All The Difference by Carol Sylvester

My inspiration for this piece comes from the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken”. Frost has long been one of my favorite poets, and this particular poem speaks to me about being an individual – not following the crowd, but forging my own way.

At the 2008 EGA National Seminar, I registered for two classes that were more technique based rather than project based – fabric painting with Catherine Jordan. The class for this piece was the second of the two, so I had a slight advantage over other class members. I had an idea of what to expect, had given some thought about what I wanted to create, and came to class with photographic inspiration I wanted to use in my needlework.

While I understand the irony of using someone else’s photographs for a piece inspired by a poem about choosing one’s own way, I did make my own choices relating to type of stitch and paint and thread color, as all I had were black and white photos. Also, the design on the inside of the box is entirely my own creation, and represents a continuation of the path shown on the cover, after the traveler has come out of the forest and the options are wider.

I hope I can use this project as inspiration in the future – evidence that I can be more creative in my needlework and do not have to strictly follow the path before me.