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* * * * * Cindy's Sewing Room Project
My artwork consists of 9 components, each made of a stack of three fabrics, topped by a teapot button. For your project measure your frame and do some samples of what size and number of elements look pleasing to you. I chose textured brown felt as my bottom layer for each of the components to visually anchor all the elements together. To add interest, the next layers featured an assortment of colorful fabrics. Pinked edges added depth. The final layer of fabric with the tea wording didn’t look like it was tied in well. I solved that by adding a blanket stitch border to it with a color of embroidery thread that matched the corresponding teapot button that would top that stack. I chose to stack the layers askew, but you might like the symmetrical look of a perfectly centered placement. I glued each stack of three layers together and then added the decorative stitching and sewed the button on through all the layers. Stitching through layers of glued fabric was tough. In retrospect, I’d complete all the hand-stitching first and then glue down any fabric corners that might roll down over time.  Close up of shadowbox with lid open Once all your elements are complete the next thing to do is place them in the frame. After placing my components I felt like I wanted a bit more color in the background so I cut some lengths of sheer ribbon and placed them behind the components. The wall that my shadow box will be hung on is the same color as the lining of the box so this added just the right dimension and contrast. The last step to completing the project was to glue in the ribbons and the components into place. Have fun using fabrics with different textures. Small pieces of an otherwise discarded finely knit sweater would add nice dimension as the edges would naturally roll. Easily frayed fabrics like burlap might add a nice texture contrast. If you have a sewing machine that has decorative stitching options, try incorporating some of them into your project. I hope you are inspired to make a shadow box of your own. If it makes you smile and it brings you joy, then you’re doing it right. Have fun! Cindy |
