This theme was a bit of a challenge for me. I usually like to think of several approaches and make sure I don't go with the first three ideas. Unfortunately, I only could think of one idea and I did not like that idea!
This summer my friend came over to use my embroidery machine. While we were waiting on an embroidery completion she asked if we could organize my work room. No argument from me - we are not done but things are much tidier. In the process I found a very old screen print sample - I think it was done with a crayoned resist and some rather thick paint. I hung it in the corner of my design wall.
While thinking about the theme, I looked up and saw my little screen print. I thought about how I always seem to want to extend my own reach. I seem to always be taking classes and going to lectures on fiber arts as well as other topics. I decided my that my screen printed birds are flying off to reach a goal and that I should combine them with a variety of swatches I created in classes. Last March, I was lucky to be in a class with Leslie Tucker Jenison where we created all sorts of fun printed and colored textures on fabric and paper. We collaged the results onto a base using Misty Fuse. I enjoyed this way of working - I believe the stripes were created in that workshop using a gelli plate. The light blue fabric seems to be dyed silk from a workshop long ago. The green fabric may have been a wipe cloth from a dyeing or painting experiment. I added some couched needlepoint thread to two sides.
Hence I have an image of birds reaching off to the sky and me reaching off to constantly increase my skill set rolled in to one (and as a side benefit, a little completed quilt is so much more visually satisfying over random swatches and samples!)
