Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Scrim and Sea Grass

Last time I talked about wanting to tone down that sea star a bit.

So I turned to a fabric called scrim which is used in the performance industry to obscure an area of a stage.  Scrim has the wonderful characteristic of appearing sheer when lit from behind and opaque when lit from the front.

Well, actually, I didn't have any scrim which is a little bit more finely woven though still very loose, kind of like a higher-thread count cheesecloth.


It's cotton and very easy to dye.  I used fabric markers to add a few deeper shades of brown to my pre-dyed cheesecloth. The fibers pull apart easily which makes it a very versatile material to use.  Loosely tacking the strands in place with invisible thread allows the fibers to slightly tone down the shine of my star...



The other fiber I played with yesterday was a cotton thread by Thread Gatherer called Sea Grass.  How lucky ~ there's actually a thread called Sea Grass!


In a pile like this, it really does look very grassy.

Sea Grass has a matte and washed-out look which makes it perfect for beach scenes. Unfortunately, when stitched (see the cretan seam treatment below), it retains its matte appeal but loses its "grassiness".


I wanted to use the thread as real grass so I decided to stitch it some grass as a seam treatment in the upper right corner of my block.

I used a turkey work type stitch to secure the blades of grass in place then used my scissors to angle the tips of the blades of grass.



The great characteristic of this woven cotton thread is that it did not fray at the tip when cut so you can really taper each "blade" to appear as real grass. Wonderful!

Here's how the block looked at the end of yesterday...



Hope your weather is as beautiful in your world as it is in mine today.

See you next time!

28 comments:

mary ruth in NC said...

I really like your block. And your sea star is awesome.

Thanks for sharing your techniques.
Mary Ruth

Cari said...

I was unaware that Thread Gatherer has this wonderful fiber. I think if I won a lottery I would buy ALL their threads...one of each color and type!! Your piece is amazing. WOW

Nana said...

I always enjoy visiting your blog and I love seeing your work grow.

Nana

Laurel's Quill said...

Just keeps getting better!!!

SharoninStitches said...

Glorious!

Lorraine said...

It gets better and better!

Wendy said...

This block is coming alive under your creative hand. I love coming here and soaking up all the information on your finds. The sea grass thread is an awesome find and looks to be very versatile. Thanks for sharing about it.

coral-seas said...

More beautiful grasses and I love that the thread is called sea grass. I love all of the whisps of flopson and jepson exactly like you find along the shore line.

Heather M. said...

My thought as I read this post, is that you really are an artist. I'm enjoying this block very much.

magicmoonmusings said...

Your inventiveness never ceases to leave me in awe, combined with how elegant every single piece you produce looks. So, so beautiful. Thanks for sharing your techniques.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Thank you for sharing more of your beautiful work. It's really amazing watching your pieces come together.

FlowerLady

FLOWER FRIEND said...

Your sea grass looks so real. It looks just like the grass we can see on our sand dunes around the uk coast, and don't you just love the word scrim. It sounds like a seasidey word.You have chosen some great materials for this piece Susan.

CREATIVE KHADIJA said...

Waoo..I am always a fan of your awesome photographs specially!
nice project going on..keep sharing!

Cathy Lloyd said...

Such inspiration! Always enjoy stopping by! Thanks for sharing your wonderful talent!

Oriel said...

Your masterpiece keeps getting more amazing. In New Zealand we are just waking up and it looks as if we are in for a cold day - a good day to say inside and craft!!

Suztats said...

The cheesecloth works perfectly to make the starfish look as though it's lying on the sea floor!
I've been away, and I've missed your posts. Love that lace along the top, and your grass seam treatment. Fabulous starfish!

Createology said...

Our weather is blissful. Your new sea grass thread is very interesting and your grass blades are very fun. This block is really coming along from sea to shining sea. Wonderful weedend Susan...

Catherine said...

Simply beautiful....

Sheila said...

Susan, this is really neat looking! Great job!

Sweetpea said...

....as always, captivated by your curiosity that leads you from one experiment to the next. I like how you ask questions of your materials...!

Ingrid Mida said...

These posts are tantalizing windows into your creative process. I just love watching the work develop. The weather is also beautiful in Toronto and the coming week is supposed to be glorious.

Tsetsgee said...

Wooow! So beautiful:)

Maddie Can Fly said...

I don't know if I've told you thank you, but THANK YOU. For your clear, crisp, close up pictures; for sharing all your techniques, and for such a great blog!

Rachel said...

The scrim has had a very subtle effect - just right!

Unknown said...

Don't think I have abandoned you... You are an artist. Love what you've done to both this and your january block.

MeganH said...

The cheesecloth fragments really help integrate the starfish into the piece, :-)

Mirabilys said...

It's so gorgeous! I love the way you study the subject, playing with the colors and the forms, being so close from the nature, finding treasures...
I really really love your work, it's like dreaming!
Have a lovely day Suzan!

Unknown said...

So beautiful! I just learned something new!
Hugs Marilou

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