Disaster! My embroidery machine has broken down, and because it’s the holiday season and because we still have a snow problem here in the Highlands, it’s going to be a long time before I can get it down to Edinburgh to be fixed. So at the moment I’m spending all my time drawings and digitising, but because I can’t do any stitching there’s nothing new to show
So I thought I’d go through some old things I have in my files, and the first thing that came to mind was a series of leaves, suggested by Cherri and inspired by a visit to the Eden Project in Cornwall (http://www.edenproject.com/index.php). If you’re not familiar with the Eden Project, it’s a spectacular series of huge domes filled with plants from all around the world, and there’s no better place to see a stunning variety of beautiful tropical leaves. I spent hours there filling up sketchbooks with drawings. The leaf shapes themselves are usually very simple but the detailing of leaf colours and veining can be dramatic. So the designs that were inspired by the leaves were also very simple in shape and concept
Some of the Eden project leaves as stitched by Cherri. The leaf shapes are very simple: it’s the choice of fabric that gives them character
The only problem with these leaves is that they’re a bit indeterminate and vague in shape – they just sort of fizzle out at the stem ends. They desperately need organising into larger patterns, and that’s just what Cherri did with this brilliant cushion. She stitched the leaves on to a simple leaf print and added a few embroidered insects from another of my old collections, and the result is truly tropical in feeling
Tropical cushion by Cherri Kincaid, using the Eden Project leaves
Yes, I had forgotten, I did give that pillow to David! I have more of the fabric here somewhere and I should make another!
Posted by: Cherri | 12/26/2010 at 01:57 PM