The Evolution of a Disaster

Well, this is what my disaster has evolved into. I am making 16" round wall pieces that are tufted and come out of the wall about 4". Each tuft has a brooch centered in it. These aren't resolved yet, but I am happy with the progress I have made from the original piece I did!!!

This is what the fabric looked like before I cut it up. I discharge printed the designs from a commercial fabric.

This is the inside of the little cushions... thick foam and a wood backing. The tuft is held in with a nut and bolt. I am not sure how many of these I will make. I made 22 brooches so I could make that many and then fill a whole wall with them, but I'm not really sure about that. I think I am going to put this project on hold for a while and move onto something else. Hopefully I will have an epiphany on how to finish...These are some of the brooches. They are sterling silver and brass. I soldered all the "filigree" together to the silhoette and then cold connected it to the brass backing.

At first I didn't like how different the patinas came out, but now I think I am happy about the individuality it gives them.

The brooches are all individual portraits of family members or close friends. The idea came from this family photo (my husbands grandparents and children) that I came across...

The little boy in the middle is my father in law when he was a child.

I have also been doing a lot of research on Victorian Era mourning and sentimental jewelry lately. I think I will do a post soon on more inspiration, but this is all for now...

P.s. Please feel free to critique me and give feedback in comments. I can use all the help/opinions I get!