Sunday, 1 May 2011

module5 chapters 8,10,12

CHAPTER 8 CONTINUED IMAGE 4 SIZE A5 Novelty and smooth threads wrapped round frame with cellophane inserts.
IMAGE 5 SIZE A4.
Wooden frame covered with painted muslin hydrangea form flowers.Fragments of hand made paper with embedded hydrangea petals were then secured to the backgound fabric by a thread wound around a series of large french knots and secured by tiny stitches on the back to preserve the tension. IMAGE 6 SIZE 8 INCHES SQUARE
8 inch wire square wound with a continuous cotton thread around the edges . The same cotton thread was then wound round to suspend a hand crocheted cotton square in the centre of the frame. The whole was then coated with paper pulp and left to dry.
IMAGE 7 SIZE 6 INS X 2.5 INS
A drawn thread muslin rectangle was suspended in a wire rectangle by cotton threads and coated with paper pulp. Once dry the drawn thread lines were then over stitched.
CHAPTER 9 DESIGNING WITH LAYERS.
SECTION A.
Using a transparent polythene sheet a series of marks were made with a thick permanent marker. IMAGE 8 WAVY LINES
IMAGE 9 FISH. Before the marker was dry, lines were made across the surface with a sharp point.
IMAGE 10 SWIRLS
IMAGE 11
The same swirls but now they have a ' bubble' in the centre of each which was made by an eyelet fixing tool.
IMAGE 12
Wavy lines folded and unfolded.
IMAGE 13
Triangular fold on fish.
IMAGE 14
The layers unfolded and placed over one another. Not particularly successfully as the individual elements lose definition. The inclusion of the wavy line layer is particularly distracting.
IMAGE 15
Learning the lesson from the image above the wavy line layer was left out. Colour was then digitally added to the two remaining layers. The central ' bubbles ' were highlighted and colour was applied to the lines on the fish which were oringinally scored on the surface.
CHAPTER 9 SECTION B
PAINTING ON ACETATE LAYERS.
The object for study/'tracing' was a pair of sea shells.
IMAGE 16 SIZE , 4 A4 ACETATE SHEETS.
The sea shells were drawn in pairs and then coloured using a variety of methods.
Working from left to right on the top row-
A pair of coloured glue trails, markal paint sticks appled to the smooth and then sandpapered surface, A pair drawn with coloured inks with embossing pwder being added to the far right image.
Middle row different combinations of acrylic and silver paints
Bottom row
A pair of images made from needle holes threaded with rayon yarn, acrylic paints with the ribs on the shells being formed by the removal of paint.
At the bottom a 'background layer' in acrylics. ,
IMAGE 17 SIZE A4
The acetate sheets were cut up into pairs of shells and then interleaved in a number of ways to create different effects. In this image a circle or fan shaped image was arranged.
IMAGE 18 SIZE A4
This was one of a series of experiments to see the optimum number of layers it was best to work with. In general terms this was three but here 4 have been used with the top ones being more line drawings while the bottom silver paint images form a kind of shadow effect underneath.
IMAGE 19 .
This image again includes 4 layers but this includes the markal images which did not really work with the inability of the acetate to absorb the colour. The coloured images include those made with glue trails, one with solid acrylic paints and one more of a 'stencil' form with paint removed to create the pattern on the shells.
IMAGE 20
A series of skeleton and solid images arranged in a trail.
IMAGE 21
Coloured image placed in the centre of the needle point shell outlines surrounded with threads.
IMAGE 22
The needle hole threaded shell shapes against a painted background.
IMAGE 23
Coloured glue trail shapes added to image 22.
CHAPTER 10 RESOLVED SAMPLES
IMAGE 24 SIZE 4 X A4 SHEETS OF HANDMADE PAPER.
In making the initial sheets of paper I returned to some of the leaf studies for my second assessment piece and some of the ideas in the flower study.
IMAGE 25 SIZE A4.
Once the paper was dry the leaves were removed from the paper , leaving the imprint of their vein patterns behind. These vein shapes were then sponged over with different forms of Markal paint sticks and fabric 'leaves' were cut from an organza and metallic ' sandwich'. The paper was then monted on an acetate sheet and the edges were then framed with stitched loops of rayon ribbon and threads dyed in Autumn shades. The fragile lacy edge of the handmade paper was preserved by melting back the acetate to the crumbled edge.
IMAGE 26 SIZE A3
Sample of silk paper. The inspiration for this was some of the decorated papers made for the Hydrangea study in Module 4. The base was bleached white silk tops and this was overlaid by dyed gummed silk and throwsters waste. This was placed on the white backgound while still wet so that the residual dye bled into to background to give a blended colour across the piece.
IMAGE 27 SIZE A3
This sample was formed from sections cut from the silk paper in image 26 and the flower petal paper in image 24 . The sections were overlaid with a sheet of bondaweb type fabric with toning random threads and then overstitched with automatic flower patterns.
IMAGES 28 AND 29 SIZE, EACH 14 INCHES SQUARE.
The background fabric is a piece of nylon mesh used as a screen print mask. The mesh was then overlaid by cotton organdie screen printed fabric with a dragon fly pattern. The dragonfly motif was then overlaid by a turquoise metallic fabric and stitched round from the back of the two layers. The metallic fabric was then melted back to the stitching. A lacy web was worked on to vanishing muslin using a fringed cotton yarn couched down by machine stitching. The muslin was then dissolved away and the resulting lacy web was then hand stitched in place over the dragonfly.
The two pictures are designed to show both the transparent and the opaque views of the sample.
CHAPTER 12 ARTISTS STUDY.
I have added to my research material details of the work of the following textile artists.
Julia Griffiths Jones . Especially samples of her wirework lace and suspended images.She draws inspiration from the sculptor Alexander Calder and the artist Jean Miro.
Karen Nicol. Another worker in contemporary interpretations of lace who was featured in the Jerwood contemporary makers exhibition in 2010.
Dawn Thorne 's book Transparency in textiles opens up a number of avenues to study.

Saturday, 16 April 2011

Design & Chapter 7

Continued development of third assessment piece. IMAGE 1. SIZE 16ins X 13ins This is the first stage in the development of a blue/green fabric for the smooth panel elements of my design. Fragmented layers of sheers and fine metallic fabrics have been built up on a background of fine wadding. IMAGE 2. SIZE 16 ins X 13 ins This is the second stage in the development of the blue/ green fabric. A layer of painted bondaweb has been ironed on to the sheers and metallics. As all the layers are synthetic the final panels can be cut out from this fabric with a fine tipped soldering iron to seal all the layers at the edges and create a crisp outline to each one. Once the panels are cut out some machine stitching will be used both to highlight some of the features of the fabric and ,on the other hand, to soften any remaining hard lines.
IMAGE 3. SIZE 14 ins X 10 ins
Following on from previous comments some additional textural elements have been added to the first blue/green panel to start to move away from the linear approach originally employed.
IMAGE 4. SIZE 12 ins X 8 ins.
As in the above sample the first purple/ blue panel has been reworked to blur some of the lines.
IMAGE 5. SIZE 16 ins X13 ins.
The first two blue /green textured panels cut from their background fabric, individually mounted on pelmet vilene and photographed against the (as yet unstitched)fabric for the smooth blue/green panels.
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IMAGE 6. SIZE 16 ins X 13 ins
Similarly the first purple/ blue textured panel has been cut out, mounted and photographed against its background fabric. This fabric has been made in exactly the same way as the blue/ green examples above but, as before, it does not yet have any over- stitching.
CHAPTER 7 TRANSPARENT POCKETS.
IMAGE 7 SIZE A3. DRAWINGS OF A VARIETY OF 'POCKETS' IMAGE 8. SIZE 3 ins X 10 ins. POCKETS
Transparent heavy gauge film was cut into squares. The top sheet was then stretched over a wine bottle top to form a smaller round pocket. This pocket was then filled with thinned acrylic paint and the second square of film was then moulded to it and sealed with a soldering iron.The square pockets were then joined together using glue trails , painted after cooling.
IMAGE 9 .SIZE 3ins square.POCKET
Dyed nylon mesh was formed into a square and the edges 'bound' with organza strips sealed with a soldering iron. Lengths of gummed silk, dyed in the same coulours ,were threaded
through between the layers , protruding at the edges. IMAGE 10. SIZE 15 ins X 8 ins. POCKETS
In the top black and red sample the black background fabric is a nylon square which was marked into 4 smaller squares. A button was then sewn into the centre of each square. The top red layer is packaging material from a group of tangerines. This was bonded with heat to the background black fabric around the edges and along the lines of the squares. Red merino wool fibres were then dry needle felted along the dividing lines of the smaller squares and a different red button was sewn at the centre.
In the bottom sample polythene film was used. A long rectangle was cut and this was then folded in half. A series of pasta twists were then placed on the film and a fine tipped soldering iron was used to make a series of holes around each twist. This partially sealed the polythene layers together. A heavy cotton thread was then dyed in the colours of the pasta and used to stitch round the edges of each pocket. The word PASTA was then stitched underneath in the same yarn.
IMAGE 11. SIZE 6 INCH PRISM.MUSLIN MESH POCKET.
A triangle was cut from wire mesh and formed into a prism. Stiffened muslin was then used to form a prism shaped covering and threads were pulled to replicate the lines in the wire mesh. The muslin was then covered and stitched to a layer of white organza. This covering was then stiched into place over the surface of the wire prism leaving a hanging loop at the apex. Lengths of white cotton yarn were then treaded through, tied, and left to hang at the sides.
Time taken for Chapter 7, 13 hours.

Sunday, 3 April 2011

Revisions,Design,Devore

IMAGE 1 Reworking of the Red fabric sample from IMAGE 4 of last posting plus two samples of fabric made from the white organza 'ribbons' from the previous image 11. One with small holes and one with large. The windows in the blue fabric include one held back by needle felting with shards of white organza being embedded as embellishment. In the bottom left sample the heavy threads from the fabric have been pulled out and re-sewn down in a series of bars across the opening. In the bottom right the heavy threads have been left but some of the finer threads were pulled out and the castellated edge of heavy threads left as a border on one side. In the top left the window has been cut into a V shape and the finer threads shreded from the resulting shape.
IMAGE 2
A different idea for silk paper in addition to the machine embroidered butterflies from Image 15 of the previous posting. Here a dragonfly shape has been made in silk paper and placed alongside a hand made silk screen dragonfly print. IMAGE 3
Reworking of image 8 top and bottom image 11
IMAGE 4
Re-presentation/ reworking of previous images numbers 7and 9
IMAGE 5 (SIZE 12 INCHES X 32 INCHES)
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Re- placement of textured dark bands in the centre moving to lighter green/ blue textures, then to the lavender/blue textures and finally to smooth green and blue. IMAGE 6
SAMPLES OF TEXTURED PANELS IN THE TWO COLOURWAYS.
CHAPTER 5 DEVORE/ FIBRE ETCH.
IMAGE 7 SIZE A3
DEVORE SAMPLES.
Top sample using glue as a mask, working from the back of the fabric through a silk screen on to cream crushed velvet. Sample dyed after working. Centre left ,velvet using a stencil of a fish as a mask and 'sculpting' the velvet from the right side.
Bottom left using two different sizes of hand crocheted squares as a mask on the silk screen, again working from the right side on to white velvet, subsequently dyed green.
Centre right 'sunburst'. Working from the wrong side of the velvet through a silk screen using masking tape and gathers as masks, which were subsequently removed.
Bottom right using vinyl wallpaper as a mask.
Image 8 size 2 X 8 inch squares.
Using composition fabric of 82%viscose,16% polyamid and 2% elastan. In the left hand one the paste was painted on in stripes and the fabric was pulled into shreds along the lines. In the red saple the paste was applied through the dragonfly stencil and the fabric shreded along the lines within the image.

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

design development 3rd assessment piece

Further design thoughts on third assessment piece. On further thoughts the following emerged------ I do intend to use both the blue/green and the purple/blue colourways in the design. The proportions are likely to be one third purple/blue and two thirds green blue. I intend to have a mix of smooth and textured surfaces. I wish to use the textured surfaces to give overall impact to the finished piece. I have experimented with paper compositions in a number of different juxtapositions of the various elements and a selection of these are shown in the six images below. In each image the depth of each individual 'sail 'shape is approx 10 inches while the overall width of the design is between 24 and 30 inches, depending on the configuration. IMAGE 1 In this image there is a series of textured central panels with smooth panels at each end. This uses both colourways and smooth and textured versions of each. This gives good impact at the central third of the panel with the two extremities seeming to fade into the background. IMAGE 2
This uses smooth panels in alternate colourways and a textured band is threaded through the middle of each. This gives less overall impact for the textures than I am trying to achieve. IMAGE 3
This is a placing of an equal mix of textured versions of both colourways in a fairly smooth linear formation. This looks messy and lacks impact points.
IMAGE 4
In this image the background panels are all smooth but they have been arranged in a much more 'jagged' linear formation. A variety of shapes of textured panels have then been overlaid upon their matching smooth colourways with the concentration of purple/ blue in the middle section.
This seems to lead to a loss of definition of shape for the individual elements within the design.
IMAGE 5
In this image there is a similarity to image 4 above but the positioning of the background panels has been levelled out and there is a much more definite 'skyline' in the placement of the background panels. This perhaps gives a greater coherence to the whole but does not give emphasis to the individual shapes. IMAGE 6
In this image the background panels are ,again, smooth but they have been placed in a much more jagged line and their skylines/ foregrounds have been inverted. The background panels have then been overlaid by textured versions of their own colourways in shapes which replicate them but these have been 'teased' out either above or below the mid-line. This gives an element of textured and smooth surfaces across the whole length of the panel. It also gives more definition to the individual sail shapes.
At the moment I am torn between images 1 and 6 .
Images 1 and 6 each , in different ways, seem to combine both smooth and textured versions of both colourways in a pleasing compostion and I know you expressed some concerns in your earlier feedback that trying to achieve this might get too complicated.
In image 1 the impact of the textured panels is concentrated at the central focal point whereas in image 6 it is sustained or continued across the whole surface of the piece.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I am still playing with all my paper shapes!!!!!

Saturday, 19 March 2011

MOD 5 Chps4 & 6

CHAPTER 4 MAKING HOLES. IMAGE 1 SIZE A3 In the top sample, shapes were cut from layers of bonded organza . The top voids were filled in by metallic thread stitching while the bottom voids were filled by thick rayon shaded thread stitching. Although the voids were exactly the same size the ones filled with the lacy metallic stitching appear bigger in the sample. The bottom two samples were worked on fine cotton lawn layered over brown silk. In the left hand sample the shape was sewn around and the brown silk was then cut away from the reverse side. In the right hand sample the shape was sewn in the same way but this time the white cotton lawn was cut away to reveal the brown silk backing. IMAGE 2 SIZE A4 In the left hand sample a winged needle was used on the top row with a hem stitch and thick blue thread. Lines of dyed gummed silk were then worked over with the same needle and thread. The holes between the lines of silk were made by the winged needle but without any thread in the machine. In the right hand sample a grid shape was sewn using a triple straight stitch on muslin. The muslin was then cut away around the grid lines. IMAGE 3 SIZE A3 The left hand sample uses dyed scrim stitched in a grid pattern with a winged needle. In the blue sample the dyed scrim has been treated with wax and additional threads pulled prior to stitching. The white sample uses layers of undyed scrim , stitched in a grid pattern and then slashed. IMAGE 4 SIZE A4 An oblong of red wool boucle was used with small rectangles of a variety of dyed colours of tissue fragments sewn behind. The red fabric was then cut back and either folded , frayed or rolled to reveal the backing colours.
IMAGE 5 SIZE A4
In this sample lengths of merino wool have been teased apart into a grid pattern and the intersections secured with rayon thread.
IMAGE 6 SIZE A3
At the left hand sided dyed and waxed scim has been used and a pattern has been stitched and cut out.
In the centre top an orange/ red silk has been used a the top in a slashed pattern to reveal the red reverse side. In the bottom orange/red sample the same fabric has been used but every other warp thread has been removed. The reamaining threads were then teased out in a 'slashed' pattern across the weft threads. The top right is the frayed /slashed muslin sample.
The bottom right is a fabric made from a fringed yarn sewn to a nylon net background. The fabric was then slashed from the back between the lines of stitching.
IMAGE 7 SIZE A3.
This sample used a sample of silver/black/grey and white silk lurex as a background.In the centre of the sample is a rectangle of white copy paper with a graphite rubbing made over lolly sticks. Holes were then punched around the edge of the paper and threads frayed from the warp of the background fabric were then threaded through in an arching pattern.
Buckle shapes were cut from black card and these were then either threaded or backed with other black/grey and white fabric pieces. Small diamonds of black and silver silk lurex were then added to the corners.
IMAGE 8 SIZE A3
The top sample has been made from black card. A small square of blue foiled card was then cut and placed in the centre of the backing card. Eyelet holes have been punched in the centre and eyelets inserted. Strands of purple mohair wool were then threaded through the eyelet holes and then were spread out in a 'sunray' pattern. A small triangle was cut out of the background cardboard at each corner and small pieces of silk were then stitched into place behind. Narrow blue silk and velvet ribbon was then wound into notches cut in the corners of the blue foiled card and threaded through holes punched in the black card.
The bottom sample has been worked on painted handmade paper. This was then overlaid with three jewellery making spokes of wire, secured through holes by open silver metal beads and thick silver metallic thread. A series of holes was then punched around the curves of each of the painted shapes. These were then wound in patterns with the silver metallic thread and sequins and beads were used for further embellishment.
IMAGE 9 SIZE A3
In the left hand sample a number of circles of different colours of nylon organza were bonded together at the edges on to a backing of dyed and waxed scrim. Triangles were then cut to differing depths around the circle and folded back to reveal the different colours in the 'sandwich' The tips of the triangles were then melted to fuse them to the edge of the circle. In the centre, some triangles of organza remain while others have been completely folded back to reveal the scrim layer. Fine 'ribbons' were then cut from the organza trimmings and melted/ fused onto the background in the centre of the circle. The sample was then edged in concentric cirles with an automated machine stitched pattern.
In the right hand sample a square of dry needle felted fabric was formed from synthethic mohair and metallic threads. The sample was then teased apart at the edges to leave a lacy border of irregular shapes holes around the firmer felt centre.
IMAGE 10 SIZE A3 In the left hand sample dyed scrim has been worked with a number of patterns of holes to form butterfly shapes. The right hand sample continues the butterfly theme with a variety of methods used to cut butterfly shapes out from the varying layers of the backgroud and to reapply them giving positive and negative formations and a 3D effect.
IMAGE 11 SIZE A3
The top black and white sample has been formed from melted loops of white organza bonded on to a narrow stitched ribbon linking thread.
The bottom left sample has been made from bonded organza and foil fabric shapes being bonded onto a square of turquoise acrylic.
The right hand sample has been formed from two squares of stencil film being bonded together over some dyed threads of gummed silk and silk boucle. The edges of the suare were then cut into by a hot wire and threads woven into the resulting notches. Holes were then melted with a wide tipped soldering iron through all the layers where the threads formed curving patterns.
IMAGE 12 SIZE A3
Layers of fabric were stitched in diagonal lines behind a piece of furnishing brocade and backed with hessian. The resulting fabric was then slashed back to the hessian layer. In some places the motifs in the top fabric were slashed through and, in others , they were left intact. The edges of the layers were then brushed and teased out by a wire brush.
CHAPER 6 SILK PAPERS
IMAGE 13 SIZE 12INS X12 INS
This sample was designed to give some of the transparent/ translucent feel of water. The silk fibres were therefore dyed in a variety of weak dye solutions and then placed in a very fine layer, giving a papery feel to the resulting sample.
The silk threads were overlaid by wavy lines of a fine fringed metallic yarn in increasing depths of indentation.
IMAGE 14 SIZE 12 INS X12 INS
This sample retains the 'water' theme but was designed to be much more robust in feel and construction. The silk fibres were therefore dyed to much deeper colours and dyed silk rods, velvet and silk ribbons were added to the mix.
IMAGE 15 SIZE 8 INS X 8 INS.
In this sample two undyed silk hankerchiefs were used to form a sandwich for a series of blue and cream machine embroidered butterflies resulting in a very delicate , fragile silk fabric.
IMAGE 16 SIZE A4
This sample again used silk handkerchiefs as the underlying fabric but thick layers of throwsters waste in gold and black were then placed over the top. The first layers were glued down with CMC but then the net top sheet was removed before the sample was completely dry and further layers were added which were not re-glued. This gives a loose feel to the resulting fabric and leaves silk threads hanging from the surface.
The sample was then stitched over with skeleton leaves, black organza petal shapes and black beads. A machine embroidered black and gold butterfly was then added as decoration.
Time taken 17 hours.

Monday, 14 March 2011

Further design work 3rd assessment piece

IMAGE 1 SIZE (16INS x13 INS) Painted fabric background. IMAGE 2 (SIZE A3) Textured paper experiments I used a variety of papers and methods to achieve textures and various degrees of transparency within paper shapes and cut outs . On the left, narrow strips of painted paper were threaded through dyed nyon mesh in the top shape while, in the bottom shape, wider strips of painted paper were overlaid with the painted nylon mesh. In the long sample, to the right of the above , painted papers were formed in a curving wave shape at the top and then overlaid with nylon mesh in deeper wave shapes. At the bottom the paper was put through a crimper to create wave shapes. Again, moving right, the top sample was formed by winding strips of painted tissue paper around kebab sticks, removing the sticks, and then gluing them on to a painted paper background. Below this, scraps of painted tissue were torn off and glued on to a painted paper background. Along the bottom, glue trails were painted and applied. On the far right of the sample ,at the top, abaca fibre was painted and glued over pencils to form rolling wave shapes. Once the glue was partially dry the pencils were removed. Underneath this are two more painted tissue paper samples , one with horizontal and one with vertical 'waves' formed in a crimper. At the bottom right a tissue paper sample has been formed into a curve and glued on to from a 3D shape.
IMAGE 3 (SIZE A3)
Dyed thread experiments
This image shows a variety of threads dyed in the proposed colour scheme of the proposed piece to be comprised of sail shaped panels. IMAGE 4 (SIZE 16 INS x 13 INS)
Embroidery method experiments
The dyed threads from the image above were used to experiment with a number of textured embroidery stitches ( echoing the paper experiments) which could be employed in working the sail shaped panels.
Working from the top left these include----
Novelty cotton and silk yarn couched down in zig zags.
Below this ribbon has been used to cover piping cord to create rolls.
Below the ribbon sample is couched gummed silk and curly Wensleydale wool .
The final sample, at the bottom left, is formed from ribbon and mohair yarns stiched to folded painted bondaweb. This has been partially covered by stitched, painted and waxed scrim with pulled threads to give greater transparency.
Across the embroidery experiments there are a number of differing uses of this scrim fabric,some flat stitched and some in curving 3D shapes .
Moving to the right across the sample there is silk noile yarn worked in curves of whipped backstitch.
Below this is a small square sample using commercial stranded yarns worked over cocktail sticks which were then removed after stitching.
Slightly to the right and below this are bands of dyed silk boucle yarn couched down in a rectangle.
Below this the dyed felted cotton boucle yarn has been used to form a boat shape with an openwork scrim sail.
At the top right of the samples, Tussah silk has been threaded through painted nylon mesh.
Below this strips of painted handmade paper have been overstitched with dyed cotton viscose and lurex yarn.