M3 Chapter 3 - Fabrics and Threads

I had established a colour scheme of yellow and violet in the first two chapters. I collected a range of fabrics, including old cotton sheets, silk, silk noil, habotai silk, cotton organdie, scrim, old t-shirts to colour. I also had some silk strips, bought as a bundle. I used cold water dyes.

 

I tied several pieces for dip dyeing.

 

I was quite pleased with the dip dyeing and random dyeing results. With the dip dyeing I tied too tightly and the dye did not penetrate all of the fabric. I'll try again with another batch later in the module.

 

I like the silk noil dyed and like the results even though some of the dye hasn't penetrated.

 

 

I dyed some thread and silk carrier rods.

 

 

I bought some mixed pack threads and looked through my stash.

 

I coloured some wooden beads, rods, cotton reels and polystyrene balls using the method suggested. I think I used too much paint as it all became a bit thick and I didn't get a very even spread. One big thing I have learnt so far on the course is to try and rectify mistakes, so I think I can sand some bits back for a more even finish. I could also re-paint.

 

Finally I mono printed some fabric using a Gelli Plate. I used some fabric paints and some acrylic paint mixed with a fabric medium. I have a good range of fabrics and I can colour/print another batch when needed later in the module.

 

M3 Chapters 1-2 - Research for Spirals And Design Work

Back to colour for Module 3. My research and initial design work for the first two chapters are together on my working pages.

 

I chose yellow and violet for my colours, I noticed lots of yellow leaves while I was in the garden taking photographs. I coloured some pages in my sketch book using Brusho - I've coloured more pages as I have dyed fabric etc. with any left over dyes.

 

For this module I tried to think of other ways to colour paper. I made a sample page to start.

 

 

I used Markal sticks, Jacquard Lumiere, oil pastels, crayons, Gleam and Pearlex. I then tried to use the techniques to colour some paper. This is a selection, I also coloured a lot of tissue, abaca paper and some larger sheets as well.

 

 

I was particularly pleased with this one, I used a photocopied old map for the background, Markal sticks and Pearlex.

Whenever I hear the word spiral I immediately think of the work and writings of Friedensreich Hunderwasser. So I started by looking at some of his work.

 

Hunderwasser had some interesting thoughts about spirals. I tried to draw some spirals thinking about how he viewed them in life, and I cut some spiral shapes. I particularly like the 'square' spiral and decided to cut one of my drawings up and rearranging the pieces to make a new design (top left).

 

Next I went out to take some photographs in my garden and indoors. I focused on natural spirals. I had a lot so picked out the ones I found most interesting and moved onto drawing, and making 2D shapes.  I found the twisted tissue paper was great for making simple shapes and held together well. I enjoyed looking at positive and negative shapes and thinking how I can cut the spiral up to rearrange it, or overlap several.

 

I then wanted to look at some man made spirals and looked at some of Antonio Gaudi's architecture which I have seen when I have visited Barcelona.

 

 

I made some 3D shapes from cardboard. I struggled a bit with this, thinking about how to cut and roll the shapes. However, it was a worthwhile exercise in that it is helpful when making 3D objects to have practised how to form shapes.

 

 



 

I mono printed several papers - here is a selection - using a Gelli plate. Some were more successful than others.

 I'm not particularly keen on computer drawing, although I made a couple, but I did go to town with spirograph! It's possible these designs could be used on fabric by using a fabric pen.

M2 Chapter 13 - Artist Study

Hans Holbein the Elder (c.1460-1524)

Holbein the Elder came from a family of painters and his two sons were artists and printmakers, both of whom he taught to paint. He is known mainly for his richly coloured religious portraits, but was also a portrait artist, woodcutter, and illustrator.

He was born in Ausberg, Bavaria and died Alsace, France. Much of the skill of his son Hans Holbein the Younger is attributed to his painting lessons from his father. His painting St Barbara (1516) shows blackwork.

 

Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1497-1543)

Holbein the Younger was also born in Ausberg and he is most famous for his Tudor paintings, painting many portraits at the court of Henry VIII.

 

 

 

 

There is some debate over which of his portraits were actually of Henry VIII’s wives, but it is known that he painted the famous miniature of Anne of Cleves which the King declared to be too flattering!

 

 

Many of his portraits of the court detail the blackwork, and other embroidery, used to decorate clothing in extraordinary detail.

Blackwork and Holbein Stitch

Blackwork became popular in England during the reign of Henry VIII and is thought to have been introduced by Catherine of Aragon from her Moorish/Spanish background. Moorish designs were of geometric patterns, both intricate and complex and were embedded in the Muslim faith. By the 1600's in England designs included leaves, fruits, flowers, insects and fish. Pattern books became available and shading effects became common.

Today blackwork is often used in a more contemporary style, and many colours used. It is popular for portraiture as well as modern takes on traditional patterns.

The stitch used for blackwork was named Holbein Stitch. The stitch is used to produce a pattern the same on both sides of the fabric, and although it appears to be back stitch is actually double running stitch. There are other methods of producing blackwork including the diaper pattern style and speckling style.

 

Bridget Riley (1931 -)

Bridget Riley was born in London and studied at Goldsmith’s College and the Royal College of Art. She painted semi impressionist and landscapes, but  is most famous for her ‘op art’ or the potential of optical phenomena. Her first solo exhibition was in 1962.

 

 

Her black & white works show a great variety of geometric forms that produce a sensation of movement. Indeed some viewers complained of feeling seasick when they were first seen. Although Riley worked mainly in black and white during this period (1961-64) she sometimes introduced tonal scales of grey.  In 1967 she turned to colour and contrast, often using tessellated patterns and lines.

 

  

 

'Movement In Squares' and 'Fission'

 

Arrest 3

 

Riley not only works as an artist but has also worked as a writer and as a curator. She currently lives and works in London, Cornwall and France.

I'm hoping to visit the Courtauld Gallery in London before January 2016 to see the Bridget Riley: Learning from Seurat

 

Joan Schulze (1936 - )

Joan Schulze works with textiles, collage and fibre arts, and is most famous for her quilts. She made her first quilt in 1974. Her early work was mainly stitched and collaged and she soon moved to dyeing, painting, photography and photocopying amongst other techniques. Schulze' work often relates collage to poetry, although her themes have changed over the years; from 2000 she had a renewed interest in the garden.

 

 

She has experimented with ways to reinvent drawing and produced many black and white compositions on silk. She uses a photocopier to print on cloth and to create new images and marks. Riley sews prints together, cuts and rearranges to produce new work and images.

 

 

Her work appears both complex and calming with wonderful tones and images. She has described herself as a 'maker and teacher', although she currently works as a full time studio artist in her studio at San Francisco.

 

 

 

 

M2 Chapter 12 - Finished Functional 3D Embroidered Item & Evaluation

 

The four front and back middle panels are made from dyed silk noil, which was then mono printed, had black net laid over the top and was heavily machine stitched. The two front side panels were black cotton and the two back side panels were white cotton, both mono printed and machine stitched. All ribbons and cords were made from dyed and printed fabrics. The top binding was white cotton machine stitched and the bottom edging from black lace ribbon I had in my stash. There is steel boning in each panel.

 

 

The lining is made from patterned silk which I dyed black. As this is a piece to be worn I decided not to stitch the lining for comfort.

 

 

 

Evaluation of Item

The completed embroidered assessment piece for Module two is a corset based on the design topic of animal inspiration - a lizard - and machine stitching.

How do you feel about the resulting conclusion?
I am very pleased with the finished item, particularly the fabric and the fit. It did take much longer than I anticipated mainly due to the machine stitching. I stitched large pieces of the dyed and printed fabrics before cutting the panels to allow for the fabric pulling up. I am also pleased that I took a design through from inspiration from a basic photograph through to a finished piece.

Is it fit for purpose - give reasons?
This is fit for purpose, I was working to the module assessment requirements and to produce a corset to be worn by my daughter. It fitted well and is comfortable to wear. It could in fact be worn 'inside out' if desired.

If you were asked to make it again, what changes would you make to the way you designed it and the way you made it?
I would possibly make three or four calico mock ups in slightly different cuts, for example; a straight top bodice, to give more choice for the finished garment design. Although the current shaping could be varied by changing the finish of the fabric, different methods of dyeing - tie dye etc. - different ways of machine stitching and so on. It could also of course be made in a variety of colours.