed a reluctance lately to use them, (although I like to admire them in their battered box) not wanting to use up a finite resource. It maybe because I'm breaking out of being constrained by a particular colour palette or method of working. It also would be a shame to smother their wonderful sheen in acrylics which is how I'm abusing threads these days.
'Blue-Green Algae' detail - based on diatoms
'Erg Chebbi' detail - sand ripples on dune in Morocco
I've enjoyed using them over the years for hand stitching and more recently in the bobbin , machine stitching from the back . I was contemplating how much having these materials to hand and in these colours, have directed how I've worked and what quilts I've done. I used most of the greens up and a lot of the blues stitching 'blue-green algae' in the 1990's and then used the yellows, reds and browns stitching spirals in 'Maggie Springs' ( which I sold!) and more recently for the sand ripples in 'Erg Chebbi'. I've used them in a lot of other pieces too but I've noticed a reluctance lately to use them, (although I like to admire them in their battered box) not wanting to use up a finite resource. It maybe because I'm breaking out of being constrained by a particular colour palette or method of working. It also would be a shame to smother their wonderful sheen in acrylics which is how I'm abusing threads these days. 
'Blue-Green Algae' detail - based on diatoms
'Erg Chebbi' detail - sand ripples on dune in Morocco
3 comments:
Using up a finite resource - hard, but must be done - if not by you, then by who?
wow, amazing stitching! i am catching my breath.
They are beautiful threads. I used to feel like that about using fabric too, but then I decided if I used it, I was keeping it (ie in a piece of work which I could look at and admire (!)) If I kept the stuff hidden away I could look at it from time to time but in a way it was wasted, because it would be thrown away when I was no longer here. Seemed pointless. Sort of, use them or lose them, I guess.
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