Stitching, stitching, stitching.........

A few more progress pics.  I've been working on this exclusively this week, so no drawing or painting happening at the moment.  I made up a small scale version of my robe/mat to see what it looked like on.

Here's the back and front, the back being the highly decorated bit I'm currently working on.

It was designed to fit Prince Charming here (presuming he's 6'4"), but as you can see, he's met with a terrible accident (ie. a run in with the dingle dog) and I think his modelling career may be over (the phrase that immediately comes to mind is "ma legs, ma legs, ah caint feel ma legs"...from some movie or other that my full-scale Prince Charming likes to quote)!

He's remarkably cheery considering his predicament.  Perhaps Prince Charming is made of sterner stuff than I thought!

Luckily, Barbie was available to step into his place at very short notice.  She clearly loves being in front of the camera.  Wait a minute...I don't suppose...no, Barbie wouldn't stoop that low just for a modelling gig...would she?!

So back to the real item.  I've added the dark outer circle, which will be on the bottom half of the robe (unless I change my mind, and anything is possible).  If you think the shape of my 2 base fabric pieces looks strangely familiar, yes, you're right.  It did use to be a pair of nice light-weight summer 'hippy' trousers, but they'd worn so thin I tore a huge hole in the arse last summer and they've been in the rag bag since.  They were the right colour and had nice striped bottoms as well (which are being incorporated as patches), so I decided to recycle them!  Feet bare as usual...which reminds me of a favourite poem of mine called Instantes.  I thought it was by Jorge Luis borges...but perhaps not.

And this is where I'm at now, sewing on small scraps of fabric in purply-plummy colours.  Using a very simple running stitch just to tack it all down.  Once that's done, I'm embroidering over the top, and probably adding more of the yarn spirals...but who knows!  Than a bit of padding I think, and it gets stitched to the backing cloth with more running/quilt stitching...also known as Kantha stitching in India, or Sashiko in Japan (I've learnt all this in the last month or two!)  Then I've got to start on the top outside circle, which will be more golds and oranges, and probably a different pattern.

If you're wondering what the red yarn is for, it's my 'compass' string to keep all the patches lined up around the centre circle.

Phew!  Lots more to do...and I actually do have paintings I'm supposed to be doing as well.  And with school holidays next week...I think there will be some late nights involved!