Sunday, February 20, 2022

Covid feelings

I recently had one of those serendipitous moments as I looked around my desk and thought what if? My eye had landed on some old fabric and my head was still a bit full of letraset and I thought why not?

Then what to write? I figured I would be led by the original bit of stamped fabric and just do a couple of words about the covid feelings.

Way back when, around May 2020, I set up a little lettering stamp and stamped becalmed all over this lovely soft cotton.  It was definitely how I was feeling at the time - sitting quietly amongst the rolling swells, going nowhere; no action of mine would change much; waiting, waiting, waiting.

After a while I thought to wash it and see what happened. The ink washed out a fair bit and kind of yellowed off, but its message remained.

I used some new letraset I had bought last year as I tested whether it would transfer to fabric. I thought the vintage stuff might not be able to handle it.

It transferred well and then I went and got some other sheer-ish fabric - no idea what it is; but definitely involves some synthetics! Again, the new letraset transferred well.

I had been gifted this very open weave muslin (perhaps?) including with its stains and frayed and rolling edges.  I do love it. The new letraset transferred well onto this as well; and I think the open weave makes the lettering appear less certain.

Yes. Very nice.

And so I moved to using vintage letraset and hoping it retained enough moisture or tack to transfer OK. It certainly look unsure here!

More hesitant.

and very tentative.

And so to compare...

and contrast.

And decide...


I have started collecting words about how we are feeling about covid two years on from our first realisation of what was happening.

I have an idea for some pages.

A book may emerge. Tentatively.

Or then, something else might happen...



4 comments:

  1. F - love the fragility of that suspended piece of fabric - goes so well with the word. B

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    1. Thanks B - it is so interesting to see how well the work translated to a single piece hanging in perspex...unexpected but great!

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  2. the tentative cloth ... what a great gift ... and it says everything that someone realized you could make something of it

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    1. Thanks Liz - it is soften the case that folk who know you well can see that you could do something with what is otherwise definitely headed for the bin. This cloth had me written all over it; despite being of no use to anybody else given how damaged it was. I love what it has offered me for these works...go well.

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