C&G Module 3 Chapter 6 completed

Design development

Two images were selected from my photos to give me basic sources of curves and lines. The first was taken in a garden in Ethiopia, so I am not sure what the fruit is...... I had tried two other source images as shown in my sketch book below, but this one enabled me to find a more abstract focus.

  

Page 30 Curved source

Page 30. Linear source

The linear image is part of a wood and string sculpture by Barbara Hepworth taken during a visit to her sculpture garden in St. Ives this year. 

I found section in both images using an L shaped frame - the curved image took a couple of false starts ...

First look for suitable images

Second look; I liked the lines but wasn't happy with the curves

Third look and I found the Ethiopian fruit abstracted well

I made notes as to how I might develop the ideas into stitch, thinking about colour, texture, fabric etc. 

Page 30. Line

 Page 30. Curve

Counterchange

I cheated and used felt tip to develop my counterchanged images - I was as neat as possible! I created the voided elements for each design

Page 30. Curve

Page 31. Line

Stitched counterchange

I made a list in my notebook a list of ways that I could use to interpret counterchange for design and decided to use metal with felt, so shiny and matt.

Heat changed Copper 

Using my blowtorch, I developed an interesting pattern on a sheet of soft copper. A 10x10cm piece (slightly larger to be cut back later) was cut with a scalpel to create the lined design using a cutting mat to protect surfaces. Supported on heavy Vilene and above a similar coloured felt, was stitched together, using a suitable needle and strong glove thread. 

Page 31. Shiny and matt linear piece

For my second sample, I used a previously made base fabric which had been created using Gelli Plates and fabric paints. To this I added some cotton fabric in a matching colour and using a variegated thread granite stitched the cut cotton pieces. So both pieces were matt, the contrasts being pattern and plain. 

Page 32. Sample 2

I wanted to try another texture for my third sample, so I chose to use contrasting colours and fabrics. I used some glove leather in yellow stitching on the 'suede' side. Under the leather and again supported by Vilene, I used some wool from a purple wool top, chopped up pieces of Cadbury's chocolate foil wrapper for some sparkle and covered these with purple net. The pattern was reversed for this piece. When I stitched, some of the sparkle found it's way throughout the honeycombs of the net, so there was rather less at the end than I started with. An interesting piece to stitch.. the soft leather stretched as I stitched, so I stitched more to hold it more firmly and resulted in a more solid piece than I first anticipated. I enjoyed the linear stitching around the piece, quite absorbing. As the leather had stretched, the piece was a bit larger than the 10cm square, so I satin stitched the edge and cut the edges down to size. 

Page 32. Leather and net sample

Developing Counterchange

I used all the suggested ideas with tracing paper and created a range of ideas with both the linear and curved ideas. 

Page 33. Rotated curved

Page 33. Rotated linear

Page 33. Linear design development 1

Page 33. Linear design development 2

Page 33. Linear design development 3

Page 33. Linear design development 4 

Curved design development 2

Page 34. Curved design development 2 with voided elements 

Page 34. Curved design development 4

Stitched Counterchange

Using the rotated curved design with a base layer of Vilene and mustard coloured felt, the rotated counterchange curved design was granite stitched to the fabric using a green contrasting thread. In order to transfer the design, I stitched through Stitch'n'tear on which I had drawn the design. Big mistake! I spent all evening picking out little bits of white from my sample and still some of the design (black) shows through the stitching. In a further piece in this chapter I stitched the the back to prevent this happening again. Lesson learnt.... 

Page 34. Curved rotated stitched sample

The linear design was rotated using my fourth development design, a bit like windmill sails, and I used a piece of orange felt supported on Vilene. Strips of yellow silk sari waste were stitched down with a jagged free embroidered yellow thread and the design sketched in the same yellow thread. The top thread was then changed to a stronger brown glove thread and stitched with lines of free straight stitches. The pattern was transferred this time with a transfer screen which worked reasonably well but I had to make sure that I overstitched all the marks on the fabric. 

Page 35. Linear rotated stitched sample

I traced the curved shaped design and deconstructed the image into shapes. 

Page 34. Deconstructed curved design to simple shapes

This square was then cut into pieces and put back together into a different design and simple shapes found 

Page 35. Further simplification of design

A piece of blue/green felt was used as a base; the design was drawn onto a piece of tracing paper and the thread that would show on the front of the piece were used in the bobbin. The sample was stitched from the back using a variety of variegated threads and using granite stitch and some circular straight stitch in one small area. On reflection, I should probably not have used the top left metallic darker thread as it stands out too much 

Stitched design. 

What a journey! I am amazed at how an idea can be transformed from such different beginnings - I particularly like the straight line development and how mesmerising the designs can become as they change. 

An interesting chapter. 

City & Guilds Level 2 Module 3 Chapter 5 completed

Chapter 5 - Finishes

Linings and hangings, tassels and rods. 

For these elements of the chapter, I have made a sample to include all four. My inspiration came from a long flight to Africa. I seldom manage sleep on flights and having my sketch book and pen in my bag I doodled the backs of the seats ahead of me. The flight was with Ethiopian Airways and the seat backs reminded me of windows in old buildings that I had seen on previous visits to the country. I decided that these seats would be useful for tabs.

Sketch of backs of plane seats - in the middle of the night

Quick sketch of how a panel might look

Page 24 Plan for panel

Hanging rod.

A piece of dowelling was carefully and evenly wrapped in a silky yarn bought from Myfannwy Hart and I intended to use this same yarn to make my tassel that would be at the bottom of the panel. 

 The wrapped rod

The fringe

I used a tassel frame kindly lent to me by one of the MEG members and using the silky yarn, carefully wrapped the frame, secured the yarn with three rows of straight stitch in a matching variegated thread and made sure that the fringe would be the correct width for the panel. The fine was then stitched with two rows of automatic pattern, slightly oriental as seen in the image above beneath the rod. The fringe was cut along the bottom edge and removed from the frame. 

The tassel

Tabs

5 Tabs were made to hang the panel from the rod and to compliment the work. I had frame the sides of the panel with a space dyed cotton and used this fabric to make the tabs in the shape of the backs of the seats that inspired the work. When these were applied to the work, only three were used, two at the side and one in the middle. The side tabs were shaped to match the straight edge of the panel. 'Buttons' were made of heat changed aluminium used in the main piece and attached through to the back of the work with a variegated metallic thread.

 The central tab

Lining

I used a piece of calico to back the work, turned in and stitched 

 Back of panel

The panel

From my original idea and plan, I cut the 'building from' yellow silk and to support it, ironed to Bondaweb. This changed the appearance of the silk but I could accept this as it actually enhanced and aged the look. But I have learnt that this is not necessarily how I would want it to change my fabric again. Using blue silk as a base background and heat changed aluminium as 'windows', the pieces were formed together. The blue silk was supported with heavyweight Vilene.

I used machine satin stitch to attach the building and windows but this looked heavy so a variegated picot edge in automatic pattern also used on the tassel and below the top of the panel, was added and to each picot top a small bead was stitched. The supporting fabric was visible, so I made a cord from the variegated thread and stitched this behind the beads.

To the interior of each 'window' a half-brick automatic stitch was added and enhanced the work. The same stitch was used on top of the border fabric where it joined the silk.

Small squares of aluminium as used for the windows were added in a regular pattern down each side of the panel and attached with the same variegated metallic thread used elsewhere with a small automatic pattern.  This was not without challenges. Using metallic thread top and bottom on metal, made the threads break frequently but I persevered!

Th aluminium edging 

Page 26. The completed panel incorporating rod, tassels, tabs and lining 

To hang the piece, I made a twisted cord from the yarn used for the rod and tassels. I am very pleased with the result.

Fringes and tassels

Thick black cotton was used with a large tassel frame and stitched down to secure with rows of black stitching covered with a metallic variegated thread in a pretty automatic pattern.

Page 27. Black fringe 

Then green narrow ribbon was used again on the large frame to create a fringe with securing rows of stitch covered with a variegated atomic patterned thread to compliment the ribbon.

Page 27. Green ribbon fringe

Variegated hemp cord was wound around a small tassel frame and stitched to secure then and automatic pattern added in a metallic thread which on reflection does not work well with the hemp. The bottom edge of the tassel was cut. 

 Page 27. Hemp fringe

Pink yarn was used or the final fringe. It was made up of cords and ribbons so would look good as a fringe. I used the larger frame and wound the yarn round it, securing with rows of matching thread then with a blending variegated thread. The result is pretty if not a bit fluffy for my taste.

Page 27. Pink fluffy fringe

And finally for the practical element of this chapter, I used the tassel frame side on to made long tiny tassels. I have some thread used by the local famous glove-makers Dents where I can get strong surplus to their requirement threads and pieces of glove leather. 

Tassels on the frame.

The threads were overstitched with zigzagged variegated threads and then cut from the frame. The two tiny red tassels were tightly wound together and the two tiny blue tassels knotted. They are very pretty and would be a useful process to add to a future piece.

The blue and red tiny tassels

Chapter 5 Designers

Designer 1. Someone whose work is interesting and inspiring

Designer 2. One whose work does not appeal and why

Designer 3. One whose work has influenced my own work and why

Designer 1.

The designer who to date I have found one of the most interesting, amongst many I must add, so a difficult choice to make, is Alysn Midgelow-Marsden and her use of metal in stitch. I have found the use of metal in my work and interesting prospect and her book, "This Lustr'ed cloth" was both interesting as it helped me to understand how to work with metals and which to choose and inspiring as her resulting work is so beautiful. Alysn lives and works in New Zealand sadly having left the UK.

Alysn Midgelow-Martin

My Distant Stitch learning enabled me to work with metal and I thoroughly enjoyed developing my piece, 'Growth and Decay' as part of the module gaining confidence to burn, use chemicals and stitch on different metals. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a 'job lot' of metal meshes from a manufacturer who classed it as waste. So very cost-effectively I was able to purchase several metres of copper, brass and aluminium 'cloth' which I used for 'Growth and Decay' and still have a large quantity left over for future use.

Alysn's work is mainly abstract and allegorical although she does make some loosely figurative pieces, a place I would like to go and am gradually learning to do so throughout the course. Her design and risk-taking with metal is inspiring using burnishing, chemical alteration and fabric with her work to create texture and form that is quite beautiful.

Alysn's wonderful work with metal

The messages she conveys through the work I have seen is of the subdued risk of the glare of metal by enhancing with stitch and fabric, paint and manipulation to create works of art that remind me of medieval work whilst at the same time being contemporary and of our time.

Designer 2.

A difficult choice as I don't like to offend other people's work. Work that appeals to some, doesn't to others. I admire the quality of Linda Miller's work but not the images.

Linda Miller

The naive figures which she creates are not to my taste and they lack the abstraction which I find interesting in others' work. Simplicity can be beautiful for instance just using a few lines of stitch and some sparse colour, a portrait can be made; also simple, but different.

Linda Miller's work

Linda Miller works from her studio in Winchester, Hampshire and has been creating machine embroidery figurative pictures since graduating from Winchester School of Art in 1988. Linda’s work is exhibited throughout the UK, Europe and the USA and she has pieces in the South-East Arts Council collection, The Brighton and Hove Museum services, the Chandler Arts collection, Arizona and within the permanent textile and dress collection at the V&A.

Her work is mainly figurative including using animals. She uses colour well, with dense stitching to create a picture. The images are ‘cute’ but not to my taste as they are rather simplistic.

Designer 3.

The choices were difficult as I have one designer/maker who fits two of the criteria. My first 'formal' attempt at machine embroidery having been to a few day workshops and dabbling at home which got me hooked, was when I went to a three day workshop with Alison Holt, to stitch and autumn scene in free machine embroidery having prepared a silk under-painting. I loved it and was hooked. So she fits the first and third criteria for my designer/make choices. But I have to fit her into one category and so I have chosen her as my third designer, one whose work has influenced my own.

Alison Holt

Why, because without her detailed and patient tuition of a class of ten over three days, her insistence on painterly rules, given that my background is in art, I would perhaps not have started this course. After that weekend, I wanted more and searched for something that would fulfil my desire to go back and learn the basics rather than starting at the refined conclusion without fully understanding the basic steps underpinning design and craft. Distant Stitch was the answer.

Her work in stitch has influenced me inasmuch as an artist my work has always been representative and figurative, finely detailed, much as Alison's. So the first steps to stitching freely were made and Distant Stitch has taken me further and loosened my style in art as well as stitch. So I can't speak highly enough of her influence on my work. I will be stitching with her again in October for three days.

Alison's superb stitching

Alison studied Fine Art, textiles and embroidery at Goldsmith's College, London where she experimented with many textile techniques before choosing machine embroidery as a medium, She started to explore her love of gardens and the countryside through embroidery finding it the perfect vehicle to express the various textures and forms she finds so fascinating.

She teaches machine embroidery, silk painting and surface decoration and runs various courses at her studio, She also works to commission and exhibits in Britain and America. Her work is sold to private collections al over the world.

Alison's style is detailed is detailed, layered tonal free embroidery and from a short distance her stitching looks like a painting. It is the astonishment when looking more closely that it is in fact stitched, that shows her skill so well as an embroidery artist.

Her work is representative, mostly of flowers and landscapes using colour and tone to depict almost exactly, the natural world. The shapes represent botanical accuracy and line and texture give depth to her work. The messages conveyed in Alison's work are of calm and beauty achieved by the fine use of colour and the intensity and depth of the image created. Her work is created in hooped free embroidery with silk under-painting which adds to the depth of the work.