Swirling with Klimt

A great week artistically! Not only did I sell one of the pieces at the Knitting and Stitching Show in London, but I also sold a painting at The Framing Rooms Gallery , Nelson, the day after it went up.
I have been working on the piece for the Bernina International Pictogram exhibition.
The stenciling on the ghastly mustard fabric has worked well. I decided I needed to have a mental adjustment and think of it as being 'old gold' , not calf-poo yellow.
I continued to stamp on it in various bronze and gold colours which has created a sumptuous background.

I machine stitched swirls all over this patterning to give a subtle look of textural interest. I have now fused the pictogram shape in a soft bronze silk, and machine stitched it in fine gold thread. This has given a lovely texture to the dress..
I then collected together some small scraps of silks in golds, bronze and soft browns and appliqued tiny Klimt-like circles on the left side.
I am beginning to integrate these with hand stitching in circles and little french knots.  I have introduced some touches of blue-purple as accent 'guest" colour to give some zing. The right side looked too empty, so I machine stitched lines of varying widths like falling vines in gold thread, then fused some touches of gold foils. Over the whole right edge I made up a checkerboard pattern in almost black paint. I felt  I had to take another leap of faith as I applied this.. it may not have worked. I feel it has give a strong statement on that side, and has balanced the swirls and organic shapes.
I am now hand stitching on the background in very subtle tones of cream and gold.