Finishing Touches

I have completed all four of my long samplers. The processes have been painstakingly slow, and the detail is minute but I think I have enjoyed creating larger compositional pieces. The intense colour works really well in the white/neutral space and I am really pleased with the outcomes.

This week I'm figuring out how my work will sit within the degree show. Having spoken to my tutor and attending a portfolio session I think it would be best if I could show my work hanging and laying on a table. All of this consideration has also lead me to think about the edges and finishing of my pieces. In order to try and ensure all my darning sits as it should, I have been testing out fabric starch and whether this would help fix my final pieces. However I think once the pieces are well pressed they should work fine without fabric stiffener, which ruins the drape of the fabrics. I am also having to experiment a little with the edging of my fabrics, finding the most effective solution being just to fray and trim the edges.

I got to see my samples displayed as part of the TIP in Progress show in the art school, neatly rolled in a glass cabinet. I think this is how my samples will be displayed on a table at the degree show if this is the kind of space I'm allocated.

I have also decided to create a collection of singular samples that can site alone. I enjoy displaying these as a kind of patchwork:

I may suggest this way of working for my large piece for the Knit and Stitch show.

I need to make some executive decisions about my portfolio this week - what size it will be A3 or A2 in consideration of how small my samples are. Whether samples need to be mounted or simply presented in a box. I also need to make a decision about the colour of paper things should be mounted on, whether grey like I used for the colour competition would be more appropriate or white.

Developing work for unit X

This unit I am going to develop some of the techniques inspired by my work for Gawthorpe Hall. I have created some more drawings based on research into old/traditional embroidery techniques, combined with my unique use of colour, inspired by my research into combating colour blindness and chromophobia. I am choosing specifically to focus more on patterns found in traditional darning and needleweaving.

Embroidered by Marie Terese Fourbisseur found in the Cooper Hewitt Collection: http://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18489513/

Because my work is based on colour, my tutor thought it would be appropriate to enter me into the International Colour Competition run by the Society of Dying and Colourists. This was an absolutely amazing experience, and forced me to address how I present my work. I had very little time to throw together four boards that explained my samples. I also had to show that my work could be applied to a fashion context. This meant doing some visualisations and showing the process to reach them. I also had to make some executive decisions about the best way to present my boards. After some discussion with a few tutors we came to the conclusion it would be best to present my work onto a grey background instead of white because of the nature of my samples.

Not only did I enjoy a dye workshop and an excellent lecture on colour theory, but I also came away with a certificate of High Commendation from the judges as they we impressed with time, intricacy and detail that had gone into my work.

Although I think the techniques I used for Gawthorpe are very effective and create something really unique, the process is truly painstakingly slow. After a bit of fabric exploration I've found a handful of fabrics that have just the right weave, that I can snip out the weft. This speeds up the process slightly without losing the intricacy.

I have also entered some of my samples from the practice unit to be displayed as part of the TIP in Progress show in the art school. Although the brief for this show is large scale pieces, it is good they have offered to show smaller samples also. I hope my samples will be picked, they work well as a small collection so that might give them an edge.

Investigations

After some reflection over Easter and doing some samples, I have decided my product should be a scarf. I have produced some hand and machine samples using fabrics and embellishments suitable for this context.

Here I have hand sewn beads arranged so that they best represent "Plato's Disco" and it's shadow. I like this sample because of the heavy weight of the beads against the light Dupion silk fabric and the way this would affect the drape of a scarf:

This sample is cotton threads sewn down on water soluble fabric which I have then sewn 2/16 ply yarns across the empty spaces. Although I love this sample, the stitching is too heavyweight for use on a scarf and I fear if I were to try with less stitching it would not hold it's structure:

This a combination of the thicker 2/16 ply yarns and the variegated threads delicately stitched on the Irish machine. This creates a very bold impact and I think I will use to embellish the end of my scarves:

This sample is a variation on traditional kantha stitch using colour change thread to create diamond shapes:

Finally this is hand dyed patches of light cotton that I have sewn with contrasting grey thread using blanket stitch on the PFAFF machine:

A lot of the samples I have done produce a messy back so I did some embroidered scarf research to see how others have tackled this issue. I found Siobhan O’Brien, I really like her embroidered scarves.

Here she has used different coloured panels to make a double sided patchwork scarf.

So I have decided to make double sided scarves made up of patchwork panels, I need to buy my fabrics (I have decided on silk linen and dupion silk) and then cut these up into patches to be dyed separately both tonal greys and one side of a scarf to be brighter colours. I then need to get in the machine rooms and construct each side, embroider each side and then finally sew the scarves together.

After doing a narrative workshop with Alice Kettle I have realised how much more value is added to an object if it has a strong narrative. If I were to make packaging I would tell the story of my scarves, where they took their inspiration and the processes I have used to make them.

This workshop also taught me the benefits of collaboration. It was fun and interesting seeing what was inspired in other people’s minds by the objects we were given.

So far all of my tutorials have been with 3D tutors and predominantly 3D students. This has proven very interesting in terms of the kinds of suggestion I've got from them that seem focused on things like the final product and garment structure as apposed to advice concerning techniques, suggesting materials, sampling and alternatives to finished products. This focus is a new perspective and I think it's motivating me to produce a different kind of work.  



Self Initiated Brief

This week I have been focusing on my Self Initiated Brief, I have chosen to create samples for a carnival costume context. Having done some contextual research, I have considered the fabrics I'm going to use such as bright colours, metallic and sparkly threads, materials reminiscent of feathers.

These are some of the samples I have made in response to the idea of a phoenix costume for carnival.

Using the embellisher and colourful rovings, I have tried to create a soft feathery sample, on top of a sparkly, light weight silk.

For this sample I wanted to create something a little more patterned and detailed. Although in this formation it looks a bit floral, I think if the pattern was repeated or separated into individual feathers, it would look more phoenix like. Despite this, I am really pleased with my colour mixing and how effectively I have created a fabric purely from stitch using water soluble backing.

Finally with this sample I have tried to combine the featheriness of a Phoenix with the bright colours and flare of a carnival costume, using ribbons and the embellisher to achieve this:

Sampling and Planning

This week I have been sampling to see what best reproduces the hand drawn marks within my shapes. I have gathered lots of colourful threads and fabric, been in the dye lab and experimented with different machine and hand stitches.
These are some of the samples I have produced:

I have also successfully digitally printed some of my fabric and embellished it. I think for my final idea I will produce an apron that combines hand stitch, machine embroidery and my digital prints.
This is some of my contextual research, I have looked at people who have created aprons as a decorative item, rather than a practical piece.

I want to replicate something similar to this in terms of simplicity of shape and with a decorative purpose rather than a practical purpose.

 

#http://beebopspartywear.com/collections/paperdoll-aprons-2

Digital Refinement

After my tutorial this week I decided to scan in my small but time consuming ink drawings and manipulate them using Photoshop. I played around changing scales, repeating patterns and layering the images. I was really happy with the end results and decided to get some digitally printed onto fabrics.

I have chosen the Apron Brief for my live project this unit, and so I have looked at the kind of apron I think I'd like to make:

I have chosen a quite simple design so that my making skills do not limit the potential of my patterns and colour. Also due to the bold and eclectic nature of the patterns I feel most textural or structural detail would be lost and there for a bit of a waste of time.

Evaluation Blog

This unit I feel I have really taken risks and experimented. I have learnt lots of techniques on new machines and tried to use them in creative ways to translate my drawings into fabrics. My main evidence of this is my set of experimental samples, that I felt were too big and textural to correctly represent the qualities of my drawings. 

At first I struggled to find an under pinning concept due to the variety of drawings I produced in response to songs but I feel that once I had settled for one idea, I manipulated it, and explored it visually enough to underpin m y practice.

This project has definitely helped me experience the refinement and development of my work which I feel is evident through my sketchbook. I started off with very scattered drawings, unable to settle on a style or media, and slowly whittled it down to a collection. I then produced some very varied samples based on this collection of drawings before choosing a focus and creating samples to fit. 

I feel that I have done research on context and found that my fabrics would be appropriate for fashion or interiors. This research helped inform decisions such as fabric choice (stretch denim, satins and silks) and my colour palette (balancing the bold colours with a monochrome background). 

Finally in this project I feel that I have managed to create links between the my visual research, the fashion/interiors context and the different processes by which I produced my samples. 

These are some images of my final samples: 

Development and Refining

Looking back at my more woven drawings I have found that I actually find manipulating straight lines to look wavy far more interesting than creating wavy lines myself. These samples are the ones I am happiest with, I feel they look more professional and refined and even hand themselves over to a fashion context. 

These experimental samples are the first ones I feel appropriate to be used as a final sample and I aim to create 5 more using this one as inspiration. 

Experimenting and Inspiration

I have now had lots of inductions onto lots of exciting machines and have had fun experimenting to find out how each one can help me translate my drawings into textiles. Also continuing with my drawing and accidently photocopying one of my pieces black and white has become visually very interesting to me. I have now focused on combining the coloured lines with the black and white. 

I have particularly enjoyed using the Irish, Embellisher and Cornelly machines to create interesting backgrounds and have tried to focus on creating interesting pattern surfaces that reflect the waviness of my drawings. 

Although I quite like some of these samples I feel like focusing on created a textured surface isn’t as relative to my drawings which have a more graphic, line quality about them. 

Having looked at my drawing I have found that I find the lines breaking up other lines very interesting and have experimented with weaving my drawings to emphasise this. 

I have decided to try and translate these woven drawings into samples. So far I have attempted to do this with built up backgrounds and woven in shop bought ribbon. 

This week we also got given a talk from Emily Woods from Cabasa Carnival Arts. This is a textile profession that I had never really considered before but encompasses all the aspects of textiles and life I enjoy. Not only does she produce amazing, brightly coloured one of a kind pieces, she is also working in the community, to help minority groups have more cohesion and celebrate themselves. I applied for Textiles in Practice at MMU with the view to doing an Art Therapy MA so being involved with community projects on such a practical level would be ideal. They also take part in festivals and parades which is something I’ve always been interested in working in but previously found no obvious link to a career in textiles. 

Starting Samples

Having created some much more interesting drawings carrying the feel of a “collection”, for the first time on this course I feel comfortable with my drawings and am actually proud of what I have produced and am looking forward to making more. As a result of this new found confidence I have attempted some pretty amateur samples. 

The only embroidery based unit I have completed so far is a quilting project in Unit X last year, so my knowledge of embroidery techniques and machine inductions are very limited. However I’ve had a go and have been given useful feedback on my current samples as well as a timetable of inductions into the machine rooms so that I can more accurately translate my drawings into samples. 

I also need to start thinking about my context in order to help my decision making processes. So far I feel my work would be best suited to Fashion or Interiors. In either case I think they’d have to be for very unique or one off pieces as I have a very bright colour palette that would become quite over powering in large doses. 

Here are some artists that I’m looking at for inspiration: 

Vivienne Westwood: 

Park B. Smith: