The TIF Challenge

As it's the New Year Sharon B. has set the first Take it Further Challenge for the 250+ participants, see my sidebar link.

We have the choice of designing something in fabric or paper using the key concept or the colour scheme Sharon proposes on the first of the month, and then blogging our process and hopefully a finished item by the end of the month. This time we have been asked to consider what or who we admire as the concept, and a colour palette which includes a purple, olive green and a lighter green. People have already started blogging their thought processes, while others are still digesting the challenge. I've started to write "lists" but I'm not quite ready to share them just yet, they are WISP's already, LOL. But I thought I'd share an exercise I did with Effie Mitrofanis at the Embroidery By Design course at the NSW Embroiderers' Guild a couple of years ago.

We were asked to make a collage of things that meant something special to us, first in paper and then interpret it in some stitching. The photo shows my stitched collage, and I will explain a few items.

I used a furnishing fabric in a "Regency stripe" as a tribute to my interest in that historic period. The cat on the lounge (sofa) pays homage to my pet and also my favourite spot to spend time relaxing. The lacy fan, made from painted lace with toothpick sticks, refers to my lace and costume interests, while the little quilted heart motif is of course about my love of patchwork. The Manolos shoes, well, every girl would want them if
a. she could afford them and
b. she had small dainty feet (which I don't, LOL). The laughing couple in the bed is a symbol of my relationship with my DH, while the theatrical lighted mirror around us refers to our theatrical past as we acted for a while when we were first married. The William Morris style fabric foliage in the centre was a piece in my stash that I liked and seemed to tie the collage together.

I'm still sifting though my thoughts, but this style of work has some possibilities.