Rescued Foxgloves

I have been busy with new pieces but some of them have not gone too well so I will not b posting them. I do have one, however, which I almost - yes almost- binned but being someone who can't bear waste or giving up I did have a go at a rescue and it is now acceptable!!

I began with a photograph I took of some foxgloves.

I opened this image in Photoshop and played with some of the special effects to create this image.

I decided to print this image onto coated Habutai silk and then quilt it which I did. The textured background on this image didn't show on the printed silk so when the quiting was finished I thought that I would gently catch the ridges of the quilted background with gold treasure gold. It looked terrible - as though it was dirty. I hated it. I tried something else. Sponging over it with some metallic pink paint but I didn't like that either. Then I started to sponge some green over that to create a two tone sponging effect but didn't like that either.

So I put it to one side not wanting to succumb to putting it the bin. I kept having a look at it until eventually I decided to use one of Val Campbell-Harding's solutions. If you don't like it cut it up and reuse it. I didn't want to cut it up completely so instead I cut out the foxgloves from the background and edged it with satin stitch using green rayon thread. I tried laying it on different backgrounds until I found one which looked acceptable. It was some hand made paper which had different coloured threads embedded into it some of which complemented the green edging.

It needed something else. I decided to use text and machined out the name of the flower in a lovely cursive font stitched onto a white sheer. This was stitched onto the background as was the quilted foxglove - the finished piece

I felt much better now that I had rescued the piece. I have even kept the cut away background - you just never know!!

I also managed to get a few photographs in the garden in spite of the dreadful weather. The winter jasmine is blooming at the moment. here is one of the tiny delicate but obviously very robust flowers which survives all the snow and frost of late.

I am working on another piece now which- thank goodness- is looking good -so far!! So hopefully it will appear on the next post!!

Cheers for now everyone.