Do you ever walk into a fabric store, see some fabric you just have to buy but you have no idea what you are are going to do with it? That never happens to you, right?!?!
Well last week I was in The Confident Stitch and couldn’t help but buy both of the new Healing Waters panels by Mark Anthony Jacobson plus some yardage to go with them. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I had to have them.
Mark Anthony Jacobson (Native Name: Pey-sim-away-apey-binasi – which translates to Rainbow Thunderbird) hails from the Anishinaabe community, born in Sioux Lookout Ontario, Canada. Inspired by his Ojibwe heritage and the relationships between animals, humanity and spirituality, his artistic journey began at the age of 13. His work reflects the Ojibway cultural belief in the interconnected world of beings, the transformative nature of reality and the Spirit inherent in that connectivity. It also mirrors a belief in the creator and the healing power of color and beauty.
Healing Waters is an amalgamation of Jacobson’s works that embrace the profound beauty of Ojibway culture. A portion of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to a charity that supports First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.
This past weekend I was in a bit of a holding pattern with some of my projects but was still feeling creative and motivated. So I pulled these fabrics out and began playing with ideas eventually landing on an idea to make them into separate panels that I will embellish, quilt and then use to create a modern art block collage to hang on a large 8’x16′ wall in my living room.
I started by cutting the coordinating yardage I had selected into 1.5″, 3″ and 4″ by WOF strips with which to frame panel 1 and the sub-cut blocks of panel 2. One of the things that really appealed to me about those panels, were the long rectangular shapes of the blocks within the panels.
Wanting to keep that long rectangular look, I chose to frame the block once then add a 4″ accent to the top and bottom of most of the blocks.
One of the things I love about sewing is the creative process that begins to flow when you are working with the fabrics. As I was sew piecing the strips to all the blocks, another idea started to germinate. The graphic designs of the animals incorporate wonderful circular, oval and oblong shapes and I though adding some dimension to the blocks would be quite nice.
So I pulled out some of my felted wool along with my Sue Spargo embroidery threads and began three dimensional embellishments to the wild life depicted on the panels. Nothing to frou frou because I don’t want to detract from the stylistic design, but rather just add some texture and depth.
When they are all done, I’ll quilt them and finish them separately. Then connect them with fabric connectors in a collage/gallery so they can be hung on the wall. I’m still playing with how they will arrange, but I’m confident that will all come together once they are completed and are ready to hang.
The Healing Water panels and coordinating fabrics are available to purchase at The Confident Stitch on Front Street in Missoula. I also used Aboriginal Desert Flora in blue and William Reue Sunrise to Sunset fabric. All are available at The Confident Stitch.
I’ve ordered some yellow and red felted wool for further embellishment and will post more pictures when the project is complete.
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