A broken saucer .... repurposed....

I broke the saucer part of my favourite teapot a few months ago, a Downton Abbey teapot my stepdaughter gave me a few years back. I fortunately still have the pot and bowl section intact and use them daily.

The saucer broke into 4 sections and could have been glued back together, but I choose instead to sit with the pieces, awaiting an answer on whether I should fix it or do something else.

I've been intrigued lately with using fragments in art. And realizing that my best art is usually monochromatic, it seemed right to create art using not just the saucer fragments, but also the colours in the fragment: white, black and a wee bit of tea stain.

A dig through my fabric stash revealed an old cotton tablecloth remnant, perfect for the backdrop. I added more layers from two other white-ish tablecloths, one rather lacey, so I could then sew & slash (faux chenille is my preferred technique). The bottom layer was from a black tablecloth, giving just the right amount of contrast.

The word "renewal" was coming to mind for this repurposed art, and so I printed out the word in a font I felt fit the style I was seeking, and pinned it onto the back of the fabric layers, then sewed around the letters. I have been slowly and carefully cutting through the layers from the front to reveal the word against the black on the back (it needs a bit more work but I'm getting there).

Having decided where to place the saucer fragment, my next challenge was to attach it to the fabric. Stone wrapping techniques seemed like a good idea but I was not happy with the result. In the end, I used Alene's Original Tacky Glue to attach the fragment, then once it dried I attempted some wrapping with copper coloured thread and a light tea-coloured cotton yarn that is used for warping a loom. A touch of gel medium on these threads to keep them in place was all that was needed to ensure the fragment was securely attached.

For a bit of embellishment and to finish sewing the fabric layers together, I sewed white on white lines, using a twin needle on my sewing machine. I'm new to using this type of needle and I love its potential. I then added 3 white dowels horizontally, repeating the lines in the cotton tablecloth. 

Lastly, I added a bit of black watercolour marker, enhancing the word "renewal" and, as I had not done any slashing, I chose to slash in only one spot to reveal the lacey tablecloth below. Any more than that, and the piece would become too busy. Simple yet meaningful was my objective.

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I am very pleased with the result so far and with the colours and contrast. With 3 fragments left from the saucer, as well as some floor tile remnants, I hope to turn this into a new series and continue exploring the possibilities.