12 years ago, I was experimenting with layering color by removing color from black cloth and overdyeing sometimes 6-10 times of repeating this process. I was also experimenting with ice dyeing.

I had the idea to create holes in the cloth by cutting or burning them and putting another piece of cloth behind them to show through these openings. Although I liked the results I could never advance to the stitching of the pieces, No embroidery or machine stitching felt right or like it advanced the pieces in a way that satisfied me.

When the Deconstruct prompt arrived, I went to my stack of unresolved work and found three pieces that were created in the same time period. The colors worked together in unexpected ways.

I had to take a moment of silence for each piece before I began cutting. It can be difficult to give up on an idea you were once attached to even years later. Once the cutting began it was freeing and ideas began to grow and a new form began to take shape. This was exciting!

Below are the pieces I used. I am showing images of the back and front of the cloth I created.

The solid black cloth was burned, The gold silk was fused to it. I had the idea that the piece could be hang in way that light could shine through the burned areas creating a glow. It worked but not in a way that excited me or created a desire to advance it. The challenges for having light come from behind the work in a gallery setting were daunting, I was also still stuck on the stitching.

The ice dyed fabric above was fused to the black dyed piece below. Sadly, I did not take a picture of the whole piece before I began cutting. Dang! The holes here were cut by hand.

This piece below was a whole cloth dye, color removal exploration. I called it ‘Spines’ I found a very old picture of it, so it is the only piece I used that had a before cutting image.

I enjoyed creating this piece. I like it! It is also satisfying to reduce my unresolved pile.

Second Wind

39 x 29.5

Whole and holy (smile) discharged, hand dyed cloth, layered, pieced and stitched.