Writing this blog forces me to examine my choices. In order to explain the process to you, I must first explain it to myself. And it’s become an invaluable record of my thought process and technique. Each posting gets written as it’s happening….but not POSTED as it’s happening. Keeping it ‘live’ would be just too nerve-wracking. This post was written while I was still in Seattle, waiting for Spoonflower to ship my print. While I was waiting, I experimented with the figures that shall go on the edges.

Of course, not all of you readers check in every single week, which must lead to more confusion (“wait - what is she doing??”). So, just to be clear, the figures in this week’s post are meant for the multi-cultural border around my Opus, like this:

Here’s how the border figures are coming along:

The actual Paracas figures (above left) have a cotton center with double-loop covers. Let’s try multiple wool felt layers with cloth scrap covers (above right)….hmmmm: no. Well, maybe the middle one.

This one has a green skirt and hat cut from an old sweater scrap. The gold shirt is sewn with wool in repeated rows of blanket stitches. Sort of works. But this border will have figures from many different cultures. Let’s try some of the others:

First attempt at Rajasthani puppet figures…

No. Just NO. We don’t HAVE to have a Fiji figure….but we are making progress (below):

(Above) Instead of just cutting out full human forms, I’m now making separate torso/head combos with  individual arms and legs. And my sister Claire knit 2 tiny little sweaters for me to use!

By attaching the arms and legs later, when I’m actually working on the border, I can position each figure more easily.

Claire’s other sweater is on my version of an Inuit doll. I’ll add fur later. For now, both of them are bundled up so I don’t lose any stray limbs:

While I was in Seattle, there were so many materials back home in my NJ studio that I could’ve really used! But since I was creating these away from my stash, it seemed most realistic to stop trying to make clothing and focus on creating the best hands and faces that I can sew (below):

So, I sit by the window and try various cotton and wool threads. I try different stitches. I’ve been obsessing over the hands:

Uh…that one should read ‘fingernails’ not toenails…I’m sewing something smaller than my thumbnail, and not doing badly, but LOOK at the hands on this Paracas figure:

The hand (outlined) has perfectly detailed fingers with fingernails! (showing the fingers closed in over the palm, with the thumb along side). The feet not only have toes and toenails, they have tattoos! And if I’ve figured my numbers correctly, these figures are the same size as mine. HOW DID THEY DO THAT?? Really, the stitching here is every bit as sophisticated as the sewing on Opus Angelicanum.

wait…what?

Yes, Diane, the Paracas Textile is every bit as sophisticated as Opus Angelicanum.

So why have I been looking for shortcuts? Why did I automatically assume that the center would take months of extra careful stitching, and the figures on the edge would be easy fun? The center would be REAL work, but those figures on the edge, the ‘other’ well, that could be easy little dolls, right?  A little unconscious bias there? I’m going to have to design each figure, have it printed out and then fully embroider each one. For now, I’m trying to embroider hands and faces on different backgrounds, with different threads.

The figures on the edge must be sewn just as meticulously as the center figures, or the whole project is a sham. Oh, this really will take the rest of my life…

contact me at dianesavona@aol.com