Eight Leaves Later

Well, I think maybe I’ve finished making croton leaves for a while. This is where it stands now.

Numbers 2-8:

I really like the way they look together, don’t you? I think I’ll submit them as a collection to some exhibits. All the fabrics are my own hand dyes, except for one.

I have one more leaf, number one:

It needs a couple of companions in rust, etc. But, I think I’ll hold off on that for a while.

These are a little tricky to photograph, so I’ll be adding them to my website slowly. See these two: Number One and Number Two.

Several people have asked for a demo on how to make these. My short answer is “Be careful what you wish for, because it’s a little complex.” However, I will share the main idea, in case you want to experiment. I used a wire mesh inside each leaf. This is the kind of pliable mesh a sculptor might use to start a piece. It gives each leaf rigidity, but it’s also malleable enough to allow me to shape the leaves. This is the especially wonderful part of using this mesh: you can quilt right through it! For the first leaf, I quilted the leaf front and again the leaf back before hand sewing the mesh inside. But, for the second one, I just sandwiched the mesh in between TWO layers of batting and went for it. It worked beautifully!

I’m giving myself points for experimenting! What have you been experimenting with lately?

Ellen Lindner