Can one start out with the idea to make a boro? The impression I have (and I am not a scholar) is that boro evolve over many years and with, possibly, the work of many hands.
Having said that, I am hard at work on something I will only describe as "in the boro tradition."
I started with a pile of muslin that I almost threw away. It is the lining of a curtain that I bought with the plan of using the fabric to upholster some chairs for the back office. It took most of my spare time for a day to take it apart, then I soaked it twice before washing. The fabric came out great but the muslin backing was in shreds. Most of them were wide enough to work with so I broke my vows to 1) not save everything and 2) not start any new projects.
I have kept the vow to not buy anything new for this project. The floss I'm using is mostly from a box of white floss I bought at a mill end warehouse in 2004 and dyed a few years later. Some of the floss I have found at yard sales. The needle I'm using came from a yard sale bag. I tea dyed some of the lining muslin and some yard sale floss for color interest and added in some pink/orange/brown batik I had sitting out from another project.
So far I am loving this project. Every bit of it is handwork, almost all running stitch. The piece is in three layers and I am able to start and end each thread on the inside so the back looks almost as good as the front. The hand stitching is soothing and goes faster than one might think.
And I'm making something from nothing, finding usefulness in leftovers.
No comments:
Post a Comment