I´m back working with lace and freestyle machine embroidery again. This time, I´m experimenting with the contrasts of a negative vs a positive image. As in old-fashioned photo-film. I embroidered this face with white silk thread on white silk organza and white tulle.
You can certainly see the shapes and you understand that it´s a face, but there´s not much personality there. The brain doesn´t really want to translate the negative image into a positive one. But once I hold it up against the light, the white thread turns into shades of dark, and the charming smile of my niece appears!
Notes to self: don´t cut the organza until I´m finished with the embroidery, to avoid the fabric loosening along the edges. And make sure the fabric is tightly held by the frame, so the fabric doesn´t “bubble” when the water-soluable fabric is washed away.
This negative – positive effect I think will look very interesting in front of a window, as a curtain-panel. I´ll have to experiment some more with this, and see how I can make it work.
Like magic.