Several months ago, our textile group had a workshop to produce a mini textile hanging inspired by our personal collections of natural treasures, for which we needed – backing fabric, fabric scraps, found objects (feathers, twigs, small stones, shells ++), embellishments and embroidery threads etc.

The workshop was given by Helen Walsh (www.delicatestitches.co.uk), with whom we have worked before.

I listened intently & followed all the instructions but my journey took me on a parallel path (some might say – ‘typical’). Thankfully Helen has seen me work before and was very supportive of the direction my path was taking.

Yes, I used natural objects, but the title ‘Inspired by Nature’ was right up my street so to speak, and the perfect excuse to add some nature inspired textile elements too….my lichen pieces!

I was so wrapped up in my work that I forgot to take progress photos, however, Helen had taken a photo.

 

The open red needle case seen in the corner above was made by my Goddaughter aged 5 for my 21 birthday (many decades ago!) and as you can see is still in use!

 

 

 

 

The entire piece, from the beginning, had been worked with old, cream coloured, quite threadbare, sofa cover fabric which I laid over wadding (some surplus ironing board wadding!).

 

 

 

 

As will be very obvious now….I had definitely forged a different path!

On top of the sofa fabric I added –

• some other fabric pieces,
• a wide flat strip of cherry bark secured with voile,
• a dried twig,
• a crochet piece & plastic bag elements (my samples inspired by lichen).

Everything was secured and embellished with various threads.

Having enjoyed the day – oh it was so therapeutic – I continued working on the piece at home. In my mind was a new box frame I had tucked away (a very simple IKEA frame as the work is for my enjoyment only).

To get it ready for the frame I backed the work with thin cardboard using my preferred stitching technique (I’ve written about this before https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2022/10/31/the-making-of-barnie-part-2/), rather than traditional lacing, making sure the wadding was trimmed back, hence the 3D effect.

Did I say I had enjoyed creating this nature inspired collage piece? No? Just to be sure I’ve told you – I really enjoyed it. To the extent….it started courting a partner!

Sadly, as I had not planned on this work forming a post. I yet again, took no progress photos to show!

However, with the layered build up similar, and the background well on the way, it was time to decide on my treasures from Mother Nature and here I had various alternatives and big decisions to make – What and where? I took photos to help me….

Many artists say collage is easy. Others deliberate long and hard, auditioning just the right piece for just the right position….I definitely fall into the latter camp and sometimes have to leave, even a small work, alone for a while, coming back with fresh eyes to check I’m happy with it.

So, the decision made on the placement of twig and/or bark. Fabric snippets adjusted, and stitched embellishments added. Finally….a suitable partner is born!

I should have mentioned before, that generally when designing, I find interesting images (my own photos, or magazines/online images) and sketch out the ‘main’ lines, which I can then play with and simplify, or abstract parts from (‘L’ shapes are great for searching out an interesting area!).

 

As my workshop nature collage had intuitively taken a certain path, I decided to create a few quick thumbnail sketches from various images, to prod and further my thinking. If you look closely, you might just see that the top right sketch was the kick starter for my next piece, although it very much evolved. Also, in the original workshop piece there was an accidental implied circular effect (not surprising really as I love circles), so I also kept that going.

Ultimately Mother Nature is always my inspiration so it will be no surprise that my finished (as yet unframed), nature collages show an affinity with her works.

Looking at the two completed collages side by side I decided, in my infinite wisdom 😜, to create a third piece to form a triptych!!!

….I’ll have to keep you waiting on the third collage!