dorisL

Venetian mosaic – sashing, borders, bosses, and cornerstones!

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I am creating the 6 inch squares that will be placed in each corner of the sashing and border of the quilt. This means that I am almost, almost ready to start making a sandwich of each quadrant in preparation of machine quilting.

Next Steps:

  • Cutting sashing and border fabric
  • Stitching the cornerstones or bosses
  • Stitching the border to quadrants
  • Stitching part of the sashing to each quadrant
  • Pressing the backing and top
  • Making a sandwich
  • Machine quilting each quadrant
  • Joining each quadrant to make the finished top
  • More quilting in border and sashing
  • Blocking
  • Binding
  • Label

In the photo below I am still working on the triangle shapes and trying to decide if they need a border. Of course they did! There was more work and stitching ahead!

The photo shows the drafting process to make six inch square mosaic tiles that will be placed at the intersection of border and sashing.

I wasn’t planning on such a large quilt. I guess this is what happens when you design as you go! It has evolved to be what it needs to be.

Stitch Meditation – Day 41 and 42

Inspiration / By

The colours of this stitch meditation are rich and luscious! The hand dyed hot pink varying slightly making it just a little bit more interesting than a flat colour. Layers of black knots tying it in with the darker gray cotton. The piece of repurposed silk sari fabric has a shimmer of pink while also tying into the lighter grey. It is tied together with the hand dyed pink perle cotton. I don’t usually sit back and study the piece I’ve stitched to analyze why it works. Having the time and perspective makes you realize that following your instincts can lead you in the right direction.

shades of grey, hot pink and iridescent blue scraps embroidered by Doris Lovadina lee toronto ontario quilter
Hand dyed cotton, shot cotton, repurposed sari silk, hand dyed perle cotton

I am fortunate that a friend gave me a bag of silk and upholstery fabrics that I have been using in some stitch meditations. They are so gorgeous and often times reversible — the colour varying slightly from front to back. These delicate fabrics are precious snippets

black/grey fabric stitched with hand dyed grey, black and red a 5 inch stitch meditation journey square by Doris lavadina-lee toronto artist
Repurposed silk, hand dyed cotton, shot cotton, perle cotton

Stitch Resources

  • Blogpost: What is Intuition from Psychology today
  • Article: Karen Broude interview: Motivated by Intuition in TextileArtist.org

Don’t second guess yourself, close your eyes and pick a colour – One stitch at a time!

Stitch Meditation – Day 39 and 40

Inspiration / By

There are quite a few articles about the benefits of slowing down your thoughts with traditional meditation. For many people mentioning the word meditation brings about a negative reaction. I’ve heard: I can’t do it, it doesn’t work for me, I’ve tried it but I wasn’t successful and so many more. Meditation was and is a difficult concept for me to grasp. Quietly lying down or sitting comfortably and trying to empty your mind! How is that even possible! No way I can’t do it! Who can! I’ve had only a very few times I think I can say that meditating worked, maybe.
That’s why having having something more specific to focus on — like a hand stitching project makes the idea of meditation a little easier to understand. I know that I’ve lost track of time, my discomfort, and those around me (child and husband) when I focused on my sewing. I am in my happy place — making.
An article I discovered by Monika Auch a Naturopathic doctor and artist talks about “creating with your hands makes you happy”. She has an inventive project where you stitch your brain!

pale blue gauze stitched with patches of indigo dyed cloth by Canadian Textile artist Doris Lovadina-Lee
Hand dyed cotton, indigo, hand dyed perle cotton, metallic thread


Stitch your Brain an international embroidery project: “Creating with your hands makes you happy. Embroidery, knitting, weaving, crochet and other craft activities release feelings of well-being in our brains.” Is this what a successful meditation session feels like?
You can map what your brain looks like to you. Join the project and embroider your brain on a printed canvas using: yarn, threads, beads, with any types of stitching, anything! Finished pieces are on tour throughout Europe and some are on display on the website. Meditate on your brain – such an interesting project!

white background stitched with purple, pink and blue scraps a stitch meditation by doris lovadina lee toronto artist
Repurposed linen, hand dyed cotton, gold foil, hand dyed perle cotton

Stitch Resources

  • Video: Monika Auch 25 April 2017 lecture on – Art Knowledge: our senses in art and scientific experiment (in Dutch)
  • Website: Stitch Your Brain – is a project and study by Monika Auch, visual artist and medical doctor (n.p.) about the intelligence of our hands and the effect of creative making on health and well-being.

Brain health – One stitch at a time!

Preparation of 5 inch squares for the 100 Day Stitch Meditation Project

Inspiration / By

I’ve been preparing the squares for the 100 Day Stitch Meditation Project before the actual stitching. I’ve found that this works for me as I can pick up and work on different squares as I feel inspired. I may not complete one before starting another and then finishing the first!

stitch meditations finished and unfinished in a heap by toronto artist dora lovadina-lee

Some observations:

  • I use far fewer layers in my meditations than others
  • My squares are simpler
  • I create in similar colour combinations as you can see below
grey square with smaller red, pink and black patches on top held with pins
Cotton – hand dyed and commercial
black sparkly fabric with curved grey and red half circles and a black strip a stitch meditation unfinished
Hand dyed cotton, repurposed silk

Preparing for stitch meditations – one square at a time!

Scraps to mosaics

Quilting / By

I’ve spent some time not working on my Venetian Mosaic project. I just needed to do a little sewing that didn’t require concentration, was simple and mindless.

Pulling out my scrap boxes, yes boxes, and pulling out a project I began a few years ago. I strip pieced on a foundation of paper ripped from an old telephone directory I’ve had around for a while.

Piecing tip: old telephone directories make a great foundation to stitch through. (Just make certain they have aged so the ink doesn’t transfer to your fabric when pressing!)

It was an opportunity to use up the many scraps that I’ve accumulated. They never seem to decrease!

 Storage Tip: If you keep the fabric strips together from a single project, they will absolutely look good together!  

 

What would you choose? All white or a variety of colours for the solid triangle?

Venetian Mosaic Block: shaping up

2 Comments / Fibre art / By

This is one of four large blocks I’ve been working on for a long time. That is to say, I started this project a long time ago and then put it away for a long time! I recently pulled it out again, last winter, and thought I could have it pieced and quilted by the end of March this year. As you can see, that did not happen!

Circular medallion design bordered by a striped fabric by dorislovadinalee.com

The quilt is based on marble mosaic floors I saw in Italy. I took many photographs and purchased a few postcards that inspired these original designs. And, because they are original, I am designing and drafting the quilt. Mostly as I go. I did have an overall plan, but not all the details.

detail mosaic striped border by doris lavadina-lee canadian artist

All four of the medallions are pieced and the circle into a square striped border have been stitched.

back of paper pieced mosaic block

Fabric still needs to be trimmed and some paper pieces can be removed. The four triangles for each medallion have been designed and colours chosen. To date, I have 2 and 1/2 triangles completed. The new deadline is still March, now of 2020. I am a bit more optimistic that the quilt can be completed. I plan on machine quilting it myself and will quilt each quadrant separately and then join the four together.

Large square with circular design bordered by 2 triangles

Wish me luck!

Stitch Meditation – Day 37 and 38

Inspiration / By

Working with little bits of textiles that would normally be discarded is immensely satisfying. A strip of linen/rayon torn off the edge, embroidered with French knots anchoring it to the blue and white fabrics. Random seed stitches in a cotton thread finer than the hand dyed perle cotton. Textures and colours, gauze, velvet, lightness and luxurious depth!

Day 37 stitch meditation using white cotton, hand dye blue cotton and indigo linen/rayon
Hand dyed cotton, indigo linen/rayon, cotton, thread, perle cotton
100 day stitch meditation piece hand embroidered gauze, cotton and velvet in shades of blue toronto artist doris lee
Hand dyed blue cotton, indigo dyed velvet, white gauze, perle cotton

A beautiful indigo dyed silk velvet strip was cut off to straighten the edge of a shawl. So silky and intense in colour, I incorporated it into this stitch meditation.

Stitch Resources

  • Article: Susan Ball Faeder: 100 days of amulets. Okan Arts Blog, August 22, 2019
  • Website: Quilter’s Express to Japan: Textiles & Fibre Art. Website by Susan Ball Faeder

Repurposing – One stitch at a time!

Stitch Meditation – Day 35 and 36

Inspiration / By

Summer has just ended but the feeling of inertia has not! I have gotten out of the habit of quietly stitching.

Day 35 of the 100 day stitch meditation project a 5 inch square of repurposed silk, hand dyed green cotton and organza ribbon
Hand dyed cotton, repurposed silk, cotton thread, organza ribbon
5 inch light blue cotton hand dyed and white gauze attached with blue and pink hand dyed perle cotton
Hand dyed cotton, gauze, hand dyed perle cotton

These two blocks show that simple stitches and just a few of them can create a striking design.

Stitch Resources

  • Blog: Knotted Stitches. “Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Jun 2017. Web. 5 Sep 2019. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knotted_stitch.

Creating, simply – One stitch at a time!

Stitch Meditation – Day 31 and 32

Inspiration / By

The sunnier and warmer days have brought on a lull to all the busy activity of the spring. Slowing down and taking the time to do nothing has been important. A few pieces have been stitched but not all photographed. It seems to require a lot of effort that can be better enjoyed with family and friends.

Hand dyed fabrics embroidered onto 5 inch square by doris lovadina-lee textile artist Toronto canada
Repurposed silk, hand dyed silk, linen/rayon and cheescloth
white linen square with indigo strips of various widths couched and cross stitched onto fabric by dora lavadina lee toronto ontario
Repurposed indigo, indigo cotton and perle cotton

Stitch Resources

  • Website: The Seasoned Homemaker blog and shop by Leslie Rutland
  • Pinterest: Inspiration board with ideas from the web by Doris Lovadina-Lee
  • Blog post: Slow Stitching, No Bitching! by Anne Marie The Beadful Life

Staying cool and creating – One stitch at a time!

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