#threadfullyyours

As aforementioned, we used our last swap as the basis for this piece. Specifically, we decided to create watercolor embroideries focusing on the insect in our last snail mail exchange. This created a literal swap in both the content and product; Allie’s embroidery depicts a butterfly native to Miami sent over by Michelle, while Allie’s butterfly that was collected in Chicago is the focus of Michelle's watercolor. Michelle’s choice of embroidery on paper contrasts with the experimental route of Allie’s watercolor on cloth. Stitched details are seen in both the butterfly wings and the background, with the colors of each piece inspired by the remaining objects from the samples received.

*disclosure: no insects were harmed in the process*

SUMMER TIME SWAP

Task: Dye strips of muslin in an onion dye bath and create a small weaving.

What better way to top off April than with a natural dye swap? With the all too familiar Easter egg dyeing ritual, we wanted to extend the tradition by creating our own dyes using onion skins. An extension to fiber arts, natural dyeing has been trending as of late & we are loving it! To begin, we had yellow in mind as the color for our natural dye. As we found, this layered veggie is more than just an instant trigger for some crocodile tears, rather, onion skin produces shades of gold, orange, and sand tones!

Happy New Year!

We both had a great first day of 2015 yesterday, and we hope you did too. Thanks all, for following our project!

As Millennials, symbols seem to be ever present in our daily lives, especially in the digital era. With emoticons and emojis integrating more into our language, both in handwritten notes and texts, we felt it to be a prevalent reference for our latest mini swap! These handheld woven pieces commemorate symbols of our generation, conveniently sized to a perfect square frame that all of us Instagrammers have grown far too familiar with. Whether it be a flashback to AIM, or to the present, emoticons are in themselves a way of expression to adorn a conversation, replace verbal written words, or adding a little extra something. 

Task: weave an 8 ½ x 11 piece using only white yarn. 

These weavings are considered an introduction to our project, and the weavers behind it. Using the same color palette, only white yarn, the focus of the weaving is on material type, pattern choices and structural techniques. The dimensions of the pieces are that of standard US letter paper, referencing a handwritten letter that is mailed from one weaver to the other. No exchanges regarding descriptions or images of the weavings were shared until each weaver received the other’s package via mail. Yet, both weavers were inspired by elements of letter writing: Allie by shifting paragraph blocks and Michelle by the written letter format.