SHEEP (WAP #20; Istanbul)

One of the frustrating aspects of travel is the need to queue to get in to see extraordinary places!  However, whilst it is a nuisance, it can also be an unexpected pleasure, as it allows us to stop & really take in what is around us.

When we were queuing to get in to Hagia Sofia, I was able to stop & enjoy the range of relics 'planted' in the nearby grass, in particular this marble frieze decorated with sheep. Coming from New Zealand, I find myself naturally drawn to sheep, even though my father was a dairy farmer! Never before had I seen sheep in such close proximity to a date palm though & given the size of the palm...these must have been super sized sheep!

The Hagia Sofia we were visiting, was in fact the third version of this sacred building.  The first & second were both destroyed by fire & the relics in the gardens are what remains.

Paying close attention to my photograph, I started to study this fabulous sheep.  I also had my book to hand & it was here that I learnt that the sheep frieze is from the second Hagia Sofia. Back in the days when chariot racing was the sport of champions, there were two competing teams; the Blues ( supported by the aristocrats) & the Greens (supported by everyone else!). One day in 532AD there was an almighty riot between the two of them & fire broke out, resulting in the destruction of the Hagia Sofia.

As this was really interesting information, I made a few written notes before I began my visual note taking.  Perhaps there was some way I'd be able to reference that history in my design process.

I was enamoured with the way the sheep's wool was carved.  In my experience, wool is usually represented by curls, not angles.  This led me to wonder whether the breed of sheep might have been more inclined towards hair rather than wool.  All fun to speculate upon & equally fun to try & work out how to show this in contemporary reverse applique !

When it came to completing the design I made the decision to focus solely on the sheep.

Choosing fabric options for the sheep took no time at all.  But for the background.....ARGHHHHHHHH!
I wanted some sort of decoration in the background & I had thought that this could be where I referenced the Blues & Greens. After many rejections, I finally chose a discontinued curtain sample even though it wasn't quite what I was looking for.

The sample was a bold design on a navy blue background, with turquoise embroidery here & there.  I was attracted to the pale design on the blue & the random placement of design features.  I didn't want the turquoise embroidery, so I unpicked it before ironing & layering up my fabrics.

For this design I was trying something different in terms of outlines.  Instead of a line encircling the animal shape, I was choosing the lightest areas of the frieze as my anchoring points.  This is how the sewing lines looked.

After careful stitching, it was time to cut back!

At last it was cut back sufficiently to reveal a textured little sheep!  It just needed some embellishment to complete it.

With a beaded eye, a nostril & mouth, this sheep now had character.  In the background, I added some green embroidery to the foliage parts of the design, thus achieving a reference to those warring charioteers.

I am very pleased with my little sheep, even if it gets a little bit lost with that bold background.
As you can imagine, I couldn't resist giving it the 'app' treatment & the outcomes are REALLY interesting.

Take a look at these!

What fun it has been to  focus on the Hagia Sofia this month.  Next week we progress on the calender to September & I'll look elsewhere in Istanbul for my inspiration.

By the way....thank you, to those who fed back to me an overwhelming preference for dark script on a white background for this blog.  I am so sorry that many of you have had to suffer with the black background for so long! Enjoy the white from now on!!