Thursday, July 9, 2009

Sunset Collage - Stage II





I've finally managed to figure out how to attach the different rolls of paper to the substrate. This was much more difficult than I'd imagined. It's not a matter of simply gluing or stitching rolled up papers to a background. There was a lot of measuring and marking involved. Any pencil markings must be done on the back side of the substrate because it is not possible to successfully erase marks from this paper.

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I chose a grass green paper as my base. You will notice that the back side of the substrate is a different color than the front. That is because this paper is actually 2 sheets of differently colored paper bonded together. It results in a substrate sufficiently strong enough to resist tearing during stitching. I have also utilized this "reversible" feature as a design element in my paper quilts, which can be viewed in previous posts.
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Then, I needed to hand-baste guide lines onto the substrate so I would be able to see, on the front side, where I'd need to attach each roll to allow the rolls to butt up to each other evenly. I executed the basting using thin, black thread and a very fine needle.*

I have now completed sewing the rolls a distance of 1/2" apart from each other, using about a 2" line of stitching. My intent is to allow room near the sides of each roll where I will add a line of gold thread to make it appear as though the rolls are roped together. I haven't yet decided how I will attach the gold "roping". I'll have to play around with a prototype that I've been using all along to work out the kinks ahead of time. *When sewing on paper, one must be mindful that each stitch, even if removed, will leave a small hole in the paper which could be visible on the finished piece.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. If you have ever done something like this and have any hints for me, I'd love to hear from you.

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