Architecture Reveal Day!

Today is reveal day over at the Tangled Textiles site.  Our challenge theme this time was Architecture.  Here is my piece.

Yes, yes I know.  What do bees have to do with architecture?  Think about it.  What is architecture if  not construction of a structure?  Well a beehive is a structure of sorts.  One for bees; and one that was constructed with considerable labour and amazing symmetry. 

This time inspiration came late from a nature program on television about bees.  Once I had my idea, it was time to formulate a plan of construction.  I did some research on the Internet, found some images of bees and beehives and made a sketch of what my piece might look like.

I chose to do the piece so that it looked like light coming into an imaginary window, hence the different coloured hexagons.  After selecting the fabric, each colour was fused with Steam a Seam to a background of very light yellow Kona cotton.  You didn't think I was going to hand applique all those hexies, did you?  I was running short of time.

I initially wanted to do some thread painting on each of the hexagons, but after some testing on some extras, it didn't create the effect that I was looking for so I stitched around each hexagon.

Next came the bees.  I initially thought of using pipe cleaners, but I didn't like the look.  Next I thought of using velvet, but didn't have any in my stash.  Aha!! I had some felt squares that would work.

The wings were made out of wire lace stuck between two sheets made out of angelina fibers.  Here is a photo of the wire lace. 

This came from Stitches, a quilt and yarn shop on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.  The wire lace added just enough stiffness to be able to manipulate the wings to give some additional dimension.

All that was left to do was mark a few veins on the wings with a fine Sharpie pen and there you have it!  Nature's Little Architects!

So what's next?  Well I can finish up some UFOs until the next Tangled Textiles challenge is announced.

Until then keep stitching and pop back here now and then.