Bamboo
This bamboo wall (below) was naturally stained. In response, I wet silk noil and hung it barely touching silk dye in a tray. The ends of the silk picked up the dye, which crept up the fabric. I then made tubes of the fabric (bottom left inset). When I dyed some natural-colored linen in the same way, the dye didn’t blend as well, so I brushed on a little dye on each linen strip to suggest a transition from one color to another.


Next I tried strip piecing: I cut a few metallic sheers and sewed them to dark cotton strips (top inset). The joints are simply horizontal pleats.

Turning to the shape of the bamboo, I made two faced strips in the shapes of a bamboo stalk, leaving a gap for the joint (right inset). I left the top of the lower strip partially unstitched to the background fabric to form the opening of a patch pocket.

Sculpture with round hole
In a beautiful sculpture park, I noted a stone piece with carved calligraphy and a round hole that revealed layers when observed from an angle. My first response was fairly realistic. I mimicked the layered holes by facing a hole and several curves each with a contrasting fabric to define their edges. Then I layered them beneath the hole and created a calligraphic strip with a strip of printed fabric (left inset).


In future experiments, I plan to play with the calligraphy by making up my own alphabet or characters and silk-screening, stenciling, or drawing them on fabric.

Lois Ericson writes and designs in Salem, Oregon. For more about her Design and Sew patterns ($12 ppd.), contact her at Box 5222, Salem, OR 97304 or at her Web site (designandsew.com).

Photos: author; inset fabric photos: David Page Coffin