Mandala CCXXII

 

(Above:  Mandala CCXXII.  Custom framed: 41" x 41".  Found objects hand stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Objects include:  Twelve, bright orange squeaky crab toys; half of a birch bark container on which a metal medallion is stitched; a porcelain plate; brass hinges; orange and blue plastic lids; Tinker Toy connectors; honey tasters; textile loom perns/spindles; blue casino chips; antique Hill Toy yogurt lids; four (upside down) deco ashtrays; red Monopoly hotels; blue Mardi Gras doubloons; expired medical devices in clear/blue plastic containers; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Yesterday I blogged an almost forgotten Found Object Mandala.  Mandala CCXX was designed, stitched, mounted, and framed in a single day.  Okay ... it's small ... just 16" x 16".  Some pieces miraculously come together in short burst of time.  Mandala CCXXII isn't such a piece!  This one took weeks.

 

(Above:  The unfinished crib quilt.)

I knew it would take time from the moment I lay this vintage quilt top out on my floor.  I bought it at an antique mall for twelve dollars.  Generally, quilt tops don't interest me.  I need the quilt, as in the thickness and strength of three layers.  A flimsy quilt top just doesn't work as the substrata of a Found Object Mandala.  Yet, this one sort of called to me.  It was entirely hand pieced ... nice, straight, tight stitches.  The fabrics used weren't all ideal ... remains of a few dresses or other household fabrics that had outlived their usefulness.  This was truly "patchwork" ... the origin of modern quilting, the ultimate way to use and reuse what was on hand, the touch of yesteryear, the way "second life" resonated with some anonymous woman.  I had to buy it.  I ironed it.  In my stash, I found a never-opened piece of batting for a crib quilt!  Quickly, I stapled a piece of a vintage damask tablecloth to my stretch bar. Next came the batting, then the quilt top, and finally a layer of bridal tulle/netting over the top (to protect the fragile seams and areas of slight damage).  Then, I quilted it ... by hand.

 

(Above:  The piece in progress.)

After several evenings, I was ready for the found objects.  On the floor, I'd laid out the center, the brass hinges, the spindles/perns, the circle of crabs, and even the vintage yogurt lids.  I thought this would fill most of the area, leaving only the corners needing additional attention.  But, more space was left open.  I wasn't sure how I wanted to fill it.  The piece was leaned against the living room wall for more than a week.  I just looked at it, occasionally laying it flat and trying other objects.  I didn't like anything until curved lines of layered buttons occurred to me!  Voila!  I could finish the stitching!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXXII.)

After the last button was attached, I mounted the work.  Often, I know which framing material will by used by this point ... but not this time!  That took more thought ... and more time ... too!  I liked the slate bluish gray moulding a little but not a lot.  Finally it occurred to me that I needed the blue liner between the artwork and that bluish gray outer frame.  Of course, I didn't have a blue liner (and frankly, I don't even know of a company producing the perfect blue liner!) but a little acrylic paint did the trick.

 

(Above: Mandala CCXXII seen from the side.)

It's magical when a piece flows perfectly together in a single day, but it is also wonderful that some pieces need time for careful thought!  I'm really pleased with how this Found Object Mandala turned out!