Now is the time of the summer for me to get back to some of those longer-term goals I’ve been talking about here, like silk screening tea towels and other linens. I have been busy silk screening, and will share those results on the next post, but first I wanted to show what I did with the bird designs that I wrote about in my earlier post. I am pleased to announce that I just made my first Birds! cushion!
I ordered down & feather throw cushions online from Ballard Design. While the pillows were in transit, I hand-painted the Whip-poor-will design onto silk broadcloth. After much experimentation, the bird became a raspberry color with a tangerine background. In painting the back of the cover a matching tangerine, I loved the effect the dye created while not quite reaching the edges. - it was a mark that the cushion was hand-dyed rather than mass-produced. It also adds to the visual interest to the piece. I could imagine the new pillow owner fluffing up the pillow on the couch and tossing it with the back of the pillow facing forward. I hesitated to leave the dye looking ‘unfinished’, but I ultimately left the dye the way it spoke to me.
I am very pleased with the result, and after I make a few more prototypes, will be out marketing this product. Very exciting!
