My original sketch
My intention was to make an embroidered piece. Until I went through my fabric stash and found this beautiful scrap that looks like a sunset. The fabric is dyed this way and looked like a stunning and somewhat foreboding sunset.
Tea and planning and more planning.
All the fabrics are scraps from sewing projects, in particular here a cloak (the plaid) a shirt (the pink linen) a bag (the yellow and green) and last but not least an old sheet. The challenge was making the pieces fit into a landscape with the sizes and odd shaped.
Placement decided and placed in an embroidery hoop.
The fabric is all held with embroidery stitches to look somewhat like flora and inspired by many pictures of Scotland on Pinterest. The figure is felt applique, mostly because I was at a loss of how to effectively trace out the shape and embroider over the appliqued fabric. The skirt and the bodice/head are two separate pieces. I embroidered the stitches for the tartan and the shawl before appliqueing the pieces to the background...and the hair...I'm pleased with how it came out for a first attempt, just don't look at the back. The stitches for the hair are just under then wrapped over the flat piece so that non of the felt shows through and to give it dimension.
I decided to leave the stones and the house out of the finished piece because the sunset fabric captures that feeling of being alone, longing, and looking toward uncertainty much better than the rather literal representation of the standing stones and the warmth of the house.
For the full feeling hum the Skye Boat Song.
