Chapter 8 Paper relief into fabric relief

Five paper relief samples were selected from Chapter 3 related to textures I liked in the seascape.
These are now translated into manipulated fabrics and stitch; two for each, one soft texture the other harder texture.  They show tactile contrasts using different materials and manipulated methods.

1. Ripples around a pebble (see Sample 2, Ch 3)
2. Pebbles on the beach (see Sample 3, Ch 3)
3. Groin (barnacles on wood) (see Samples 5a, Ch 3)
4. Seaweed on groin (see Sample 5b, Ch 3)
5. Combined steps and paw prints (see Samples 7 & 6, Ch 3)

For each, there is the soft textured piece followed by the hard textured.
In order to vary the techniques, fabrics and stitches between the samples I set up an A3 sheet divided into two, labelled 1 to 5, noting on the left ideas related to soft textures, on the right harder textures.  Sometimes techniques changed as I progressed so these were noted alongside the original thoughts.

1.  Ripples around a pebble

2.  Pebbles on the beach

3.  Groin (barnacles on wood)

4.  Seaweed on groin

5.  Combined steps and paw prints

I particularly enjoyed making the harder textured sample for 1. and it was a good opportunity to use soldering iron and candle for the harder tactile texture for 4.  I like the look and feel of the softer texture in 2.  It was suggested maybe I could combine steps and paw prints to form a story which I feel these two samples divided on the diagonal show for 5., although the paw prints using wadding cut away with a soldering iron have worked better than the Tyvek bits heated using an iron and parchment paper above and below the material.  The only sample not complete is the hard textured sample for 2 where pebbles were spaced and trapped behind one piece of cotton scrim, gathered using stitch at the back to prevent them escaping.  The amount completed on this sample does show matching patterns for seven pebbles.

Health & Safety was kept when using the heating items: using a well ventilated room, ensuring the flex did not provide a trip hazard, the soldering iron was kept in a upturned flower pot with a glass cutting surface, and the candle held steady in a candle holder, using prongs to hold the fabric and some water at hand in a metal container to quench any flaring fabrics.

Chapter 7 Tactile contrasts using fabric manipulation

Made an experimental sampler using different fabrics in different manipulative ways. 
The sampler contains 16 triangles with 5cm edges. 
In order to obtain contrasts in texture I considered a selection of ideas divided according to R - rough textures; M - medium textures between rough and smooth – S ( 5 or 6 of each) based around fabrics collected in white or neutral colours. I set up a plan showing variety of texture, including fabric, technique and threads, either hand and machine stitched, then worked through each.  Techniques were used from previous chapters with some new ones, altering some as I went along.  Where possible I made sure like textures were not placed next to each other so contrasts were more evident.  The original plan changed accordingly.
Sometimes triangles that had depth (rough texture) were actually soft to the touch, reflecting the softer fabric used and the wider spacing of the stitches.  The look of the technique may be sufficient to show the contrast, if the feel is not relevant.
Insert sampler

Followed by description of triangle: fabric, techniques including any inserts

The sampler also shows different edges to the triangles.
So how can different contrasts be formed;
Choice of technique:  each has its own characteristics which can be varied
Choice of fabric:  each manipulates in a different way because of its physical characteristics. (See sheet accompanying the photograph of the sampler)
How stitchery is used to hold and manipulate the fabric to give different surfaces.  The cotton samples particularly show this variation.