Confetti

Earlier this year I started work on a series of designs that are inspired by my love of fabric and quilting and color. While I often find myself creating for the more whimsical side of myself, I am often drawn back to the need to explore color and shape and how they join together to create movement in a composition.  

A few of these new designs involve traditional quilt blocks or variations of those blocks. I really enjoyed translating those concepts to cross stitch. But, I keep coming back to another translation.

It all started with a six point star block and a nine patch block design. While I was satisfied with the way the design was coming together, I found myself staring at it thinking- "there's something else in there trying to get out."  So, I broke them apart--

--and pieced them back together.  

Grape Seeds

It started with Grape Seeds, worked in purples, mauves and creams. There was such joy in stitching this. I found surprises as it came together, the shapes changed throughout the stitching, parts disappearing and reappearing and then morphing into something else. When it was finished, each time I looked at it, I saw a different design. 

Trail Mix

With Trail Mix, I found that there were areas that  needed to be left open. The darker threads made this one a little heavier, and those spaces where the fabric was left peeking through lightened it up. 

And now, I'm working on a third. As of right now, I am titling it Confetti, but that might change by the time I finish stitching.  This piece in concept started as I was thinking of seasons and the colors associated with each and the way the colors of one season bleed into the next, but it evolved further and while there is still some of that 'seasonal change' thing in there, it has become more of a playground for color, letting things sort of fall as they may. It will change further as I stitch-- pieces of color being changed and shifted around as I go.

Starting detail for Confetti

Working chart for Confetti

So many threads and beads and fabrics to work with.

It's like one big jigsaw puzzle that I can work and rework again and again.