Mandala CXII and CXIII

(Above:  Mandala CXII.  Custom framed. 17 1/4" x 17 1/4" when hung as a square; 24 1/2" x 24 1/2" when hung as a diamond. Found objects hand-stitched to a block of an old red-and-blue Dresden Plate quilt.  Found objects include: Lots of parts from a broken, antique adding machine; a glass lamp base; gold, plastic hangers for men's ties; keys; brass belt closures; four, plastic lids with thread labels and jingle bells; and buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

This is the last Found Object Mandala made on the red-and-blue Dresden Plate quilt.  It's been fun trying to hide the original hand stitching ... because it was never done very well.  I've liked thinking about the anonymous woman who probably hated applique work.  I'd like to think that she is smiling down from heaven, knowing that her quilt was transformed into art.  

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CXII.)

This piece, however, was inspired by a recent purchase from Bill Mishoe's Tuesday night "walk around" auction of used household "stuff".  One of the items that no other bidder wanted was a broken, turn-of-the-last century adding machine.  It had to have been state-of-the-art when first made.  Taking it apart required various sizes of screw drivers, lug wrenches, needle-nosed pliers, and finally a hammer ... because I never could figure out how to free the inner machine from its heavy, cast iron base without beating it until "things broke off". 

(Above:  Me taking apart an antique adding machine.)

There had to be more than seventy-five tiny, spiral springs ... and I still haven't freed the individually numbered key pads.  Dismantling this adding machine took almost a full day.  It was great fun!  My appreciation for the genius minds who invented late 19th and early 20th century machines increased with every passing hour.  It was strange to think about all the mathematical functions this machine was designed to do ... and how so many more were incorporated into my iPhone.  Truly, technology advanced by light years in a span of next-to-no-time at all!  The parts I retrieved were all so unique.  I'm glad that parts of this old machine will have a "second life". 

(Above: Mandala CXIII. Custom framed. 30 1/2" x 30 1/2". Found objects hand stitched to a section of an old, signature quilt.  Found objects include: Brown combs; pre-wound, paper sewing machine bobbins with white thread; a door lock; a ring from a towel hanger; orange and tan, plastic lids and aqua-printed lids from Arizona tea bottles; brioche molds from Sweden; laminated Tampa Nugget cigar bands; white, plastic "S"-shaped cafe curtain hangers; brackets for screen doors; brass grommet washers; brass knobplates; and buttons.)

This is the second Found Object Mandala made on an antique signature quilt.  When first cutting this quilt into quadrants, I seriously worried about the black thread used for the stitched names and initials.  I worried that I couldn't conquer the stark contrast and that these letters would stand out too strongly against any design of objects.  I stitched Mandala CVII with plenty of black-and-white layered buttons in an attempt to draw a viewer's eye away from the signatures.  In the end, I realized that it didn't even matter.  The objects do the trick on their own.  So, I didn't even worry about the contrast when stitching this piece.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CXIII.)

While stitching this piece, I thought about all the ladies whose names or initials were stitched to the surface.  I hope they are looking down from heaven and smiling too!  After all, I am intentionally trying to give "second life" to old things but I am also trying to pay homage to all those quilters and stitchers and collectors of "every day 'precious'" as well.  These names just add to the artwork.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CXIII.)

I am also grateful to all those people who are really helping in these quests.  This is the first of what will assuredly be many more Found Object Mandalas that has incorporated some of the great things I recently got from the local, Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity Re Store.  The manager is a friend.  He sent me a message saying that the available hardware had to be thinned out.  Much of it would end up in a dumpster headed to a landfill.  Of course I went.  The haul was AMAZING.  Not only did the screen door brackets and the brass knob plates come from the Re Store but the center door lock did too.  Using these didn't even put a dent into the stash I brought home that day!  I gave a monetary donation ... but seriously ... it was a paltry sum compared to the great things I got.