Jaali window for Elizabeth

Elizabeth has received her 'jaali window' page so I can reveal the same here on my blog. This the page I created in May for the on going swap over at The Story of the Traveling Pages.

Jaali windows are sheer poetry , the real thing I mean. So it was quite a challenge trying to translate the stunning beauty of the sandstone and marble jaali's with cloth and thread.

Incidentally jaali in Hindi means net. Time did not permit me to actually sit down and create a pattern for a pointed arch shaped piece of crochet and I couldn't find a free pattern on the net so I crocheted a square 'jaali' which was set into the centre of the page.

It helps that the shape of the page is an arched one. Most monuments and palaces where these jaali windows are found are decorated with murals which I have interpreted as the floral forms on either side, stitched with brown thread and the line of gold sequins. Cross hatching was done with a black ball point pen, some strokes with the brown oil pastel and tea decoction were used to add more depth.

Detail of the crochet 'jaali'.
The reverse of the page.

In June I'm going to be creating a page for Liz and her theme is doors.

I'm going to be busy on a project starting next week involving bamboo and I will have no access to the net for almost three weeks. Will be back with news and pictures of a number of projects that I've got involved in - when it rains it pours and its not just the monsoons I'm talking about. Busy and in a total tizzy is the state in which I actually thrive I've discovered. Hope things are buzzing with you, stay safe and we'll reconnect soon.

Autumn leaves

Ruth created this page for me for the month of May. She's represented autumn leaves which are her favourite. She has painted with fabric paints on muslin ,thread sketched and machine quilted the leaves.

Thread sketching is new to me. Never even heard of it. Must do some googling.