Bad Romance

Wow, once again it's been awhile since I've posted, but I haven't been idle. This is just a sneak peak of some larger embroidered art pieces intended for my solo art show coming up on March 27th and March 28th in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

A bit back, I found a cache of 1950s Romance Comics in Provincetown (I haven't posted the source material yet, but they are similar to these). I've been working my way up to larger wall pieces, and these are definitely the most complex I've done in terms of multiple characters, and comic book panel framing.

They took a looooong time to complete. I wanted to use a colorful but limited palette, and several times had to tear out and redo sections to make sure they composition was balanced. I decided to use thought bubbles but leave them blank, in order to allow the viewer to fill in the sordid plot with their own imagination.

UFOs

The quilting blogs often talk about UFOs - UnFinished Objects. I've had a lot of UFOs lying around the house. On President's Day I had hoped to complete a bunch of them but it wasn't destined to be.

My plan was to use the ocher colored embroidered piece above and create a variation of my previous pillow using some precious fabrics I've been dying to use. I was excited about the somewhat unusual color combination of ocher, teal, milk chocolate and khaki, and was ready to create another 12x16" pillowcase.



Sadly, the width was only 11" so I dug out my other pillow forms to consider my other options. I decided to do something with a log cabin pattern for a 16x16" pillow form. In my haste and lack of recent practice, I cut the embroidered square out without allowing for the seam allowance, making me a wee stressed about fucking it up.



I decided to use my stash of scraps, which is what I prefer to do for log cabins. It feels so thrifty!



I started the project, but it just didn't feel right.



Here's the final(ish) product - or as far as I got. Looks pretty good here but I really originally envisioned it complementing teal - not navy - and I just couldn't go through with it. I actually out the patchwork so I could start afresh with a combination closer to my original vision.

As I look at this pic, I think - that really looks pretty good! Why did I have to maul it and start over?

More fun with doodles

Finally, a new pillow! It's been a while since I put one of these together and I really enjoyed the zen of the whole process - getting out the ironing board, dusting off the sewing machine, fearing I wouldn't remember what I was doing but finding it was like riding the proverbial bicycle. Rotary cutting from muscle memory - something I always thought was hearsay but apparently a real phenomenon.



I did another version of the same pattern, this time in chocolate with avocado and pumpkin highlights.

Wanting to tackle something larger, I sketched out the next project quickly, while watching Friday Night Lights (the show, not the movie) on Netflix. Fantastic series, by the way. This is my lifelong preferred mode of creating - watching TV or on the subway (or BART in my SF days). My ideal mode isn't multitasking - it's dedicated dual-tasking.



This one looks prettier in person - kind of a peanut butter background. I took multiple pictures but really couldn't do better - I really could use a different camera/camera tips!



I then sketched out a more horizontal version - sort of a city scape, most likely for wall art rather than a pillow. I'm enjoying this series - quick to sketch out, quick to sew and produce. A nice way to get back in the game.

Coming out of my shell...

... um, what happened to this year?

Well, dear readers, this year I had a major job transition and truly threw myself into my work, which thankfully I really enjoy. This did not stop me from percolating and dreaming of projects, but it did slow even that down. Occasionally I'd venture out of my shell to purchase an irresistible piece of fabric from the City Quilter or Purl. Occasionally a little sketch would appear on my meeting notes. I'd stare at my carefully curated fabric stash and sigh, not even sure I still "had it." The materials didn't have that inspirational shimmer - was that previous year of spending hours obsessing over color combinations and staying up late creating at the sewing machine just a dream?

So, it all re-started with a doodle...

I was inspired to do something (deceptively) simple and geometric by Molly's Sampler Pillows project on the Purl Bee. I loved her use of Muji's linen pillow cases and wanted to create a design that would look good against that texture. Anyway, I doodled out a little line and squares pattern - which is basically something I am constantly drawing in the margins of my notepads anyway. 

Not having any linen on hand, I was drawn to this avocado green fabric - which reminded me of my mother's fridge (and half of my childhood bedrooom furniture) when I was growing up. I selected some earthy browns, in keeping with the original idea of doing this project in an undyed linen. 



I increased the dimensions of my original sketch by 150% (after experimenting with various other sizes), and transfered it (as I always do) using basic carbon paper and a pen.

The project went super quickly - it was such a relief to be embroidering again! Somehow some bright orange worked its way in, and cheered things up considerably. 

This was a fun, quick project, and I can definitely see myself doing more riffs on it. 

French Knot/Stacked Coin Pillow - First Etsy Post!

After many months of putting it off, I've finally opened my Etsy store!! You can check it out here:

http://swallowdesigns.etsy.com

... and this project is the first item I've posted there!

This is a fairly unique project for me, because I did it pretty much on the fly - I didn't sketch it out on graph paper beforehand. In fact, what I really wanted to do was something more liked a traditional "stacked coin" design. I'm having trouble finding a definition of what this means, but as far as I can tell it's essentially a design that incorporates strips of stacked patches, framed in neutral sashing.

I wanted to show you some examples on Flickr but got these results instead.

This quilt from Miss MeShell was really the inspiration - I love how she combined a deliciously simple linen with citrusy fabrics. She blogged it here and it's well worth checking it out!

My project veered off this plan, as you'll see soon...



I started with a pile of strips from my scrap box. I sorted them out for the blues, oranges, tans, and browns - which wasn't really hard because most of my projects lately have been in those spectrums. It was more a matter of weeding out the odd green scrap.



This part of the process went super-quick - I actually placed the sewing machine on my ironing board and did the whole thing standing up. This saved a lot of time. Plus it made it easier to watch TV. Can you tell I like to multitask?



I ironed each strip just before sewing it to the previous one, but I didn't iron the whole patched piece until I was done. Enjoyably spontanous compared with some of my more laborious projects, and certainly efficient.

When I finished preparing the large strip patch, I cut it into 4 pieces. However, after some thought, I ditched the traditional vertical parallel lines of stacked coins. I didn't have any linen, and it just didn't look as cool on the dark brown background.



So, I decided to use them as a frame for one of my French knots projects. I made this particular one a while ago, and they were inspired by the Connect the Dots tutorial from the purl bee, one of my favorite blogs from my good friends at purl soho. And by good friends I mean advisors/teachers/dealers of irresistable fabrics!



The back is an envelope flap, using the remaining "stack coined" (if I can call them that) strips:



Remember folks, this item is actually live and on sale on my store on Etsy! Why now? How did I finally set it up? Well, I ran out of room for my pillows. I'd love to keep them all, but there's only so much room I have on my bed and couch. The good thing is, it frees me up to use different colors - ones that don't match my lamp, sheets, and other accessories. I'm looking forward to seeing how that frees up my creative process.

Shake it Up!

Okay, I just received a challenge from an anonymous reader. In case you missed it, here it is from my last post:

Anonymous said...

icebat sure does look handsome next to your woolly pillow and vice versa. you seem like such a nice, placid sort of gal. but whatever happened to your embroidery "with an edge"? let's see more of that!

Ouch! Nice, maybe - but placid? I can't take it! So here it is. I've been sitting on this since I finished it this summer, but now I'm breaking it out.

Here's how it works:

It starts with a photo, that I bought from a Chelsea flea market - one that actually still exists (as of this writing):



Believe it or not, this project has effectively been a few years on the making. I first made a pen and ink drawing based on it:



I think the lady on the right looks a little like Karen from Will and Grace. That wasn't intentional!

This is one of my favorite drawings I've ever done. It's definitely influenced by underground cartoon art, such as Charles Burns, the Hernandez Brothers, and one of my all-time favorites, Dan Clowes, circa Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron era.

So, this summer, I picked it up and tried to turn it into embroidery. I traced the drawing (not the original photo) onto fabric using standard carbon paper. Long live the small stationary store!

Unfortunately, my first try didn't work out so well. I don't even have that anymore to show you. This is the second try, which is horrible, so you can just imagine how bad the first one was:



It was really hard for me to let this go, because the above represents hours and hours of embroidery. Oh well! I got it right the third time - but I did do several different takes of color combinations on the nipples before I was satisfied.



I tried to stick to a limited color palette, almost like one might do for a screen print.



I love and hate doing hair. It's incredibly time consuming - but what can you do? Hair is important!



I'm very happy with how the necklace on "Karen" turned out. The blue beads were made by doing a pretty standard back stitch in a circle, and then placing a French knot in the middle.

This was surprisingly hard to photograph! It looks a lot better in person - in the pic, the lady on the left looks like she's giving you the evil eye! But it's an optical illusion.

This is Breakfast Boy

Pillow: Breakfast Boy
Model: Tar

This is Breakfast Boy. Breakfast Boy is one of my favorite pillows.



He is smiley and friendly and eager to please.

Breakfast Boy is based on a photo from a 1964 Physique Pictorial that I picked up in Provincetown. The history of physique magazines is interesting - from the excellent Planet Out article by David Bianco (who has a pretty interesting background himself):

'Bob Mizer was only 23 when he started AMG [publisher of Physique Pictorial] and its catalog in 1945. He originally operated out of a spare room in his mother's house. She wasn't particularly happy that he was gay, but she cooperated because she liked the extra income he shared with her. When Mizer's business boomed, he built a separate studio next door to Mom. He recruited models at gyms and along Venice Beach, searching for a particular type: chiseled, muscular, white. Many of the models he hired were heterosexual.

Popular demand for these homoerotic images grew, and Mizer looked for another way to distribute them. In 1951, he began publishing Physique Pictorial, a pocket-sized magazine created especially for a gay audience..."



Here's the cover of the issue Breakfast Boy's photo appeared in. Don't you just love the font? Yes, that woodgrain fabric is from Joel Dewberry's Aviary line. I just love to pair partial nudity with woodgrain.



The model's name is Gerald (Gerald?!) and is described here in great detail for his stats (including ankle, not pictured). He apparently "works as a salesman but wants to be an actor, or anything else that brings him lots of money." Hmmm.

More from the David Bianco's article:

'Because of the oppressive atmosphere of the 1950s, physique magazines were careful to disguise their homoerotic intent. Postal inspectors and FBI agents were on the lookout for pornographic content, such as "excessive genital delineation." They particularly targeted gay publications, trying to indict them for violation of the 1873 Comstock Act, which prohibited sending obscene material through the mail. To avoid harassment, Physique Pictorial adopted a lofty mission statement: "A fine healthy physique," it claimed, was "a great compliment to our creator who planned for the utmost perfection in all of his universe." A beautiful body, according to Mizer's publication, "makes the soul sing."'



Sigh. You may notice that the photographed model carefully avoids said "excessive genital delineation." He also apparently isn't cooking anything. I took a little creative license here - added back in the genital delineation, and gave him some fried eggs!



The yolks of the sunny side up eggs represent the first instance that I did a solid fill in embroidery.

Isn't he a charmer?

Jayne Mansfield - Portrait in Thread

I completed this Jayne Mansfield portrait in thread. It's based on a photo from the 1964 Best of Playboy, which I purchased in one of the last remaining flea markets in Chelsea (NYC Chelsea, not London Chelsea).



I used to buy most of my source material from the main Chelsea Flea Market which has now been replaced by a luxury condo - like many of the older and more lowbrow gems of New York City. This flea market moved to Hell's Kitchen, but when I went to check it out in its new location, it just didn't have the same vibe. Maybe it was me, but it felt more select/expensive and overall I didn't find it to be as fun. But go, really - any flea market is a good flea market.

Fortunately, there still remains one in Chelsea - The Antiques Garage - located in a parking lot between 6th and 7th Avenue, and 24th and 25th Street. Go soon, because like many good things in New York, this may not be here forever. I currently have a good stash of source materials to work my way through, but occasionally I drop by for additional inspiration. On the particular day I bought this magazine, my favorite photo vendor wasn't there, but another vendor did have this one issue.



I had never seen a Jayne Mansfield movie before, but I'd heard about her throughout my adult life. Associations I had: b-movie actress, beheaded in a car accident (this is an urban myth however), and Law and Order SVU's Mariska Hargitay's mother (did I mention I love Mariska?). I finally rented The Girl Can't Help It from Netflix. I recommend the version Netflix has, because it has a good 45-minute documentary about her rise and fall, and while the actual movie failed to bowl me over with her acting talents, the doc enabled me to appreciate her shining moments as a beloved sexual icon.

Jayne Mansfield was frequently called "the poor man's Marilyn Monroe" and unfortunately her performance in The Girl Can't Help It begs comparison to Marilyn's iconic appearance in The Seven Year Itch. Both involve questionable seductions of the weasly Tom Ewell. But no matter how much I like to root for the underdog, Marilyn is unquestionably the superior actor, and if you have any question about this, do watch these two movies side by side.



Above is the photo I used for my embroidered portait. While her cleavage or her waistline are probably her most popularly photographed attributes - she had an almost impossibly exaggerated hourglass figure (think Jessica Rabbit) - I think she looks beautifully voluptuous from the back in this photo. I was also attracted by the challenge of representing the feathery boa she's wrapped in, as well as her dropped earrings.



Did I get the essence of Jayne Mansfield here? I'm not sure. On many of my embroidered portraits, I had previously created a pen and ink drawing first, using the photo just as source material. The drawings are artworks themselves, and they convey (I hope) a lot of shading, texture, and personality. When I transform these pen and ink drawings into embroidery, I believe they are a little more quirky and emotional.

In my portrait of Jayne, however, I traced a xerox of the photo, skipping the drawing step. Overall, I think this embroidered piece is a good example of a pin-up girl, but I think I could have done a better job of conveying the complexity of Jayne Mansfield. I'm talking about the woman who won unheard of beauty contests like "Miss Magnesium Lamp," and who decades after her death is still inspiring angel vs. devil debates.

Lifesaving Embroidery

After a very encouraging comment from Anna Betts on my CPR Embroidery post, I was inspired to try my hand at a few more lifesaving manual-inspired pieces.

I was on vacation all last week in Provincetown, Cape Cod, and the water-related theme blended in nicely. I started out the week at the Fabric Place, where I stocked up on blue and green spectrum Kona fabrics, my preferred brand for solids.



Maybe I went a little overboard, but I envision this as a series. I also have been buying related patterns so I can do some patchwork with these colors in the future as well.

I started with this: Underwater Approach I. I was really unhappy with how the man's hair came out, so I omitted him from this pic!



I wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome. While I don't usually use the word "cartoony" as a negative, I'm going to apply it here. There was something a little too literal in this interpretation from page to embroidery.

After showing some friends a work-in-progress, they challenged me to experiment with a combination of drawing and embroidery.

This is the result, Underwater Approach II:







And here is Front-Head Hold Release, or by the other name we gave it when I was 14 and a lifesaver in training, "Suck, Tuck, Duck." If I ever do a show of these, that will be its name.



This piece was experimental for me in several ways -- leaving parts of the drawing exposed without being covered with embroidery, using the carbon transfer paper as a shading medium, and using the color pink. I never use the color pink -- not in home decor, not in art projects -- but I feel myself moving towards it...selectively!



The final outcome reminds me of the Sonic Youth album cover of Goo for some reason.