This shirt is one of a series of 4: a sailboat and still life featuring a violin or viola, both made for my mother; this one; and one a rejiquar, the last. My mother delighted me by wearing hers till they wore out, and so they exist now only in memory. This shirt's sleeves became worn, and so it has survived. My brother could no doubt tell you what sort of plane this is. He's fascinated by history, particularly modern political history, especially WWII. I also find it very interesting, especially when he's tell me about it.

Nevertheless, I'm not altogether certain mechanical objects with hard edges such as this one really lend themselves to my embroidery technique, especially this technique. The theory was that it would save time and imitate cross-hatching, a drawing technique. It saves a little time, and is interesting, but lacks the richness of the satin stitch. It's also not as durable. By the time I made the lady, some 5 or 10 years later, I returned to the older approach, now embellished with traditional Japanese techniques.

six-strand embroidery floss on a plain blue shirt, probably a cotton-poly blend.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.