Successful Construction Project and Two Hand-stitched In Boxes

(Above:  Me with the first two In Box Series pieces finished here at the Cateechee Mouse House!  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I finished the hand-stitching on both these pieces long before we moved on March 4th.  Both were stitched while I was riding in the cargo van ... going back and forth from Columbia to Cateechee ... but I never took my heat gun to them, never got them off the stretcher bar, mounted, framed, and photographed until yesterday.  Steve and I have been rather busy ... unpacking, working around the ever-so-neglectful contractor's unfinished work, cleaning, setting up my studio, figuring out how the space would function, and also tackling a construction project of our own.  (Additional information and detailed photos of these two pieces is further below!  Please keep reading and scrolling down!)

(Above:  Panorama of the chancel railing after Steve and I built the lower part.  Please note, this is a panorama ... which on an iPhone, curves the field of vision!  There is no curve as seen in the images below!)

Originally, this sanctuary had a stage.  From the beginning of this adventure, we knew something had to be done with this stage.  Why?  Well, the church hadn't seen a service since around 2018, and even for several years before that, it had only been used on Sundays.  The roof leaked onto the stage.  Feral cats entered the space through a broken crawl space vent. (Now closed!)  They left fleas in the dingy carpeting that covered the stage.  That carpet was probably installed when the stage was enlarged (though no one seems to know when that happened.)  From the start of our adventure, the architect's plan included the demolition of the stage.  The ever-so-neglectful contractor seemed to be ignoring this task ... until I decided to rip out the flea-infected carpet.

  

(Above:  The stage on the day I started ripping out the carpeting.) 

Ripping out the carpet made it obvious that the stage was once smaller.  The entire front curve was plywood.  Behind it was the same wood as the rest of the sanctuary.  The roof leak damaged the "good wood".  At this point, the contractor reluctantly agreed to the demolition.

 

 (Above:  After the demolition.)

Steve and I were glad that this stage was gone ... along with the fleas and the rotting wood.  A fiber arts studio really doesn't need a stage!  Yet, this area now presented other needs ... like a floor and a wall under the chancel railing!  After moving in, we contracted with a flooring company for copper colored, penny-shaped tiles.

  

(Above:  After Steve and I built the wall under the chancel railing and side pillars.)

After the tiling was finished, Steve and I tackled the wall under the chancel railing and pillars.  It turned out very, very well considering we were only using a jigsaw and a miter saw!  Slowly but surely, we measured, cut angles, and used our new nail gun.  We added the trim between the existing chancel railing and the new wooden panels and then added a baseboard.  Later, we added quarter round.

 

(Above:  Steve painting our construction project.)

Yesterday, Steve finished painting ... and it looks as if this was the way the sanctuary was built!  We are so pleased.

 

(Above:  In Box CDXLIII.  Framed:  19" x 15".  Embroidery floss on layers of polyester stretch velvet on black, recycled synesthetic felt with unique melting techniques. $375.)

I am really pleased to have finished these two, hand-stitched In Box pieces.  Mounting and framing them was like an exercise in "learning how to use the studio".  Steve and I asked one another questions like, "Where's the glass cutter?" and "Is the air compressor charged?", etc.  Now, we feel like we can function in this new space!  I still haven't solved the issue of "where to snap photos with even lighting" but that will come! 

 

(Above:  In Box CDXLIV. Framed:  19" x 15".  Embroidery floss on layers of polyester stretch velvet on black, recycled synesthetic felt with unique melting techniques. $375.) 

There is a difference between these two in the "fringe".  In one, I removed all the excess bits of melted felt.  In the other, I didn't.  I'm not sure which I like more.  If you've read this far, please leave a comment with your opinion!  Thanks!