Through the Leaves

I've been finishing up samples from former workshops. They are 3/4 finished so little has to be done and they work up into nice little pieces. If our PTA group exhibits at Pisgah again this year, this type of piece fits well. I used to teach several workshops in machine needlelace; this was one of them. In this workshop, students did machine lace inside appliques of medium size; this was one of the steps in the process. 

 It needed something in the center so I added a silkscreen of a tree - I'm so predictable.

 The screen itself was a little fuzzy in areas so the print was not super clear - I liked that effect.

 I used a screen which filled a good portion of the center.

 It needed more so I went back with gold metallic paintsticks and Lumiere paint to highlight areas of the tree. I also used a black, very fine Pigma pen to outline some of the tree. The leaves were machine appliquéd and the entire piece - free motion quilted.

 I decided to mount this piece on burlap and wrap it around a 16" x 20" canvas. I liked the
roughness" of the burlap as it worked well with the organic feel of the leaves.

 It was wrapped and stapled to the back of the canvas and then covered with a fabric to make a nice, clean finish. Picture frame wire was added for hanging purposes.

And the finished piece.