the head and one shoulder...
the foot in an orange sandal...
There was a reason i delayed finishing the face of this BJP until a few days ago and then suddenly i knew how i wanted it to go, to represent the face and hair of our new PM Julia Gillard, the first woman Prime Minister for Aus. Of course the real Julia is way more attractive than this one, but i was constrained to work within the outline shape i had previously determined at the beginning of the year. For those offshore friends who don't know about this - Julia crashed thru the glass ceiling of Deputy PM just last Thursday to become our new and much needed PM.Now a bit about the techniques i used here: the base was made of a quilting fabric which was very minimalist in colour and design, in order to represent the almost bareness of Winter - brown paddocks, many trees without leaves, cold days and nights, not much happening really. On top of that i added a layer of blue pre-felt wool which i needled on for a wrap, then another layer of black and white silk with "moons" in various stages of the lunar cycle to add to the cold aspect.
The first beading began with a dreamed up (for me anyway) combined bead and embroider stitch where i could balance the bead halfway along the silk fibre stitch, to represent the rain which we have had a torrent of this June. Then i started to "write" the words winter, june and solstice in either beads alone, or my new bead-embroider stitch.
At this point i stopped - what was my theme for the face? i have had a sentence or two about Julia at the top of this blog for a month now, in the "thought for the week", but never dreamed it would happen so suddenly. "They" ( the faceless men - so called) must have been reading my blog (LOL) and when Julia was suddenly at the helm i knew how i wanted the face of the bjp to go - flourescent red hair and pointy nose with a huge smile. A combination of backstitch beading and silk thread embroidery. The whole piece was finished off with the edge beading which i have had as standard on all my BJPs for this year.
Click on the full piece, it should enlarge to show you more detail. bye for now and enjoy, kaite
Go Julia G! Woman incharge, very happy - nice work Kaite, love it.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Nat
Ah we do indeed live in interesting times.
ReplyDeleteYour BJP is very timely. Like all the techniques.
Hope it gets warmer now that the solstice has passed.
Home 4th of July.
a week from now.
Terry
Yay to the shortest day coming and going and also to the first female PM. Let's hope she gets a go. Politic is far from being one of my favourite interests but I have to adit it's interesting at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe blue and orange combo is a winner :)
BRAVO, Kaite! This was not only a good *story* about your making process but your redhead is certainly ready to rule (love that big-lipped smile). I may have to check in with CNN now & learn a little more about this lady's campaign & goals...
ReplyDeleteYAY for empowerment!!
Your Julia is wonderful!! I hope the real Julia lives up to expectations.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty political and did follow this part of your politics a little. I'm not sure what Julia means to your continent. What your expectations are, or what hers are, but she is a definite change.
Love your Julia. She is definitely Cheery!
xx, Carol
Julia is very special and those LIPS and eyebrows are quite impressive! Great job! I love the background, especially that little piece of ravelled fabric. A shawl to keep her warm during the cold winter months.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tribute to a lady you admire and with whom you share high hopes. This is a delightful and optimistic piece! Qinter solstice sounds really good right now after days and days of our most recent heat wave, and it's not even July yet. What are we doing to our planet?!
ReplyDeleteLove that orange sandal. And the
ReplyDeletefraying top cloth almost seems to have broken loose and let out something new!
What a great meaning piece, Kaite! She is lovely with her big smile. Bead on! Victoria
ReplyDeletethis is really expressive of a moment in history...and i love the balanced bead stitch and maybe that's a metaphor?
ReplyDeletereally unique piece and many
details that are very interesting to me....LIKE this!!!
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ReplyDeleteI love your work. Not only it has meaning but it is a real good art. Miri A.
ReplyDeletehi kaite... this is michele m. a clothmate :) i think it's so special to be able to capture a moment in time like this. the story... and the lace looks so delicate with the fraying... beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnother woman at the head of a government has *got* to be a good thing! Your Julia is a perfect reflection of your June. Good on you!
ReplyDeleteShe DOES look like the photos I've seen of your new PM. As always I enjoy the story that goes along with your piece.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Kaite, I am so delighted and entralled by your BJP doll that I hardly know what to write. That you have now a good PM and that she is a she and that you gave us an impression of her strong character in the face of your doll is fantastic! Your way of making rain is pure inspiration! I want to be you!
ReplyDeleteRobin A.