Project 6 – Stage 4 Extra

The last technique I was told to try out was moulding. I didn’t include this with the previous post in this section as I was waiting for some hessian to be delivered to try it out. I was a little sceptical to begin with about this as I didn’t have any PVA glue to try it so was really hoping the hessian would work as stated in the brief but I must admit I’m pretty excited with the outcome. I used a small bottle of Crystal Head vodka I got when on my honeymoon in Bruges and it looks really cool! And given that I’m thinking of a 3D project for my theme book and final design, this could be very interesting to start with!

Pretty cool/creepy huh?

Project 6 – Stage 4 – Raised and Structured Surface Textures

This was alot of fun. I really enjoyed experimenting with the different types of techniques and there are a few I’m looking forward to using again like the slashing, freying and tearing.

I was then asked to reflect and answer some questions:

How does working with fabric in this way compare with working directly with stitch?
I really enjoyed manipulating fabric. I feel you don’t have as much control over the end result as you do with stitch but that’s half of the fun. There may be something you’re trying to achieve but end up creating something even better.

Are you pleased with the shapes and movements that you have created in both applique and fabric manipulation? What would you do differently?
I am very happy with my results. I feel like I managed to ca[pture what I was wanting to with my appliqued pieces and enjoyed seeing the different ways fabric reacts to manipulation. I think the only thing I would do differently is try the same techniques with different fabrics to see the different reactions between different fabrics.

How did the pieces work in relation to your drawings? Were the final results very different from the drawings? Did the fabric manipultion technique take over and dictate the final result?
I think the pieces worked well with the ideas I had in mind. I didn’t have a specific picture for the manipulation which I why I just kept to sampling each technique but I feel I had a slight idea of what I was wanting to achieve with each sample and feel they came out how I had been wanting. The manipulation does take over though and I found my fabric reacting in ways I hadn’t anticipated but this was thrilling to see and I really look forward to developing with these techniqies.

Was it helpful to work from the drawings in the applique exercise? Would you have preffered to play directly with cut shpaes and materials?
It was very helpful to work from drawings to begin with. Especially as I had never done applique before, it helped give me a starting point. I enjoyed working with the cut shapes in my final sample too and feel I would much rather enjoy working with cut shapes.

How do you feel about woking with stitch in general? I it an area you would like to pursue in more depth? Do you find it limiting in any way?
I love working with stitch. I love seeing how a simple piece of fabric can be brough to life with stitch. I would like to persue applique a bit further and the tearing, freying and shreading manipulation too. The only thing I find limiting is working by hand. It’s very time consuming and sometimes when my stitches aren’t tight enough or I’m trying to sew through several layers of fabric, it can be quite difficult but if I had a sewing machine then I think these issues wouldn’t be there and I would be able to work a little more freely and experimentally. I’m looking to invest in one very soon.

Project 6 – Stage 3 – Applied fabric techniques

I started with the hill image that I had in mind and used a herringbone stitch to layer the fabrics. I tried a few ideas with this, I was wanting to do trees over the top to try and develop an image I made in a previous assignment of trees silouetted against a background but when I tried it, it just didn’t look right so I decided to go for an organsa sky. I used sttitch to develop texture into the piece too and gold thread (which I found very difficult to work with as it doesn’t easily comply) to add the sence of sunset upon the field.

 

I really like this finished piece. I decided to leave it in the hoop as I think, presetation wise, it looks pretty effective.

The breif then talked about cutting away applique and I decided to try something I had wanted to try since I saw something similar at the York Quilting Guild Exhibition. I also decided to try out trapping things inbetween layers so I added some ripped up pages from an old book and laying it between my base fabric and a layer of organser and used a randon marking stitch to hold in place. I’m not sure if this is exactly what the breif was asking me to do but this was my interperatation and I enjoyed doing something a little different. Again I left the finished sample in the hoop for presentation.

Lastly I decided to try something completely different after spending a little time playing with traditional tattoo style drawings. I tried applying fabric with bondaweb but it went awfully wrong and I ended up getting it everywhere so I had to redo it with a blanket stitch to hold it down. My blanket stitch needs work as it was a little loose but I do like the overall effect. It looks like a little Frankenstine Rose really.

Project 6 – Stage 2 – Developing Ideas

I decided to take inspiration from a card that I’d found in my local art shop for my first sample.

I was attracted to the colours and the marks in the different levels of the hills. I went through more of my fabric and decided on the ones I was going to use.

There was a mixture of printed japanese fabric, organsa, felt and cotton.

Project 6 – Stage 1 – Preparation

Stage 1 asked me to look at my fabric samples and decide on which ones I was going to use to create my first appliqued sample. Because I had quite a long break between my last assignment and starting this one and not being happy with my previous assignment work I decided to start from scratch and so didn’t use old drawings to develop but with a new outlook, worked from inspiration I had collected since starting back up.

These are the samples I started with. These are a collection of soft furnishing fabrics that I had ordered samples of from my Research Point. There are mixtures of sofa, carpet and bed linen fabrics.