Heritage Art
June 18th, 2007[-fiber art, alterations-]
This morning’s inspiration comes from Gunnel Svensson of Sweden. She posted this lovely sampler to the flickr Practically Creative pool. It’s made of things from her grandmother’s sewing box.
What treasures!
What a wonderful idea!
Most of us who love fabrics, also love collecting old bits of lace, crocheted edges, ribbons, thread, buttons. Putting them together into a fabric collage is the perfect way to not only save them but also to display and pay tribute to them as well. As Gunnel shows, we can use buttons and thread and even scissors!
It’s a lovely way to incorporate small stitchery projects that were never completed. Now there’s a tribute to our creative but overly busy ancestral womenfolk—finally *completing* their incomplete projects! I would be delighted to think that my granddaughter would care enough to do that with all my incompletes some day!
Think not only of monograms and lace but also quilt squares and scraps made from those gorgeous old fabrics that cannot be duplicated by modern means. Or how about those handmade items that have long since worn out but that are too precious to be thrown away? I know I have some of those tucked away.
Think of it as Heritage Art whether the bits and pieces are from your relatives or are things that you’ve picked up along the way from antique stores and flea markets. They were done by someone’s ancestors and more than likely by women who had very similar instincts for making something beautiful out of what was at hand.
Thank you, Gunnel for your inspiring art.
Click the image to get a closer look at Gunnel’s work.
Please visit Gunnel’s bog.
Edited to add: I just found on Gunnels blog that her sampler has been made into postcards. How lovely! Check them out here.
