I found fabric that is new to me and I couldn't leave the store without it. It came in about a dozen color ways, and I couldn't decide which I liked best-you're probably getting the idea-so I bought fat quarters of most of them. As usual, I didn't have a clue what I would do with them but knew I had to have them! Sound familiar? They are called 'Monet' by Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Ooo, laa, laa!
What a pretty color wheel! Right? I thought these would work with one another very well.
I checked out some of Monet's paintings to get inspiration for the landscape I would make with these.
This one stood out because it seemed easy to see how to use the fabrics' in my version and I could use the Sanibel Lighthouse as a feature. (The Hirdie Girdie Gallery where I show my work, is nearby.)
This is Monet's Twilight, Venice, aka Sunset, Venice. Monet began painting it in 1908 while on a trip to Venice with his wife, Alice,He finished it four years later at Giverny. It depicts the monastery island of San Giorgio, painted from the south-eastern end of Venice. Measuring approximately 26" x36" it is owned by the National Museum Cardiff, which is the national art gallery of Wales.
I am not trying to make a 'Monet' but used this scene and the fabrics for a chance to play with color and with some entirely different fabrics. I am not sure that I will keep my version as it is. I cut wiggly strips of colors according to Monet's sky and stitched them in place with monofilament thread. The water is one whole piece of fabric with the exception of the lighthouse reflection. Straight stitching on the water was done with a walking foot. I don't recall the brand or name of the fabric I used for the water, sorry. Finally, I put hand dyed sheer silk over some of the sky area, fused a few spots with tiny dots of Spun Fab fusible, stitched around the outer edges with monofilament, and used a snipper to trim the silk very close to the stitching. Unfortunately, the photograph doesn't show the sky and lighthouse as well as its show in person.
I hope you enjoyed this little story about playing like Monet. He used oil paints, of course, but I think I'm much luckier to be able to use fabrics.
Here's some other very important stuff:
New products have been added to my store: www.landscapesinfabric.com/store
Still have openings in my schedule for you and a friend or two to have a custom class at my Eden Prairie, MN home.
Still looking for a few fun-loving sewists for my landscape class at Dragonfly Retreat, August 5-10, 2018
Happy Sewing, Have a meaningful and safe Memorial Day.
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