Module One – Chapter 12

RESOLVED SAMPLE (Part one)


Some initial thoughts.

I decided to put some ideas on paper to help me think about disintegration of the star shapes I”ve been using. I had 4 initial different ideas and then decided that maybe I could combine the first and second ideas above. So I then took it in a different direction as set out below. I did think 3 above could be done either in a straight line as shown or on a curved line moving the further stars slightly to the right as they reduced in size.

I thought this might work with a green background with red stars using some of the applique techniques from this module. (Again I’ve got a mark on the scanner but I have fixed it now!). I also thought this would enable me to use some of the various techniques from the module.

 

 

Module One – Chapter 11 First and second thoughts

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED SAMPLE – GROWTH AND DISINTEGRATION
FIRST THOUGHTS – PAPER EXPERIMENTS

This is the first page of examples. The top one has been perforated by a hole punch. The second one I used a heated heat tool to make marks which left some holes. The bottom one is cut with scissors but it looks a bit flat now, probably because of being put in the scanner.
 

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The same problem of looking flat applies to the top sample which is cut with crimping scissors round the edges and internally. The second sample (on the right) was a bit of an overexposure to the gas cook top. The third piece is perforated with a metal skewer and the final one I crumpled and ripped.

 

SECOND THOUGHTS – PAPER SHAPES

I did three in this series and ripped each one so it is not very accurate but I wanted to experiment with something that was not as structured and “neat”. I have a tendency to want to be "neat" so this is a challenge for me.

The marks on each one is a mark on the glass of the printer which I didn’t notice until I looked at the scans. I have been having trouble with the scanner working sometimes and not other times, so I haven’t redone them, but I can once I have sorted the problem.

 

Module One – Chapter 11 Third and fourth thoughts

 

THIRD THOUGHTS – FABRIC SHAPES

 

These samples are all made from one of the curtaining samples I bought and they worked quite well in that they frayed well; however, they are a little transparent and so the glue shows where I stuck them onto the black paper to put in my journal. I followed the examples in the Module and was surprised really by the variety of effects that could be achieved by such simple techniques.

On the second sample here I realised when I looked at the scan that I have lost the top right hand square somewhere between sticking it on and scanning it. I have made another one, but now can’t get the scanner to co-operate so it will have to remain lopsided at the moment!

I used the threads from the other samples and little pieces of scrap pieces of fabric from making those samples and ironed them between two layers of Bondaweb. The second sample is the cut out triangles from the first, used to create a negative shape. This made a more interesting sample than I was expecting and would look good embellished with some beads and a small amount of embroidery.

FOURTH THOUGHTS – STITCHED SHAPES

This series of samples began with a simple 4 pointed star bonded to the background fabric. I sewed two rows of straight stitching with the stitches off set from each other. The thread was a variegated cotton thread. I chose this colour thread to try to pick up some of the colours in the background fabric so that the shape looked as thought it was getting smaller and less solid. I photographed the sample after each two rows was finished.

This series started with the same shape and I used the same thread gradually filling the space with French knots. This was intended to create the impression the shape was disintegrating. Again, I photographed the sample after groups of stitches were completed.

These are the two completed samples in my journal with the starting piece at the top.

 

The top one of these samples was sewn with two rows of stitching and then the inside and outside edges frayed to show disintegration.

The second sample is a piece of my printed fabric cut into a star shape and bonded to the background fabric. I then did a lot of single stitches in various lengths in a variegated red thread, again intending to show disintegration.

These three samples are all the same size but for some reason when I scanned them they changed size and I can’t seem to fix it. They are using a cut away applique technique with added lines sewn around the edge of the shape to give the impression that the shape is reducing in size.

Module One – Chapter 10

 

MAKING RIPPLES – CHENILLE OR SLASHED REVERSE APPLIQUE

This is a scan of the star shape after I had machine stitched all the ripple lines, before I did any cutting. The stitching is a double row of ordinary machine straight stitch.

This is a second scan after I had done the slashing in between the rows of stitching.

And the final result after I had rubbed the edges of the slashing with my hands and then used a small brush with brass bristles designed for cleaning suede shoes!

Detail of the effect.

I really enjoyed doing this piece. I had six layers of fabrics and the contrast in the colours of the fabrics helped improve the effect I think.

Module One – Chapter 9

 

REVERSE APPLIQUE – TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY METHODS

1. TRADITIONAL HAND SEWN METHOD

I chose this design because I thought it was fairly simple; however, it did have a number of points and I found it difficult to get them as neat as I wanted. However, overall it looks ok. This is a photo rather than a scan (because the scanner is still being temperamental) and the colour has washed out a bit; the background fabric is a teal green which I printed with my stamp using red acrylic.

 

2. CONTEMPORARY METHODS USING A SEWING MACHINE

Again the colour is a little washed out, but I liked this technique and it looks effective. I chose to cut on the inside of the shape so that it was essentially the reverse of the previous hand sewn sample. In that way I could have examples of the two alternatives, as far as cutting away the layers is concerned.

This was a piece of printed fabric that I started to use for a sample in Chapter 7, but I wasn’t happy with it, both because of the combination of colours but also because I was going to end up with a sample that didn't have layers of fabric in the way they should be. So I used this as the background fabric for the  sample in this part.

 

I used one of my earlier designs as the basis for this sample, and although the shapes got a bit small I was still able to get a number of layers to show through. As you can see there are different colours showing in some parts where the underlying fabrics have not been placed right across the sample. I thought this was a very interesting technique and I enjoyed doing this one.

 

Detail of previous sample.

Module One–Chapter 8

 

COMPLEX SHAPES

I again did some sketches to try and work through some ideas. I didn’t do samples of all of them, but they helped me work through what might work.

This was the least successful of the samples I think, because my stitching of the star shape is not even. And the green fabric is a little stiff probably.

 

This was the first of my attempts to create a star shape in the middle as a result of the stitching. So I used a square and a 4 pointed star to create an 8 pointed star shape in the middle padded area.

When I first drew this and before I stitched it, my plan was to pad each of the triangles created as well as the middle. However, because the stitching was too close in the smallest ones there wasn’t room to pad them. I could have solved that by undoing the middle row of stitching but I left it and stuffed the middle and top and bottom shapes created.

In this design, which is shown in detail below, I wanted to create a star shape in the middle from the beginning of each of the rows.  I was quite pleased with this one and thought it worked out as I wanted.

 

 

This sample has hand stitching in a variegated thread around each of the edges and the centre is padded.

Module One – Chapter 7

 

TRANSLATING THE LAYERED DESIGNS INTO EMBROIDERY

These are two pages of designs from my journal with ideas I was thinking of for translating my previous designs into fabric. I then prepared samples which are set out below, based on some of these designs.

Both the above samples have hand stitching around the outer edges of the shapes. Unfortunately the colour has been washed out a bit in the scanning process and I wasn’t aware of that until I put them into the blog. I have been having problems with my scanner and at the moment it has decided to only scan sometimes. I will try and rescan them if necessary.

 

This sample has double stitching round the edges of the shapes with the first cutting inside the star shape, and then on the outer side of the middle shape.

I am not sure that this example worked properly because the layers are all separate and are not on top of each other. It could probably be resolved by putting another layer over the top and cutting out shapes inside the existing stitching.

I thought it would be interesting to see what happened with a heavy hessian type fabric which I had stamped and then frayed on the edges back to the stitching. The top layer echoes the shape underneath in the plain fabric.

I cut these shapes on the outside of the star shape and then added extra pieces in each of the corners with matching stitching.

Overall I enjoyed this chapter and the effects that can be achieved.