Melanie Testa

Sewing what I see.

I have been making the Gather your Sew-plies purses obsessively. I am on #8 and I have set a goal of making 30 of them. Really I have made 9, but I gave one away. 🙂 I have also been at home and focused for quite a few weeks, and it is time to stretch my creative muscles and to see what change will bring. So I packed up the latest Sew-plies purse along with some buckram and thread and I walked up to the Promenade to ‘sew (I mean draw) what I see’.

This little drawing took about 3 hours to do. The buckram provided a ‘grid’, which helped in ‘drawing’ straight lines. I brought two types of thread, straight sewing machine thread and #12 Aurifil Mako’ (which has become my favorite hand sewing thread), both in black. I don’t think this drawing is complete and I would love to try using the #12 Aurifil thread in this drawing. The two different sizes of thread will compliment one another nicely, I think.

On the walk home, I began to wonder if I need to paint the sky a light blue… hmmm.

I will be doing this again. I would love to stitch/draw some people, crowds, horizon lines. I need more buckram.

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  2. I love your skyline! How about a layer of voile or other sheer cotton on the back, ala Inspired to Quilt? You could paint your sky, people, water, hot dog & pretzel vendors on the cotton and layer the stitched buckram on top. Oh to possibilities! xo

    • Jeannie. I am trying to stretch myself and not turn to what I know. So, no layering ala Inspired to Quilt right now. I would like to spice my creative process up before integrating it.

      • I look forward to seeing what you do. I know that you will come up with something that smacks us up side the head!
        I had an epiphany this week. I always love Inspired to Quilt and actually started a piece with a quail theme. I had the stenciled background done and part of the organza. Then it was time to paint and draw. I chickened out. I let the critic win. Now that I have some drawing and painting skills exercised in both Stencil Magic and Dream Journals, I dug out that beginning and will carry it forward. Thank you!!!

  7. I think this is beautiful just as it is – maybe a bit more stitching to make it more robust; but I love the spare beauty of just stitch and buckram.