slow going and very fiddly but has possibilities. I'm thinking 'scrim weaving' as well...
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| creating a smocking pattern on scrim |
A quilting friend gave me a section of her Apaloosa plant. I haven't been able to find much info online other than an Apaloosa bean plant which this is not. My friend says it is very invasive and can't be purchased. Anybody know anything more about this plant. I expect to put it in a pot.
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| Apaloosa plant |
And since quite a few of you have asked if scrim is the same as cheesecloth, I'm posting a picture of both. Scrim has a much finer weave and comes in beige and bleached white. It is sold in fabric stores. Cheesecloth has a very loose weave and is generally sold in the supermarket or the craft stores in packages as it is used in food preparation.
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| I love using both in making lace with needle and thread. |
16 comments:
It looks as if you did the sqaure by machine at first ....
Love the smocking stitches ! (did that ages ago: for my daughter when she was little, and for a skirt for myself)
oh yes this could be a weave as well, hope you try it so we see how it come out. i'm glad i wasn't the only one confused about the two cloths. I'm glad to see the pix again. this is so helpful - the visual. gosh, a mystery plant. i've never heard of it either except the bean type as you suggest. the smocking reminds me a little of the cretan stitch, isn't that odd. this is so different from jude's type of stitching, delicate and airy/light. happy weekend. cheers deanna.
The scrim stitching and weaving looks all spidery-webish, and very interesting.
That so called "Apaloosa" (not the nut) looks a great deal like one of the philodendrons (of which there are many varieties)...they are exotic houseplants, but might survive outdoors in your climate. In any case, too bad your friend doesn't have more information...It seems to be a rhizome (which grows laterally and sprouts new plants as it grows, which no doubt is why it's considered invasive) as opposed to a tap root which grows straight down...In any case, it should do nicely in a pot with enough room for it to spread a bit, and if you decide want it out of doors, you can sink a plastic container with the bottom cut out and that way you can contain it within the landscape. That's how I deal with perennial mints.
The smocking is fabulous and yes, weaving with scrim would be fun as well. Mystery plant indeed! It looks like it could belong to the Arum family, but I have never heard of it. Wishing you a beautiful weekend.
hmmm! and i thought scrim was a briticism. thanks for the info.
oops, too quick. your plant looks like a taro or cocoyam plant.
Species: Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Botanical Family: Araceae.
google for more.
neki, you hit the nail on the head in your assessment of the plant. It is called an ARROWLEAF ELEPHANT'S EAR and more info can be found at this link:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=XASA2
thank you, neki.
Oh I love that smoked scrim. Fantastic idea. Can I try it too! :)
A-HA!!! I was thinking Elephant Ear!! I will look at the link.
The smocking is fabulous :) Someone once offered to teach me how to smock, but I did not take her up on the offer. She smocked all of her daughter's dresses (which she wore Every day!!!)
And thank you for showing the difference in the two thin white cloths! Good learning happens here :)
Just sent this by email:
....Now I recall where I saw it before, Hindu friends grow a cultivar of it year round in India pf course...I had thought, because you mentioned 'pot' that you had a houseplant....Picture attached. But what you have is so much more wonderful, a landscape plant! That USDA site is a great resource! I'm working from old schoolbooks obtained during my studies with the New York Botanical Gardens.
Funny but over here in Uk I think wed call your cheesecloth....scrim and your scrim...cheesecloth lol
I love the almost,church window look of your smocking! Wonder if you could lay coloured voiles behind it and create a stained glass effect!
And oh yes woven it will look amazing .....great work Deanna!
i love what you are doing with the scrim, it fits into your love of lace....
this scrim smocking is great. such a great visual of the process and bold. do you have plans for it. i think ive written about my smocked wedding dress that drove my mom (& thus, me) into fits. she could've used a look at this!
The scrim looks like what I know as muslin, but truly for those interested in these experiments, find some different loose weave fabrics and play with them!
If you can find a book about drawn thread work, it will suggest a whole range of things to do..
I am so in awe of how you have worked with this difficult cloth and made it work for you...it is a mark of your skill...your work is beautiful and unique.
love the smocking on the scrim and good to see you got an ID for your new plant!
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