Chapter 12 Stitched trial samples using extreme contrasts working towards resolved sample

As mentioned at the end of Chapter 11 selected Torn shapes of photo 049a to work on.
This is an A5 size.

Drew up an enlarged preliminary design  with some initial ideas for fabric manipulation and stitches including being selective with fabrics I'd want to use.  This A4 size.

The idea is to take each textured area and translate it into manipulated fabric and/or stitch.

First of all I needed to reduce the number of pieces as shown below to areas A to F in white print.  These areas are mentioned throughout as work on samples

Another decision was to change the colours from yellow pieces with brown markings on black back ground to mostly cream on dark brown background using mostly brown range of coloured yarns.  It helps having black and white photocopies. 

Selected a range of fabrics

 

 

 and a number of different yarns from fine machine threads to chunky fraying variegated wool.

In order to have samples for each shaped piece made trial samples from them as they were of a manageable size.
The samples were laid on dark brown Dylon dyed linen scrim as they were completed.

I tried to no longer think of the original photo, but refer only to the marks for working.

The trial samples included three sets, so each shape was worked into three different techniques

First: Examples of fabric manipulated methods
Second:  Hand stitched methods
Third:  Combined fabric manipulated plus hand stitching including two  of each
           (i   Hand stitch on fine fabric then manipulated afterwards
           (ii  Manipulate fabric with stitch
           (iii Manipulate fabric then hand stitch on top
I aimed to have different contrasts of texture between one shape and another

For each, an initial idea was noted, allowing for changes of idea and technique as I reflected on fabrics and yarns available.  I noted main elements of techniques on the reverse of each sheet.

1.  Examples of fabric manipulated methods
The pieces as completed were pinned to the dark fabric background

Liked the way in A the silk pleated; the gather effect in B, gathers in D and scorched marks on calico using a soldering iron in E.

2.  Hand stitched methods

There was more use of coloured fabrics in these samples which were effective but prefer those with a more cream background, when considering the resolved sample.
Pleased with the wadded quilting in A and C, but possibly too thick alongside some of the other pieces; managed to get more layers of yarns in B and F

3.  Combined fabric manipulated plus hand stitching including two  of each
           (i   Hand stitch on fine fabric then manipulated afterwards
          (ii  Manipulate fabric with stitch
          (iii Manipulate fabric then hand stitch on top

In these samples in A felt the pleats with beading wire worked well, pleased I could work two types of quilting in C with feathers and sand then small area of Trapunto quilting and finally both E and F fine fabrics hand stitched with fly stitch on one, blanket stitch on the other varying and overlapping the stitches in keeping with the design shape and markings.  Liked the finishing touches using soldering iron on E, and in F folded layers for thickness with additional folding on the top layer with inserted pipe cleaners.
Here is a photograph of me surrounded by the samples, fabrics and threads as I stitched the beading wire through the pleats in A.

Resolved sample
In order to produce the resolved sample I selected two pieces from each type of work, arranging them on another dark brown fabric background.  I selected cream backgrounds to contrast with the background fabric and a variety of techniques.

The background was made up of two layers of fabric and as a token to the original seascape, machine stitched a basic picture of the shore looking out to sea.  Most is lost once the samples were put in place. 
Here is a photo of the resolved sample before the beading, with realistic colours.

Some beading with stitching to hold the pieces in place completes the resolved sample. (Note the sample is only pinned in place).  This was a night shot which has resulted in an apparent colour change.  See on above for the actual colour range.

 

plus hidden background(this is its appearance before pieces were added)

 

 

Whilst doing the trial samples also tried a knitted version of a different cut design, this time on a pale blue and light brown machine stitched background, not complete but an interesting idea.  This was not timed or costed.

Time taken for Chapter 11 - 10 hours
Time taken for Chapter 12 - 13 3/4 hours

Costs for Chapter 11 - £21.67
Costs for Chapter 12 - £11.80

Finally, I did go on to work with marked pieces on the course with Sarah Burgess ( not Summer School one), but these are yet to be completed.  Will send a photo of a couple of pieces when completed, not sure when.

This was a fascinating module and it gave me an opportunity to manipulate fabric and work with so many different stitches to interpret marks related to the seascape.  I feel I would like to develop further outside the requirements of the module using natural coloured manipulated fabrics and layering and developing use of stitch.  I feel I have a better understanding of the different properties of fabrics and yarns, and with experience will develop this knowledge even further.

Chapter 11 Design from landscape

The aim of this chapter is to use inspiration from landscape as in earlier chapters based on a seascape.
In this chapter I will decorate papers in flat texture and raised texture, cut and/or tear them based on shape in the landscape to make designs.

In sequence:

• Selected landscape images, four views from Chapter 1
• Decorated papers with flat and raised textures
• Shapes collected by drawing a selection of divisions in the landscape
• Cut and/or tore shapes related to various divisions in the landscape
• Applied each images shapes to a contrasting coloured background paper.

Much of the work in earlier chapters has been done in black and white, for this work I have selected a main colour of brown with variations between cream and ochre, different browns and some orangey effects including gold

From the previous work I will select one design idea to use for manipulating fabrics and using different stitchery methods as shown in Chapter 12.  Notes on techniques were made as progressed through the work, applying H&S to methods.

Photo of prepared kitchen area where made marks on different papers - wide range of different thicknesses and colours of paper based on my colour decision

Decorated papers with flat and raised textures
Making flat textures
Initially I chose four viewpoints, shown here alongside flat textured papers:

Photos 044 and 048: mono-prints using hard roller with acrylic paints: burnt sienna, yellow ochre and gold
Making marks with sequin waste, cocktail stick, lollipop stick, sponges, stippled stamp, skewer and corrugated card

Photos 049 and 052: rubbings using oil pastels: yellow ochre, burnt umber, pale brown, ochre with sand, previous paper manipulation, seaweed, feathers, shells and wood grain in a door

Photo 049:  drawn scene using oil pastels as above and copper coloured markal stick over some rubbings

Photo 087:  mono-printing based on a course with Sarah Burgess (Embroiderers Guild N Wales, 20th - 21st June 2015)
These show some of the initial mono-prints, positive and negative images using special inks with some folded papers and different mark makers
The second photo includes use of masks, tearing and rearranging papers and inserting fabric

Making raised textures
Picked out textured surfaces by looking at all the pictures then applied different materials mostly to a layer of thick PVA glue with annotated explanation alongside.  Used techniques used earlier in Chapter 2 and in Module 3.
The surfaces were then rolled over gently using a mixture of acrylic paints: burnt sienna, yellow ochre and gold

Collection of surfaces using different materials:

Manipulating card to produce different layers

Shapes collected by drawing a selection of divisions in the landscape
Using the originally selected photos drew a range of pictures where the landscape was divided up into shapes following lines of main features.  I then selected 1 or 2 of each shaped arrangement and using the back of postcard sized pieces of selected flat textured papers drew the shapes then made a sample of a torn or cut shapes laid on to a contrasting coloured card.  The pieces cut or torn were replaced in the correct order with gaps between each.

Another approach might have been to select an abstract grid of squares, triangles or other shape, or produce a Fibonacci arrangement, but decided to develop one of the torn images

These examples showing the drawings on the first scan, followed by a reminder of the photo/scene and a resulting torn/cut layout from which a fabric and stitched piece might be made.

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

In the last of the above samples are drawings from the step photos and some examples showing how areas of shapes can be found by drawing around an area that you could possibly look through.
By this stage as I needed to choose just one image to develop further I didn't include the last image or torn, cut pieces realising I wanted to develop Sample 2.  In the back of my mind the textures of the wooden groin and seaweed effect seemed to draw me to developing this further.

The design which I decided to develop was the torn sample of  049a, which is developed in Chapter 12.