Its fine to learn from trial pieces but necessary to remember the points when starting the full piece!
I have now starting working on my Sri Lanka reflection. Using an old linen family sheet, dyed and torn I then set about choosing my images and tearing them into the sections I wanted to use. I didn't remember to use a less heavy weight paper as I got the bit between my teeth when I couldn't just lay my hands on better paper!!
Auditioning the image slivers was the most important part of this piece to try to create a balance and to make the piece look less like a collection of torn pictures!

It took several attempts before I got something of the effect I wanted to create. I liked adding some elements of a map and my own text written at the time of the visit. I also decided to add a drawing of the stilt fisherman and some Sinhalese script.
​Heavily quilted in wavy vertical lines, there are now hundreds of ends to sew back in!

Having discovered Matt Medium as a means of fabric lamination, all be it with tissue paper so far, I wanted to try using photocopied images laminated to fabric before stitching into the surface.
The paper laminated successfully.

Selecting images and tearing them to get the exact element of the picture and layering them.

With the elements laminated I felt that I wanted to include some text about the subject. I had written a piece of text some time before so went back to this and printed it off. I then added it to the edge of the piece.

The text was then laminated, although I might not have chosen to have it at the margin of the piece if I has thought of this at the start!

Three important lessons learned..... Try not to get too much Matt Medium on the fabric where the image will not be; print the images on to lighter weight copy paper and where possible remove bits of any image which will be covered by the next addition to prevent the build up of multiple layers of paper which then have to be stitched through.

Early ideas for ways in which I could make something of my Sri Lanka images concentrated on using photocopies on plain paper with bondaweb and in Black and White.

I also wanted to explore writing about place and including that in the piece. My ability to write in free motion machine stitch is still far too rustic to be serviceable, so tried a photocopy.

So.... I resurrected an early attempt, worked on it and completed it, not because I think I have found the right formula but because trying to resolve the design has helped clarify  what I might want to omit and what I want to do more of.

Landscape is one one my key themes this year. I like to work from places that mean something to me and which have a visual impact. Where I start seems a little ad hoc - I found some images from a trip to Sri Lanka some years ago. An amazing place, but a trip imbued with sadness as my father passed away while I was there.
The images were taken the day I knew I'd not make it home in time to be with him. All this time later I can approach these interesting images and work with them without the burden I felt earlier, just the joy at the colour, pattern and shape that drew me to the docks in the first place and a link to him.
Here are some of the raw images I've been working with.

Mending is usually about using stitches to to remove, cover, strengthen areas of fabric which have worn or been distressed. I wanted to explore the use of machine darning to 'quilt' my piece and experimented with different threads.

I was also interested in using the words we use to describe these surface changes to fabric and have experimented with writing them on the cloth with stitches.

For background details see Current Work - Mending

An A3 portrait orientation challenge in response to a novel titled "The Heavenly Trousers" and a particular exert in which the author discusses mending.
I have been experimenting with different mending skills and looking to make them explicit rather than invisible!​
​Working on old French rustic linen with a lovely slubbed rough texture. The following images show some of the ideas I have had so far.

Machine darning                                                      Insert in seam