Page 29 - The Digital Cloth issue 2

Of course this is from one of my images from my
Africa trip in 2017. The wetlands is actually
Zambezi River in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe…still
sounds exotic to me, something you’d really only
hear about on a David Attenborough special.
This is a Wattled Crane I believe, can’t be 100% sure
though. We were with a guide in a kayak and I
just couldn’t stop clicking away when I saw him
because he was actually catching a fish. This is one
of about 15 images (not all good) I took as he was
catching his catch and throwing it around
balancing with his wings and long legs, so it was
truly a ballet, theatre on the river.
This image was always going to be artwork at some
stage and CT - Wetlands was as good as an
excuse as any to get on with it.

The backing fabric was something I came across in
my stash of hand dyes while working on
something else (but of course). I’ve generally got
plans for different pieces and I’ve learned when
you find a fabric that looks for another piece, keep
it out, pin it to the design board or something.
I’m always working in a mess because I’m
never working on just one thing which can make Once that was done it’s all the fun in thread sketching
it difficult to find that bit of fabric again. So when to put in the fine detail and make it look like a picture
it came to finally working on this, there’s not many instead of blobs of fabric. I generally use a medium
elements and the base fabric I normally use for weight tear away stabilizer to lay underneath and I now
collage I didn’t need because the crane is small so it hoop too (thanks to Sophie Standing) as this not only
was a quick sketch straight on the background keeps the fabric taught but I have something to hang
fabric and placing the scraps with a bit of glue onto which makes it easier to manoeuvre under the
down to secure and again for the trees and needle. I find the needle of the machine the same as
foliage in the distance. a fine paint brush or pencil I just keep sketching and
changing colours of thread (or values as I like to think
of it).
I used a ‘rubber wool’ which I had, but any bobbly
textured yarn would have the same effect in the
foreground of the marsh, muddy river edge ground the
crane was standing on since it was peeking through the
Natures Ballet the markings in the background fabric as well to help
water in parts and helped with perspective. I also used

pull the whole lot together.
When I think I’ve done enough I tear the extra
stabilizer away, layer it up with wadding and batting
then the quilting and finally squared up to size and
faced. The final step is putting a label on and getting it

A 2019 Coastal Threads entry by all ready to hand over to Caroline with the paperwork
so she can add it to the amazing other entries in this
year’s CT!

Susan De Vanny
Susan De Vanny