Resolved Sample, First Thoughts - Paper Experiments

I've started to think about growth and disintegration with Spring flowers and looking at how I can use this within a design for my resolved sample. I have looked at how the flowers, and more specifically the petals, change from their original closed 'bud' shape, to an open 'star' shape and finally how they shrivel and drop. Now I need to think about how to translate these ideas into my resolved sample.

First Thoughts - Paper Experiments

I looked at several ways in which to disintegrate paper and recorded them in my sketchbook. I tried to think how I could use these ways with fabric as well, for example with Sample 11.1 I used a rotary cutter and this would work well with fabric, especially if I frayed the cut edges. Also with Sample 11.6 this could be melting fabric with a soldering iron.

    11.1 & 11.2                                                           11.3 & 11.4

    11.5 & 11.6                                                            11.7

 

I like the disintegration effect of samples 11.5 and 11.7 most. I think this is because of the way it looks more like decaying in a natural way, which would fit in well with my Spring flower ideas.



Additional Samples - Trying New Techniques!

I'm more confident with hand embroidery and I decided I would practice some machine embroidery. I do know I need to practice, practice, practice! I've been collecting the Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn Original Series books and so I thought I'd make some samples following their suggestions/examples.

The first four samples are adding machine stitching to hand stitching.  I found my sewing machine a bit temperamental but after some fiddling about and trying different threads & tensions, I managed to produce the suggested samples. I feel I have been reasonably successful and can use this technique with a bit more practice and confidence. They produced interesting textures and can be incorporated in a design either as a background or as a small area within a larger design.

 

Samples AS1 to AS4

 

With the next sample I tried some machine stitching on soluble fabric. I have a few different types but I tried Solu-Fleece first. I added a tiny bit of hand embroidery, but only to see if it 'worked'.  I need to practice with different threads. The Sulky caught up and was quite tricky.



 

AS5

 

I love yarn, so I decided to have a go at another one of the samples which caught my interest in particular, embroidery on a knitted background. I think I should have knitted a finer background for the sample as the sewing machine struggled with the thickness. The machine stitching is not very clear on the scanned image but it made a great texture. It would be good for a fabric for a bag, or for adding texture to a hand knitted garment.



 

AS6

 

I enjoyed making these samples and it gave me more of an interest in machine embroidery, especially when it is combined with hand embroidery to make different textures rather than an outline type designs. I'm looking forward to exploring these techniques further.



New Inspiration!

I bought myself some cut tulips and they became a great, new source of inspiration for growth and disintegration. They opened and bloomed, then faded and died. It was interesting to see that different types of tulip disintegrated in different ways and at different times.

 

 

 

I made another working sheet of line drawings in my sketchbook based on the tulips.

 

 

I also remembered my favourite Springtime plant, Magnolia Stellata, or the star magnolia. It seems to bloom overnight and lasts such a short time but I love those few days every year.

 

 

 





I'm really noticing different shapes and colours everywhere I go and every time I look out of the window!

Chapter 10 - Making Ripples, Slashing & Melting

For Chapter 10 I have made two composite sheets. I found this a very useful exercise in seeing a design from start to finish and it will be helpful in working on a larger design/project. The sheets are A3 and photographed.

 

 

Composite Sheet A - Slashing, Samples 10.1 & 10.2

I have not tried this technique before and found it great fun. With the first sample (10.1) I found it quite tricky to cut through the fabric and I think I should have made the stitch lines a little wider. This frayed fairly well after some vigorous rubbing and combing with a dog brush but I think the cotton fabric on the top layer may have hindered the fraying. With the second sample (10.2) I layered more silk towards the top of the pile and a piece of well washed old silk fabric on the top. I altered the direction of the machine stitching and I think this made it more interesting. The texture was softer and more chenille like. I stitched outside the shape in both samples and will try stitching inside the shape in the future.



 

 

 

Composite Sheet B - Melting, Test 1 & 2, Samples 10.3 & 10.4

This was also a new technique to me and again I found it great fun. The room definitely needs to be very well ventilated and I worked with the door wide open.

 

From the first melting test I learnt that although fabrics maybe both described as 'synthetic silk', for example, the fibres are obviously different as some melt far more easily than others. It also gave me a 'feel' for the soldering iron. With the second melting test I managed to try different patterns and removing fabric - you need to be pretty quick to do this! I got quite a good scrappy, torn effect using the side of the tip. I can see how different effects can be used in different projects.

 

I reverted back to the pylon star shape for Sample 10.3 and simply stitched around the shape and practiced the 'side tip' technique in the middle. I think I'm probably holding the tip on the fabric for too long and need a more delicate touch as the fabric looks a bit burnt in places. In Sample 10.4 I made an asymmetrical distortion of the star and carried the stitching through the shape. This time I melted in straight lines outside the shape and use the side tip melting inside the shape. I was pleased with this sample and liked the mixture of techniques with the iron.

 

I added the composite sheets to my pin board which is nice and full, although still probably a bit neat ;0) I can see everything from my table though.

 

 

Chapter 9 - Reverse Applique, Traditional & Contemporary Methods



I enjoy applique and have worked on projects using bonded and needle turn methods. I have tried reverse applique, but some time ago, so I was looking forward to this chapter. I ended up with  seven samples including two mistakes which came about from misreading the instructions. All notes are recorded on the working sheets.

9.1

 

 With the first sample, traditional method, I found the tacking stitches inhibited getting a nice clean edge and points. previously with needle turn applique I haven't used tacking and have found it to be an easier method as it gives the material more flexibility. It may of course not be as precise.

 

 



9.2                                                           9.3

 

With the next two samples I used similar layers to compare the results of cutting inside or outside of the stitching. It's quite remarkable how different the samples look.

9.4                                                              9.5

I really enjoyed the next two samples. I used random layers of fabric and felt these samples evolved the more that fabric was cut away. Sample 9.4 is my favourite, I like the way the colours merge together.

9.6                                                                 9.7

The last two samples are 'the mistakes' but I liked the results.

I really enjoyed this chapter, and again I got more adventurous as I went on. I particularly like starting with random snipping away of fabric, and then adjusting where to cut to make a more balanced sample. I liked the addition of metallic fabric which gave interesting contrasts and highlights, and also using dyed scrim which gives a good texture.

Chapter 8 - Complex Samples

These samples are a combination of bonding, hand and machine stitching and padding. I made 7 samples and found some of them a bit tricky. My sewing machine protested at bondaweb and I need to buy some bigger needles. I found the padding distorted the shape in 8.3 and I think this was due to fabric choice, as 8.4 worked much better.

   8.1                                                                   8.2 & 8.3

Close Up Of Padding 8.2

 

Close Up Of Padding 8.3

 

 

I tried using coloured tissue paper (8.4) but didn't really get the result I wanted, I tried different stitches and left the sample as showing different stitching techniques. I tried  heating some painted Tyvek (8.7) as I have not used this technique before. It wasn't a complete success but I was pleased with the star for the sample.

 

On reflection, I think maybe I saw the word 'complex' and started to overthink the samples, but this has been a good exercise in putting the techniques together to produce more complicated samples. It has given me a good insight in how the techniques work practically and how to make a choice of fabrics.

Chapter 7 - Translating Layered Designs Into Embroidery

This chapter is about translating layered paper designs into embroidered fabric samples.  I made six samples and on the whole I was pleased with the results. I made notes on my worksheets as I went along. Working with paper samples first gave me a much better starting point for the fabric samples, so I felt I got better outcomes. I also gave each sample more thought before starting rather than 'hit and miss'! I got more adventurous as I went on and Samples 7.3 and 7.6 are my favourites.

 

7.1                                                               7.2

 

The first two samples are quite neat and ordered, and I started with simple shapes/compositions.

7.3                                                               7.4

 

I particularly like Sample 7.3 because I used a leaf shape which came from one of my photographs I took at the beginning of the Module and I used a technique that I had practiced with paper, so it seemed more of an evolved design. Sample 7.4 was an adaptation of my original plan, which was more complex than I had first thought. I looked at how I could achieve my original idea in the future.

 

7.5                                                               7.6

 

Sample 7.5 looked very plain, boring and unfinished so I added hand embroidery and cut away some more and got a much better end sample. I like Sample 7.6. It seemed to come together well and was pretty much as I had planned. The metallic fabric showed up well and contrasted with the other fabric.

More Dye, More Fabric!

While putting together layers for bonded samples I decided that although I have plenty of fabric in my colour scheme I felt I needed to dye some, as I did with colouring paper. I raked through my fabric stash and came up with plenty of white fabric, natural and synthetic. I also found some undyed scrim and a new dishcloth. I used cold water dyes I had and loosely followed the instructions; but basically chucked it in the sink in two batches, added some salt, stirred it now & then, and rinsed it when I remembered, in between bonding samples.

 

I'm pleased with the outcome and have a lovely pile of fabric. I feel more of an affinity with paper and fabric that I have coloured myself!



Chapter 6 - Use Of Bonding In Applique (b) bonding samples

I made seven samples using a variety of techniques for this chapter.

6.1 & 6.2                                                      6.3 & 6.4

 

For the first two samples I chose two of the units from my design sheets to practice relatively straightforward bonding and cutting. I used the fabrics in different layers as a comparison of how changing the layers changes the look of a design. For the next sample I looked at a more complex cut and fold design based on a unit from my design sheets using a printed fabric for the top layer. Then I used one of my bonded fabrics with torn painted bondaweb. I like using the painted bondaweb and once again there's plenty of scope for experimenting.

 

6.5

 

I was happy with this unit, although I only used two layers the bonded background fabric didn't need much added to it. The Steam A Seam was a little difficult to cut and fold because it stuck together when it was folded, but I like the effect. I could use a piece of baking parchment next time to stop this.

 

6.6 & 6.7



With Sample 6.6,  I used painted bondaweb as the top layer. I realised I had painted the bondaweb too thickly because it nearly covered the middle layer and the bottom layer of bonded fabric was lost completely. I need to thin the paint down in the future, although I did like the effect. So for the next sample I used the painted bondaweb as the middle layer on a plain cotton background and the bonded fabric on the top. This worked much better. With the leftover cut bits of bonded fabric I returned to sample 6.6 and I was surprised to find when I added them it became my favourite sample. It is definitely a good idea to keep the things that go wrong in your sketchbook, to learn from and to go back and adapt.

Chapter 6 - Use Of Bonding In Applique (a) decorative bonded fabric

I have been looking forward to making bonded fabric with bits. I spent some time reading Bonding and Beyond by Jan Beaney & Jean Littlejohn, before I started, alongside the module notes.

 

Fabric 1 - I used 'Steam A Seam' for bonding and bonding powder. The SAS is sticky so it was good to work with for this [See notes under 6.5 in next post]. I used snipped threads including metallic, glitter (2 types) and snipped fabric, on a background of synthetic shiny fabric and synthetic sheer fabric for the top layer.

 

 

Close Up

 

I was very pleased with the result. It wasn't quite how I wanted and I think I could have been a bit 'heavier' with the bits, although I was aware I would be cutting the fabric. I was quite pleased with the colours and think with practice - and spending a longer time - I could produce a nice large piece for a background.

 

Fabric 2 - I used bondaweb only for bonding. For this piece I used a plain cotton background and a printed chiffon for the top layer, and for the bits I used two colours of thread randomly dropped onto the bottom layer.

 

 

I was unsure about using the printed chiffon but it gave a nice added dimension to the piece. I felt this was quite minimal when I was bonding but again, I was pleased with the result. The bondaweb held it together well and the fabric remained fairly flexible. I will experiment with more printed chiffon in the future.

 

 

Close Up

 

Fabric 3 - For the last piece I used a synthetic silk background, with glitter and snipped metallic thread and a printed 'cobweb' fabric as the top layer, again using bondaweb and bonding glue.

 

 

With the printed cobweb fabric I wasn't very happy when I coloured it, but as with the chiffon it added a lovely shade to part of the piece. I'm finding the fabric and paper that I'm not happy with is working best when I actually use it, which is leading me to colour in a different way now. The cobweb fabric also gave an added dimension.



 

Close Up



I stopped at three pieces with the view to bonding more fabric as I need it and maybe with more purpose for particular design units. I know could bond with bits all day! I've started a new box to drop in every offcut and thread in for future bonding.



Chapter 5 - Fabric Selection & Decoration

I have been sorting fabrics from my stash and have bought some when I've been out and about. I mainly bought lightweight and sheer fabrics. My stash fabrics are mainly what have been leftover from projects and given to me. I will probably dye some scrim and a couple of other neutral fabrics as I move through the module, I want to see how some designs evolve before dyeing lots of fabric.

 

 

 

It was a good afternoon for decorating some fabric today, as the sun was shining into my workroom and I knew the fabrics would dry nicely. I selected several fabrics to begin with. I was much more confident than when I started printing the paper - and far more organised.  I chose two colours as suggested in the module to start; Metallic Silver Acrylic Paint and Island Blue So Soft Fabric Paint. I had some fabric paint so thought I would use it for this.

 

 



 

 

I used my rubber stamp that I made for printing paper. I printed in the same way as I did the coloured paper and tried some random and some more ordered patterns. The silver looks more 'silver' in reality, it looks more white in the photographs.

 

As I had the fabric paint I then added Tangerine into the mix and also tried some sponging, as I liked this effect with the paper printing. I ended up with a nice range of effects on different types of fabric. I seem to find I like my printing & colouring efforts better once I have walked away for a while, and then come back. I could begin to see how the printed fabrics could be used in designs as I was working this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a nice group of fabrics to move onto Chapter 6 with now and am happy I can quickly print more as and when I need to.  I can definitely see the benefits of colouring and printing to obtain something that is unique to you.