We Shall B was inspired by a mass of discarded phone books that a student came across at a recent art retreat. Lucky enough to be gifted with these weather-worn, aged pages, I immediately created this layered piece full of all the elements that spoke to me—while paying homage to my charming student. This is a great example of keeping your eyes open at all times as you never know what you might find out in the world.
1⁄16" (2mm) drill bit
adhesive
aged phone book
cream acrylic paint
cream embroidery floss
cream silk
flat paintbrush
glassine paper
hand drill
linen
Masonite board, 6" × 6" (15cm × 15cm)
scissors
sewing machine or needle
silk
silk sari ribbon
spiral paper scrap
assorted threads
typewriter key
With a flat paintbrush and cream acrylic paint, paint the surface of the Masonite board. Allow to dry.
Cut the linen to 5" × 5" (13cm × 13cm) and cut the silk to 4" × 4" (10cm × 10cm). Layer the silk on top of the linen. With a sewing machine, or a needle and taupe thread, stitch the fabrics together with the zigzag stitch.
Tear a piece of the aged phone book. Lay a scrap on top of the cream silk, and stitch both to the silk and linen layer using cream thread and a decorative stitch.
Place the paper and fabric packet on a sewing machine. With black thread, create a rectangle in the center of the phonebook page.
Fold a silk sari ribbon in half. Lay the ribbon on the top of the fabric packet.
Place ribbon under the pressure foot of the machine and stitch with a straight stitch. Stop the machine every 1⁄2" (1cm) and fold the ribbon onto itself like a pleat. Continue in this manner until the pleated ribbon piece measures 4" (10cm) with a 3" (8cm) tail.
Adhere the typewriter key to the center of the phonebook scrap and allow to dry.
Stitch together a layer of glassine paper and a spiral scrap.
Adhere the fabric piece to the Masonite.
Adhere the spiral scrap to the Masonite.