The Wishing Star

The Wishing Star

Mixed Wool and Poly Felt, Silver Embroidery Floss, Floss and Thread, acrylic medium

approx 6 1/2" x 9 1/2 "
84/100 in 100 days creative challenge

It figures that after the August Challenge where I attempted to create and post every day in August (I only missed a couple days) that I would collapse and not do anything for a couple of days.

Actually, that's kind of normal. Everybody needs a break. When you take on a big project you need to remember to relax, to rest, to rejuvenate.

You also need to remember to celebrate the accomplishments that you have made.

Now, I'm not actually done with my challenge. I still have 16 more pieces to do before I hit my 100 days. Hmm. I need to check those dates again to see where I am again. (Come to think of it, I want to make a new date book as one of those challenges, because I am just about done with my old date book.)

But back to my Wishing Star. I spent all day yesterday sewing it.

I'd been thinking about doing a piece of textile art for my gallery wall. My slowly growing gallery wall, that I want to be large and inclusive, but which I can't seem to finish with just any old thing. Nothing seemed to fit until I started thinking about wishes and found my silver thread. I have also a piece of cross stitching canvas that I was thinking about, but I decided to stay with a medium that I was comfortable with, since I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, exactly.

So I took out my gray felt and measured it up against the small painting on my wall, wanting it to echo the size, at least of that piece. Then I started sewing my star. And sewing some more. And some more. Building up the piece thread by thread.

Then I came up with the idea that I wouldn't just put it up there plain, but I would create a kind of mat and frame out of thread. I stitched the gray felt to the white felt with tiny navy stars. I stitched the word "Wish". Then I stitched the white to the black. And between each layer, I added gel medium, so that the piece would be stiff and wouldn't rumple. I had to do the stitching while the gel medium was still wet, or it would be really hard to sew. I know that from experience.

I also trimmed the layers of each fabric before adding the next layer, so the ovals would be relatively even. I did consider a rectangle square and mat, but decided I liked the oval better on the wall. Oh, lastly I blanket stitched a plain piece of gray felt to the back. And that really gave it a finished edge, made it look even more like a frame.

When I finished this and showed it too my kids, they said, "Wishing Star! Wishing Star! Put it up!"

So I did.

Here's my tiny gallery wall. I'll have to come back and fill in who did the lovely trailer and guitar man prints. The landscape is my own. I might also come back and add a hanger to my wishing star. What should it be? Black embroidery floss? Silver chain? Some sort of colored ribbon?

Anyway. I must go and run to work now. So no more jibber jabber for me.

Happy Holiday Weekend.