It began with this photograph of my older sister Ellen and me, made over 50 years ago by our friend Carl Kravats.
I’ve always loved this photograph and what it captured of us all those many years ago. But there’s something of me in my much younger self that remains decades later, and several years ago I decided I would like to render that, somehow, in fiber.
First, I cropped the photo, then ran it through a digital color filter, and pixelated it.
At one point, I tried embroidering it, but I wasn’t satisfied and let it go.
Then I discovered needlefelting, and knew I needed to have another go at this portrait.
I transferred the photo to fabric, and added grid lines so that it would be easier for me to see the pixels and keep everything straight, then bonded it to a piece of wool felt fabric.
Next, I assembled my paintbox. This is where having a good stash comes in handy! The yarns shown here are all fingering weight or finer, and include several bags of wool crewel embroidery and mending yarns (note the price—10 cents!) that belonged to my mother, dating back maybe 60 years or more.
The piece measures approximately 8” wide by 8.25” high—31 pixels by 32 pixels—totaling 992 little squares. Each square represents a decision: which color? This blue, or this blue, or this one? This green, or that one?
And finally, finished. (Take a few steps back from the screen for best effect.)
Verso.
Next under the needle: some kaleidoscopes based on one of my mother’s unfinished needlepoints.
