M2 Chapter 12 - Mock Up & Final Ideas

I have finally got around to finishing off my final piece! So I started by making a mock up from calico. Because this is to be actually worn by my daughter I also needed to get a good fit. I have adapted a couple of old patterns to size, trying to think of the lizard shape.

So my first idea was to have lots of seams showing with insets etc etc, but I think with the shape I have it's not going to be right. So I had a re-think about what I had learnt over the module and decide that possibly I have chosen something I'm comfortable with anyway. Thinking more skin texture, scales etc.

 

With the back I used hook & eyes on tape but it wasn't very good, I could not see how it went and I need to re-think this. The back bottom panels I am going to taper to be more 'lizard' tail like.

 

 

A little adjustment needed under the armholes.

 

I looked back through my module samples and thought some ribbons would work well, I need to make sure that the tones are correct. I'll make longer ribbons so I have plenty of adjustment room.

 

 

I decided that I would machine stitch over net onto the dyed silk noil (I dyed this black earlier) and try to make the fabric more textured and interesting, using some of the stitching techniques I had practised earlier in the module.  I made a sample and this has led to mono printing the fabric as well, rather than plain black.

 

 

I then thought about the side panels and thought I could make fabric either using Seminole or log cabin method. I pinned an earlier sample on, and I think this could work well, although I need to be careful with ribbon placement so it doesn't all become too busy.

 

The boning I have used is a little too narrow, but that's easily altered. I need to nip it in at the waist a little. I will have 3 layers of fabric as I will probably use calico as an 'inner' lining to get the weight and stiffness correct.

 

 

I dyed and mono printed fabric, ready for stitching as one whole piece, which I will then cut to shape.

 

 

I also printed some black on white possibly for ribbons.

Finally I dyed some old cotton sheeting black and then tie dyed with bleach, with a view to using this as the lining. It needs something soft to be lined with. The result is quite 'orange' so I may have to start again here and re dye the fabric.

M2 Chapter 12 - More Design Ideas & Some Exploring!

I was thinking about incorporating some net into my fabrics for my assessment piece. I made a couple of samples with some left over scraps.

 

The top sample I simply stitched the net over a stitched sample with paint over it, and with the bottom sample I tried decorative stitching over the top of the net, adding cords and some meandering stitching with cut away net. The top sample may lend itself to part of the corset and the net gave a quite subtle texture but I'm not so sure the other sample will give me the effect I'm looking for.

 

In the new issue of Creative Workbox there is a nice technique demonstrated by Lynda Monk which follows on nicely from the workshop with her I recently attended. It involved bonding scrim to Tyvek and heated to get a nicely textured piece. I started with un-dyed scrim. The effect was could and I am going to use this with a piece I started at Lynda's workshop.

 

 

 

I then tried with some dyed scrim, looking for a flatter effect that I could possibly use in my corset.

 

Next I added some stitch, which flatted the sample a bit more but some of the original bumps & ridges still remained. It could be better to hand stitch this.

 

 

I then thought I would try with some crystal organza. This turned out well and I really like the effect but not sure I could fit this in my corset design.

 

 

Because the Tyvek is very noticeable I painted some black and then made another sample. The effect is always different with heated Tyvek and if this were to be used for a bigger piece I would make a much larger base piece to cut and sew.

 

The crystal organza gave a lovely delicate, shimmering effect. It would be good for maybe a belt or jewellery, evening bag etc.

M2 Chapter 11 - Revisited & Rescued

So after discussion with Sian I have revisited a couple of things from Chapter 11. Firstly meandering stitching and giraffe patterns. I used a grey thread with this sample and two layers of fabric.

 

I could have made more density and better shapes with more of the wide stitching, something to keep in mind for future work. Overall this gives a nice flowing feel to the samples.

 

Next I went back to look at Sample 11.10.

 

I achieved tonal difference in the paper sample and thought the stitching would carry it onto the fabric sample, but it really didn't work very well.

 

Following Sian's advice I decided to rescue it rather than abandon it! Firstly I stripped off all the added strips and cords, and decided I would use paint to increase the tonal difference. For a piece that would need future washing I would have added a fabric medium but for this sample I only used straight acrylic paint. I really liked the way the paint altered not only the tone, but the stitching. It made it much more interesting.

 

 

Next I laid the strips and cords back over the sample and took some quick photos on my phone to compare different effects.

 

 I decided I preferred the last effect and stitched the cords along the seam to add some more differentiation and then stitched the black strips back. I used grey thread again and a wider zig zag stitch.

 

Comparing the original sample to the rescued sample the change is very apparent.

 

 

Reflecting on this exercise, it has been very worthwhile rescuing the sample. Not to say that I wouldn't make some changes differently in the future, but it has opened many more possibilities. The painted stitching now look much more 'lizard' like and I love the effect. The black strips maybe look a little heavy but that is quite easily changed and I can see lots of possibilities for my corset piece - as predicted by Sian ;0)

M2 Chapter 12 - Ideas For Designing A Functional, 3D Embroidered Item

I started off by sketching and making some 3D shapes.

 

Top Left: Long shaped cylinder like the giraffe neck and the lizard body

 

Top Right: Pyramid like the lizard spikes

 

Bottom Left: Cylinder, again like the giraffe neck

 

Middle: Hexagon Prism like the lizard scales

 

Bottom Right: Cone like lizard spikes

 

 

I've chosen this long shaped cylinder which I can use as a 3D shape basis for a corset/bodice top. The hexagon prism shape would make a nice trinket box.

 

I went away to do some research into corsets. There is so much historical information this was quite time consuming! I pulled some books off my shelf and pulled together some info I had found at the Festival of Quilts.

 

 

Not quite a corset, but along the same lines. The plaster casts of Arlene's actual body were great and I loved the finished piece. A very modern take on Wonder Woman.

 

I could have filled pages with background research! The Scarlett O'Hara scene is one of my all time favourites.

 

 

Next I put together some initial ideas.

 

There are many ways in which I could design and make this stitched corset. Front or back fastening, forward seams, inset seams and so on. I have previously made a 'duct tape' corset, but it can be quite time consuming and I am leaning towards adapting a commercial pattern. I have an Elizabethan pattern and another would be a Victorian shape, both of which would be achievable. I like the Regency style with an added 'skirt' but I'm not sure I would be challenging myself with this design. I like the idea of a tie dyed front panel and also vertical rows of decorated seams.

I had a look at some historical patterns:

 

When I have made costumes previously (mainly for fancy dress) I've found it helps to draw the shapes to help understand the construction of the historical garment, even if you adapt it hugely.

 

I then went on to look at tone. Although I still struggle a bit with this on paper, once I have done it I find it's so helpful for stitch and fabric work.

 

 

 

Discussion with Sian next, before moving on.







Festival Of Quilts 2015

This year I was lucky enough to get to the Festival of Quilts at the Birmingham NEC with my eldest daughter and two friends. Luckily a lot of the many, many quilts on display were pertinent to Module 2. Here's a selection which caught my eye.

 

A couple of more traditional quilts, and then the art quilts.

 

 

 
 
 


The winner of the art quilts category.

 

My photographs do not do any of the quilts justice, and there were many more beautiful quilts of many colours!  I picked ones that I thought were interesting with the use of tone and contrast, and were of interest to my current module.

 

I'm going to just include these quilted tags!

 

 

I spotted these very easily and went to ask permission to take a quick piccie and found myself at Susan Chapman's stand, who is now a tutor at Distant Stitch. There was some lovely work on display and the sketchbooks were great! Thanks for sharing.