Block Printed & Stitched: Peace OMind

 

Time to share the 7th finished in my series of Block Printed & Stitched series of wholecloth art quilts layered with painted and block-printed Evolon, free-motion quilting, hand embroidery, and sequins.

Enjoy watching the transformation from painted evolon, through block printing, stitching, and finishing. 

Most mandalas start by pulling out and auditioning a large assortment of threads and sequins. Inevitably more sequins and threads are always pulled out as the project progresses but these help me get started.

Here are just a few of the many sequin auditions. I do love adding bling to my mandalas!

Night after night, my mandala filled with stitched texture using an assortment of threads, sequins, and stitching: colonial knots, backstitching, and whipped backstitching. 

After a week of making daily progress, I hit a wall on how to stitch the remaining outer rings and so I hit a pause on this project.

After a month-long break, I brought out the partially stitched mandala and gathered some new sequins and threads to play again. After a few auditions, new design possibilities presented themselves and I was back to stitching and embellishing. 

Less than 24 hours after pulling it of its time-out, I even managed to trim and finish the edges.

It's always amazing how a little time off provides a fresh perspective! I always love seeing the before and after stitching photos!

I wish you could reach into your screen to touch all this incredible stitched texture!

And here is the finished block printed & stitched mandala...

Peace OMind, Finishes 12.5" x 12.5"

I've got a few more block printed squares of evolon and I am brimming with more ideas for a new series of block printed and stitched designs! Stay tuned!