Mandala CCLXXXII, Sewing Pattern Figures

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXXII, Sewing Pattern Figures. Custom framed: 26" x 26".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Objects include:  A yellow child's 45 record on which sits a porcelain plate, a blue, aluminum ashtray, a yellow lid, and a large, pink shank button; more than thirty figures cut and laminated from the front of vintage sewing patterns; four decorative coasters; yellow hair curlers; orange rabies pet tags; bottle caps; souvenir spoons; plastic crystals from an old bracelet; assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

A dear friend is going through a tough time.  A relative refuses to move to an assisted living facility despite her failing health and forgetfulness.  The relative had once been a professional seamstress whose collection included hundreds upon hundreds of old sewing patterns.  These were recently given to me.  I found homes for some of them.  I kept some of them.  I cut out the figures on lots of them.  These were laminated and I used some of them to start this mandala.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXXII, Sewing Pattern Figures.)

Stitching through the lamination was easy but require a strong but very thin thread.  I had to cover up their feet because not all the figures were the same height!  I positioned them, however, with their heads along the same line ... right inside a ring of coral-colored buttons.  

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXXII, Sewing Pattern Figures.)

Also hiding the longer feet and obscuring the shorter ones is the ring of lavender buttons that were stitched along the edge of a yellow child's 45 record.  In the picture above, the red isn't really obvious but its there!  I drilled holes to line up with the holes in the porcelain plate ... all except for the one hole in the middle.  Yes!  I drilled another hole through a piece of porcelain.  It was needed in order to attach the blue ashtray, yellow lid, and the shank button.

 

(Above:  The pink chiffon scarf that protects the fragile quilt.  Picture taken when the work was under construction.)

Yet, as accomplished as I feel about drilling that hole, the thing that I'm most pleased about it the chiffon scarf.  All of my other Found Object Mandalas have a layer of tulle/netting over the quilt to protect the fragile seams and threadbare areas.  For some reason, I remembered having a stash of very sheer chiffon scarves.  In the past, strips of chiffon were fused over my Stained Glass and In Box creations but production of these things was discontinued a couple years ago.  I had to switch to strips of netting/tulle.  Very few people see this netting/tulle ... but when using the chiffon scarf, I can't even see it!  The scarves are 27" x 27".  I plan on using more of them!