More play with scrim and gesso

I have played a lot more with the scrim, gesso and backing fabric.
I was asked to lead a Creative Play Day at the Embroiderers Guild, having mentioned that I was playing around with the idea (keep your mouth shut, Mary).

I have not yet thought of a use for this technique for myself. I probably wouldn't have played around much more but, once I was asked to lead the session, I needed to try some different ideas.

I haven't developed them very much but I had some fun.

My friend had pointed out that gesso can act as a glue and you don't actually need stitching. This was a revelation!  I even did some samples for the Creative Play Day, which was at the Embroiderers Guild, Victoria. I was a bit conscious of the fact that there was absolutely no stitching on some samples but it all seemed to go down ok. It was a play day, so they played!

Then, when my friend and I got together with another friend, we played some more. They were quite adventurous and even tried some vessels. We are not sure how they will turn out, not being that familiar with gesso. Time will tell.

This one has pieces of string embedded in the gesso, for extra texture.

Being interested in eco-dyeing, my friend used petals and some graphite to colour this. 

More string, then acrylic paint. 

I had a small piece of sinamay and played with it too. It is covered with gesso, then I attached it to a small piece that I had gessoed and stuck scrim to. I don't know how it will go once I colour it, that seems to be yet another challenge, to find colours I like.

Sinamay gives a sculptural effect.