Sep 1, 2010

My Backside Exposed

I thought I'd take a moment today to show you the backside of this original sampler.  First, the front:
These samplers are printed on a relatively thin white cotton (so are the new ones, with the exception of the pinks) and I like to back mine with another piece of fabric.  People often tell me it would be a good opportunity to use interfacing, but I disagree.  Firstly, I don't ever have interfacing at my house.  Secondly, I like the way another piece of fabric looks and drapes.  Thirdly, I have a feeling that whatever interfacing is made out of is not archival and I'd like to think my work will be around for awhile.   So,  I use another piece of fabric.    My friend Ursula uses silk organza (fancy!) but I tend to use whatever cotton is around.  I like to pick a piece that is beautiful since I'll be looking at it a lot while I'm tying knots back there.  For the first sampler, I used this vintage kids calico:
You can tell by looking that the back is not necessarily very neat.  It's the back!!!!  No one but me is looking back there!!!!  Well, except you are now, I suppose.    Some of you might have taken a home economics class in which you learned that embroidery is meant to look equally neat on front and back and not contain any knots.   I took a home economics class in which I learned how to make chocolate chip cookies and venison jerky (again, Michigan) so I've never been concerned much for the neatness of the back.  If you take a look at my website, you'll find that I am at times a reckless sewer.  Do I know how to make a french knot look perfect on the front?  Yes!   Do I care if there's at tangle on the back?  Not really.  In fact, often I like for there to be a tangle on the front.

I'm taking a little break from this blog until Saturday morning when I'll announce the winner of the cake sampler giveaway (there's still time to enter, see previous post).  The semester begins tomorrow at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where I teach in the Fiber and Material Studies Dept.  So, until Labor Day weekend, take care.  Please excuse these dreary photographs, it's a rainy day here in Chicago.

11 comments:

  1. hiya rebecca~~~you get the clever girlie award today! it never occurred to me to put backing fabric behind an embroidery project...like quilting AND what a lovely way to disguise the craziness of the back of my embroidery projects! THANK YOU MUCH ... so looking forward to adding this to my CAKE sampler ;) ;) ;)

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  2. Well, I never thought about backing my sampler! Do you just sew it on by machine? I've barely started mine, so maybe I will do that right now!

    xo
    Claudia

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  3. great idea and i love that you don't stress over the back.

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  4. Amen, sister. I have messy backsides, and yes, I make knots. So there you have it, a confession from a fellow messy backsider. I love your sampler-- so fun! I, like Claudia, was wondering exactly how you do your backing fabric. Do you machine stitch it on? It looks really good.
    Hugs,
    Jill

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  5. To answer your question, I normally just smash a same sized piece in with the other piece as I'm placing it all in the hoop. The hoop keeps everything stable, and I add more fabric on as I go if I need it.

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  6. Thanks Rebecca. I went ahead and stitched a piece of fabric on the back which led to me adding a pretty piece of fabric to each side. I may add some lace or crochet to the top and bottom.

    Of course I have to finish it first.

    xo
    Claudia

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  7. nothing dreary about these. rather brilliant, I'd say!

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  8. love seeing the back of your work...here i was, with my messy backside,thinking that you would be mortified. glad i'm not the only one with "junk in the trunk" ;)

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  9. Thanks for the link Rebecca so I could view the back. I was taught to back my sample pieces when taking a City & Guilds Creative Embroidery course - had never done it before. But it really helps stabilise the work and great for hiding away those little "stay" stitches. I just adore your work and hadn't considered using patterned fabric - just ordinary calico up until now - this could change. Thanks for sharing. Christine :D

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  10. Interfacing is not always fusible. I think it would be correct to say that you have interfaced the project pictured with the calico.

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