Staying true to you, embroidered bowl!

I’ve been soul searching of late….i love creating using fabrics but I find trying to make a living at it extremely hard going.

I recently hired a stall for a week and found out the hard way that trying to sell items that people can buy in the shops is soul destroying.

So what do you like to make, I asked myself?! I like creating fabric the most. I am happiest if I am dyeing, sewing crazy patchwork, free machine embroidery, hand embroidering and embellishing fabrics.

Well do that then!

So along came my idea for a free machine embroidered bowl.

I rooted out my stash of thick washaway film and loaded it up with thread and fabric waste (!) with a few leaf shaped pieces of hand felted felt.

Then ontop a layer of gold fabric mesh. This then was hooped ready for leaves to be free machine embroidered on to.

You have to go over your sewing lines several times as they will not hold the shape once the washaway film has been wetted out.

I usually go over board at this stage as I find it very hypnotic and soothing! So I was strict with myself and stopped.

I ran the hot water into the sink with the plug in and slipped the embroidery in. I use hotter water as this film is thick.

I then placed it over an upside down bowl using it as a mould. As I’m smoothing it over I am thinking I don’t like this but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Anyway leave it to dry.

When it was dry I really didn’t like it! OK not to worry it can be saved….i re-wet it and left it to dry flat. So what is wrong what can I do to bring this back…how about adding more embroidery? How about adding fabric? How about just putting it your sample sketchbook!

As you can see I added some hand felted leaf shapes.

To make it easier to add the fabric and embroider on top I sandwiched it between some more washaway film. The bowl would also need more of the film as it acts like a glue too. The film allows the shape to fix into the shape of the mould when wet and left to dry.