Like Mandala CCXV, this piece uses another section of the 1841 signature quilt. I started the design before laying out the earlier piece but wasn't quite sure about it. I'm grateful that I have enough space here in my sanctuary-sized fiber arts studio to just let a design sit out in the open where I can look at it and contemplate the potential arrangement.
I moved the chiffon yoyos around for a few days. Finally, I knew what was wrong! I knew that I needed the two rings to be slightly different. Out came the large, metal washers!
Next came the challenge of attaching the round metal photo on the wooden plate ... and figuring out how to get the white checkers under the rim but still stitched in place. That took some time but not as much as the rabbit hole I went down trying to determine the age of the metal photo. I never did figure it out. I did, however, learn that photos were produced on metal back in the mid-19th century but it is unlikely that this one is that old. Why? Well, I browsed through plenty of over, similar photos on eBay and Etsy that certainly weren't from the 19th century. Odds are that there was a time in the mid-20th century where this was a popular way to display photos of ancestors. Still ... it is a nice picture with a great sense of nostalgia. Soon, I had the center of this piece entirely stitched. Again, I put it to the side and just looked at it. Something was missing!
The corners needed "something". This is how I often work. I design part of a piece, look at the results, and then determine how to finish it. The corner areas were done after a couple days of just looking and playing with other objects. I'm very pleased with the outcome. I'm also happy to show the picture above. This picture shows some of the handwriting on the quilt but it also shows the layer of tan bridal tulle/netting that went over the quilt before any of the objects were stitched in place. The tulle/netting protects the fragile, threadbare material.
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