Textured Journeys

This was my first umbrella and I enjoyed the challenge of working in 3 dimensions where both sides of the work are viewed.

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One day in the summer of 2015 - the summer without rain here on the 'wet' coast, I came across a discarded umbrella frame that was overgrown and entwined with ivy and ferns.

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Materials: fiber-reactive dye for silk organza; acid dye for silk dupioni used for the ivy; silk organza for body; thickened fiber reactive dye  used with hand drawn and cut fern stencils on the outer layer and thickened discharge medium for hand drawn and curt fern stencils on the inner layer or organza.

Techniques: 2 layers of silk organza layers make up the body.   The 8 panels of top layer are hand dyed then thickened dye was used with my fern stencils and the panels were sewn together.  The inner layer has tambour embroidery arabesques.