Hi all!
This is the first in my new dream pillow series entitled "Hydrangeas." This is for you, Paula! And thank you for the wonderful idea! What a fun thing this is going to be! Hydrangeas have always been one of my favorite flowers, and I really like making these pillows. I love the idea of functional art, especially in this rotten economy. I feel like these pillows do double duty: you get a mini quilt and a comfy, pretty thing all in one.
The quilt, is, of course, a pocket that holds an herbal sachet. In making the blossoms I have used only hand dyed or sun printed fabrics. When I dye fabric I sometimes scrunch it up to get a great mottled affect. Sun printed fabric is white cotton treated with a sun sensitive paint. You paint the fabric, lay objects on top of it, ( in this case, hydrangea blossoms) and leave it out in the sun till it dries. You get the most wonderful image of the object on the fabric. I have had this particular fabric for almost a year; I am so happy to be able to use it! This particular quilt is only lightly stitched; I don't know if that will change or not. I was a little afraid to lose the intensity of the flower image in this one. I am having fun with highlighting and adding detail with my watercolor pencils!
You know, I really love flowers, and I have always shied away from working with them in my art. That reminds me of something I read a long time ago. It was about an artist who never painted flowers although he or she loved them, and it was because it was it was such a cliche kind of subject, like ALL artist painted flowers, so I'm not. Isn't that stupid, and that's exactly what I've been doing. Like it's too girly to work with flowers, or something equally dumb. NO MORE!!! I am out to conquer flowers, and I'm starting with hydrangeas. Look for 7 more pillows. Later!