Challenge Project

Finally on Friday, my project "Seasons" for the Hello Dollies challenge was ready for presentation on Saturday... as usual, last minute touches were needed. I decided on a "flat doll" project, for this challenge which was to "create your own fabric" to make a doll from a basic pattern provided. I thought the stump doll pattern lent itself easily to the flat doll idea. I had been working on the idea for a long time, making all sorts of different fabric, most of which was rejected and has since found other uses. I finally settled on four bits of machine embellished and embroidered fabric to complement a piece of space dyed commercial fabric on which I had stamped face images.

Trying not to use anything other than what was in my stash, I chose a neutral coloured fabric for the background and gave it a bit of depth by going over the surface with a black fabric pastel with a textured mat underneath. My original idea was to have these dolls appearing to be standing under an archway, so I used a photo from a sandstone advertisement and with the fantastic technology of my computer, printer, and Lesley Riley's Artist Transfer Paper with a bit free form machine embroidery, the arches ended up looking a lot like stone.

The final piece was quite different from my original concept, which started out with a tree as the central image and a connection between the arches. I did make a tree, but didn't use it as it gave the whole project too many focal points. I have another idea for the tree!

Although I had this ready for the presentation, I am planning perhaps to have some branches entwining the arches and replacing the green felt back with some "seasons" themed poetry or sayings printed onto fabric. Still making those decisions... any good ideas?

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