Chapter 10 Designing an accessory

What is an accessory? A few ideas below

After some searching for useful pictures of accessories with some spiralling aspects, opted for the bracelet and/or watch strap, for which the following illustrate:

Returning to my earlier spiral designs based on musical instruments, in particular violin and harp I was reminded of drawn images:

I worked on one or two of the images, manipulating them using the Draw package on our PC.

I also revisited some mono-printed fabrics, manipulating them also.

I followed with the use of the complementary colours of purple and yellow

How should I develop the images for the chosen accessory of bracelets?

Firstly I thought about an arrangement of wrist decorations, worn together either on their own or over a cuff

A small group of fellow embroiderers meet monthly and at the last get together we chatted about my ideas:

Then I started to design some of the different types from left to right on the picture (two above)

The cuffs:

The bracelets, using different techniques:

I developed the last one, taking photos of the dissolvable fabric in the hoop; dissolved fabric with different backgrounds, cut up pieces and roughly arranged as bracelets  (Actually all photos show the fabric dissolved, the first gives an impression of its position in the hoop)

These two show on the left the working surface of the fabric, on the right results of cable stitch

Here are some different fabric backgrounds

Cut up shapes, roughly placed into the shape of bracelets

The final design for bracelet is using silk rods

 

As well as considering bracelets off or on a cuff, I have wondered whether to concentrate on the wider type of bracelet for a watch strap.

Here are some initial ideas:

Now I need to decide whether to:

• Do a series of bracelets as on page 18 without a cuff
• Do a series of bracelets as on page 18 with a cuff
• Develop one bracelet only (do like the dissolvable fabric designs)
• Make a watch strap

All samples so far are very basic, most needing further embellishments.

I like a lot of the designs and feel I’ve managed to use the colours in a good way

But what should be my final assessment piece?

Chapter 9 Resolved sample

Here is a resolved sample showing combinations of some work from Modules 1, 2 and 3, mounted on board using long laced stitches.

 

The inspiration is from musical instruments and scores, mostly violin scrolls, the spiral column of a harp and the five lines of a musical score.

 

Design element ideas based on movement

Module One

- Use of pairs of complementary colours (purple and yellow)

- Layering different fabrics

- Reverse applique, cutting away between stitched rows

Module Two

- Tonal contrast within a colour

-  Fibonacci sequence

Module Three

- Using dyed fabrics and threads in complementary colours (purple and yellow)

- Using mono-printed dyed fabric

- Machine and hand stitched spirals, using running stitch and whip stitch on the machine and running and couching stitches by hand

- Machine stitched cords, twisted cords and knotted cord around cake decorators wire

- Five-corded plait

- Simple tassels

Sequence of work

1.  Initially I sketched a few ideas, altering ideas as the work progressed

 

2.  Selected samples of mono-printed paper and fabric in purple and/or yellow from Module 3.

3.  Used cut out frames around the different ones, preferring a design in paper made of a double layer with cut out spirals.

 

4.  Selected two equivalent fabrics and cut out spirals, folding some, liking the falling nature of the spirals

5.  To attach the two layers machine stitched around the spirals with a double thread in upper needle with variegated thread in the bobbin, but lost the natural falling effect

6.  At this stage chose to work with a smaller sample cutting the A4 size in half

7.  Added layers, offset from the original spirals, made of circles of chiffon, scrim or net, ensuring the layers were not too thick, so did not loose some of the original two layers.  Attached the circles using a running variegated dyed string, couched with gold thread, leaving a length loose to dangle down at the bottom of the sample

7.  Made machine stitched cords (60 cm lengths) in purple varying the tone (Module 2), using torn lengths of dyed and commercial fabric, dyed threads and variegated purple thread in both the top needle and bobbin

8.  Using 5-cord plaiting technique made a braid (using the idea of plaiting together the 5 lines on musical scores resulting in a spiral effect) The colours of the cords were arranged in a tonal sequence (Module 2)

9.  Made twisted cords in yellow (100cm lengths reduced to at least half) varying thicknesses so could follow the Fibonacci sequence once laid on the sample (using the idea of a spiral columns from harps)

10.  Made a knotted cord in yellow wrapped around cake decorating wire, making sure the ends were not sharp with additional fabric wrapped around them – wanting to have a spiral coming out from the background.  Using a single sided knot the thread naturally spirals around the wire (this is not so clear on the final sample)

11.  In order to reveal some of the fabric layers used reverse applique (Module 1), cutting away small areas of fabric, parts along the edges and frayed the remaining border

12.  At this stage decided on background for work, ironed three different fabrics, plain curtain lining,  yellow dyed fabric in cotton and a shibori dyed piece with mixed colours – choosing the latter which would extend the worked piece, but could also see how some of the pattern in the background could be used with the cord

13.  Before laying the cords on the sample did some additional machine stitching, intertwining with and over the original spirals.  This also attached the sample to the background fabric

14.  Tried different ways of laying the cords and plait on the sample, wanting the yellow cords to form an area of columns somewhere on the work

15.  Hand stitched cords and plait in place, giving a tonal range in the top purple spiral and adding simple tassels to hang down at the bottom of the piece

16.  Originally, I did think about adding buttons and beads to the work, but once I’d reached this stage felt they were not needed.

17. Used an A4 gesso board to stretch and long lace the sample to it

Comments

I felt I’d managed to produce an interesting combination of complementary colours, purple and yellow with different shades and tonal change, using inspiration from the violin, harp and musical score

The different layers of fabric and spirals of fabric, threads, cords and plait provided a feeling of movement, patterns interlinking with one another, and added texture.

Extending stitch, threads and cords off the sample gives the idea of music continuing beyond the piece.

Should I have added some additional embellishments? – maybe, but that would be another sample

Using the gesso board and stretching the fabric attached with long laced threads

I lost the loose nature from the original background layers, and maybe a more delicate working using hand stitching, machine stitching, tassels, beads and buttons worked between the spirals would produce a piece retaining the loose spirals, flopping down from the surface.