mnartists.org: Helen Miller

A Protest Shift for Soo VAC Sashion Flow

Helen Miller — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:02:54 GMT

A Protest Shift - for Soo VAC's Sashion Flow, 2006 60’s style sheath or shift dress takes shape in ordinary quilter’s cotton, commercially printed with a Roman Ruins theme, surface-designed with digital images of Oct. 2006 mass protest rally in D.C. in front of White House. "Not in our name" and "6 years later - are you safer?" A response to an illegal invasion and occupation in Iraq, printed, sewn and quilted, haughtily worn by 5 models with handmade redheeled shoes further representing empire. The dress was designed to demand a drastic political shift in Soo Vac's [i]anti-[/i]fashion show.

Detail, Felted Wool 60's Bench

Helen Miller — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 04:07:49 GMT

Pondering mutations of Bird Flu while looking for a way to use colorful clumps of wool roving...found it's way to a midcentury modern upholstered bench/ottoman bisquit-button tufted. Roving pin-felted to Kvadrat wool. The rest is standard reupholstering materials - foam, dacron, buttons, twine etc...

Felted Wool, 60's Bench

Helen Miller — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 04:02:41 GMT

Sea Chair

Helen Miller — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:45:16 GMT

Open-armed oak chair first reupholstered in muslin, then shirred chiffon, hand dyed wool and peyote stitched seedbeads were applied as if chair was brought up in a lobster catch.

Detail of Free Motion and Appliqued Sofa

Helen Miller — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:35:12 GMT

Couching and bobbin work are also featured next to standard upholsterer's welt corded edges, on the free-motion appliqued sofa...

Free Motion and Appliqued Sofa

Helen Miller — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:29:06 GMT

Redesigned Early American dumpster-dived sofa frame (see image as banner for blog, [url=http://millerupholstering.blogspot.com/]An Upholsterer's Journal[/url].) An assortment of remnants went into making new cushions for an ebonized Early American sofa frame. Cotton velvet, moire, tapestry, and silk on wool - appliqued in free motion sewing method.

Detail of crewel work on rustic chair cushion

Helen Miller — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 14:07:12 GMT

Rustic Chair and Ottoman with Creweled Cushions

Helen Miller — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 02:08:29 GMT

Making rustic furniture can be a nice break from discipline of traditional upholstery. I don't have to do anything "correctly", if I don't want to. Found sticks and branches lend themselves to furniture shapes that I nearly always upholster or apply textiles to - sometimes patterned with my own stitchwork