TALL CLEMATIS

I began with what I considered to be a well thought-out plan; a series of mock ups to determine the finished sizes and correct proportions of both the tubes and flowers. With hindsight I should also have added colour to give a more rounded approximation of the pieces.

After printing on fabric and paper I eliminated the fabric as a background simply because I preferred the contrast of the torn random edges that only the paper could provide. My collection of hand dyed fabrics is rapidly dwindling (as soon as the weather warms up a few days of dyeing are desperately needed!) but I found scraps of velvet and cotton, enough to suffice. The cylinders were lined with a waxed and dyed Abbaca paper which ultimately proved too dark and overpowering for my liking.

I always like to think about ways that I could have enhanced or improved my work as I am rarely totally happy with first efforts when it comes to something new that I have not tried before. Ideas for the future include:

Rounding off the sharp right angled edges to make a softer curve.

Adding more height, using an A3 printer would allow much greater scope.

Making a larger group; perhaps 7 or 8in total. Each cylinder can be interlocked with two others so there would be many combinations to try.

Perhaps use just one style of flower but use different threads and colour combinations

Using a plain fabric for lining the cylinders.

Unfortunately the pieces look better viewed as a 360° group than they do when photographed but I haven’t yet mastered that skill on a BLOG!