Down the Lane

I have a piece of fabric, 2ft x 2ft, I got it from the Scrapstore a couple of years ago, it's a William Morris design. The back of it is quite interesting. I decided to make a picture out of it, by sewing other fabrics, beads, sequins, vinyl, and other bits and bobs onto it. It's taken about six weeks to do. The idea I had in mind for it was a secret place in a forest. It's a fantasy picture.


This large lily flower is on the other side, I expanded it by adding pink flowers, metalic flowers cut from an aluminium drinks can and an empty tube of tomato puree, (they are gold on the inside), and outlined it in silver cord.


The grey flower is cut from another piece of fabric. I sealed the edge with PVA glue and added sequins, beads, and red cord.




The turquoise stems and leaves are made from an ironing board cover, and the green flowers are vinyl.




Just about all the materials I already had, except some of the beads I bought were necklaces from car boot sales. I am now making a frame for it out of recycled timber. I have a piece of glass from an old greenhouse, and a piece of hardboard for the back.

I enjoyed doing it. The pond gave me a bit of bother, I pictured something blue and shimmery. Tried fabric, and fused plastic, but found that blue and white mesh bags with silver ribbon, run over with the sewing machine lots of times, gave me the effect I wanted. The fish are made out of old credit cards, painted with nail varnish.

Might do another one.
Ilona

I absolutely love everything about it. The design and colours are great and it must look even more stunning when seeing the actual picture with it's different textures.
The time and patience that were needed was worth it.

As usual another lovely creation from you llona the colours are gorgeous its one of those things that can uplift you just by looking at it. Lindaxx

It is stunning, Ilona.

That really is very lovely, the colours and theme are brilliant, well done Ilona

You have a wonderful imagination and much patience and skill bringing it to life

I love that it's very creative and the final result is lovely.

Thank you. I am having trouble framing it, as it's non standard so can't buy an off the shelf frame. I have four pieces of timber which I recovered from an old arm chair I broke up and took to the tip. Sanded down the wood is lovely. I'm going to a friends house he has the right tools for the job and he can help me. I'm still in two minds whether to put glass in front of it or not. Most people say no glass because it's a textured piece, and tapestries aren't normally covered, but left as it is it will get dusty. I think it looks good behind glass, but it makes it very heavy and will need a robust wall fixing. Still thinking about it.

The next one will be smaller and I will choose the frame first.

I've been making shopping bags out of a set of curtains I got from a charity shop for £1. I can get 12 bags out of them.

Ilona

Totally in awe of your talent and imagination.

Heavy or not, I would go with the glass. It would be such a shame for it to get dusty, and very difficult to clean without possibly damaging it.

Changed my mind about the frame, thought of a good idea. No glass. Thinking about all the old tapestries in churches, they don't have glass in front of them.
Ilona

It's all finished. This is what I used for a frame, though the picture sits on top of it and isn't really framed.


It's a shoe rack, I've had it years, never used it for it's original purpose so it's clean. I screwed the two slatted shelves to a piece of hardboard, and used two of the uprights to extend it to the right depth.



I stuck an extra layer of fuzzy green stuff around the edge with PVA glue, to strengthen it. Along the top and bottom I used thick navy thread to tie it to the bars at one inch intervals. On the sides I used invisible thread to fasten it down.

I think this simple idea works well, it doesn't take the focus away from the picture. I'm chuffed with it.
Ilona

Ilona I wouldnt have thought you could have improved your ''tapestry'' but you have and by putting your own unique stamp on the frame it is beautiful and natural Lindaxx

Yes, that is an original way of 'framing' and enhancing it.

I bet the 'frame' was something else before, but can't guess what. Give us a clue.

It's Lovely Meanqueen!. And what a clever way to frame it. I could look at it for ages. Beautiful!

It was a shoe rack Mo.