In the words of a famous rabbit, 'Oh dear, oh dear I shall be too late'. Since receiving the commission for a gold and ivory fish time has just flown past. My time management issues have not been eased by the apparent lack of gold and ivory fabric in the world. The vision I have, in my minds eye, is a beautiful ivory and gold silk plaid or an embroidered silk, but there is none to be had. The single dyed fabrics that are available in the required colours appear visually drab. So with perseverance as my engine and hope as my fuel, H Jackson Brown Jr, I decide to make my own fabric. In keeping with the Raganory ethos of minimizing waste I reach for my rag-bag.
I select the relevant scraps of silk and piece them together mosaic style.
I think there is great potential for creating truly unique items as the resulting fabric can never be replicated exactly.
I wanted to try and make something small to assess the durability, strength and the overall aesthetics of the fabric and a finished item.
The fabric is a little fragile to handle, but that was to be expected as it is made from many very small pieces. However, I was surprised to find that it is robust enough to be woman-handled inside out and can undergo the stuffing process without a problem. I personally prefer a firm finish when stuffing which increases the pressure on the fabric. However, I am delighted to report that my little heart continues to hold its contents perfectly with no bulging seams and not a rip or tear in sight.
To state the obvious, the fish is nearly complete, just a few more processes to undertake, stuffing, embellishing and a general finishing off. I do love finding a potential treasure from what otherwise would have been discarded. I hope to complete all the fish and photography by Wednesday this week. It will be interesting to see which fish is chosen.
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