Wallhanging finished!

After talking to Sian at summer school and the theme of 3D work, I took her advice and turned my flat embellished fabric into an undulating distorted shape. This is supposed to echo the idea of a melting glacier hence the gathering lessens as you move to the right. The red fish was cut up to create a red line, then repeated in more soluble lace, then a couched thread, then running stitches in a finer thread. The original bird is large and is oversewn machine embroidery, repeated in a smaller size in running stitch. The third bird is made from soluble lace and sits on the surface of the piece. The close up photos show the detail of hand and machine embroidery and soluble lace which I used to manipulate the fabric and decorate it. I have shown it on a white sheet as neutral background but it hangs using small metal rings at the back threaded with a strong thread. I actually think it would be best mounted on a canvas covered frame but this is supposed to be a "soft" piece. Hope you like it!

Chapter 9 More design ideas

I like the salt and ink effect as a background so I tried two with either stripes or a patchwork of papers. Then I added either red lines or the fish symbol. My favourite is the patchwork background with the fish and the condor shape. This one I photographed without the flash and the colours are truer.

Chapter 7 Further examples of soluble lace

The third uses ribbons and threads trapped between 2 layers of soluble fabric.This was oversewn by overlapping horizontal rows of whipped zigzag, vertical 3-step whipped zigzag rows and then a top layer of normal tension straight stitch with gold in the top.

The second uses a very open grid of straight stitch oversewn with areas of zigzag in white and trailing linking threads.

I have continued making these to represent my drawings. In the first I have made 2 samples to represent a glacier. the smaller sample uses metallic thread in the top, blue thread in the bobbin and a normal tension straight stitch grid. In the larger sample I have changed the top thread to white and tried to create depth and texture with very dense stitching.

Chapter 9 Coloured papers and samples

No 6

No 5

No 4

No 3 - I don't like this!

No 2

No 1

I have reworked the small coloured designs into A3 designs in order to decide which to choose. I made them big as when I added the symbolism the designs looked so crowded in the smaller form. I am going to post these labelled so that Sian can comment. On the whole the blues represent the glaciers and the reds the old order descended from the Incas which is gradually being lost.

I made a number of coloured papers using the colours in my research work. The initial pinks and reds were too bright so I bought some warmer orange/red inks and they work better. I have kept notes in my book so that I can replicate them if necessary.

Chapter 8 Research for conservation theme

No 4

No 3

No 2

No 1

I made some of these up into coloured samples. I have numbered these for reference.

Next I wrote a list of words which I associate with melting glaciers plus some of Sian's suggested words, and translated these into shapes using black paper.

I was born in Peru so I am interested in South America. I decided to investigate the melting of glaciers in in this area. This led me to look at the effect of this on the indiginous population of Peruvian Indians living on Lake Titicaca. These are my notes.

Chapter 5 to 7

The second shows a grid of straight stitching overlaid with cable stitching in lines.

I have made 2 samples of soluble fabric to represent my drawings. I will continue to make some more and post later. The first shows spiralling circles of whipped straight stitch oversewn by silver stitching in a spiral.

I tried 3 water soluble fabrics and one heat vanishing fabric. These are my trials and results.

CHAPTER 7 DISSOLVABLE FABRICS

The third sample is three layers of fabric randomly embroidered with whipped straight stitch and zigzag in circles and lines. This is done in layers with cutting back after each layer. This sample just didn't work as well as the others.

The second sample again shows 3 layers of fabric. The gold/pink is embroidered with gold straight stitch and zigzag and then cut back. This is then covered with purple organza and embroidered with whipped straight stitch and cut back.

The first sample shows 3 layers of fabric - linen, cotton muslin and polyester organza. Each layer has been machine embroidered before adding the next, and the second cut back before adding the third, the third cut back at the end.

CHAPTER 6 CUTWORK

The seventh and last trial shows 3 samples. Two are on cotton scrim using straight stitch and normal tension. The pale green has gathered into interesting patterns but I don't think it shows well in the photo as the fabric is pale. The third is on a fine linen using a twin needle and is really effective at mimicking the scraffito effect.

The sixth trial shows 2 samples, one on heavy linen using rayon and metallic threads with normal straight stitch tension. The other is on cotton scrim and the stitches have pulled the fabric up into circular puffs. It looks hideous even with added metallic thread!

The fifth trial shows two samples, both using lines of whipped straight and zigzag stitches, covered in cable stitch lines. One sample is on nylon organza and is very dense and the other on cotton and is quite open.

The fourth trial shows two samples. One is cotton muslin with several layers of zigzag, normal tension, in two colours. The other is cotton scrim and I tried to make holes using curving lines in straight stitch and 2 colours. I found this really difficult to make the holes.

The third trial used straight and zigzag whip stitched metallic and plain threads, in two directions, on nylon tulle over dyed cotton.

The second trial shows linen scrim with cable straight stitch worked across the fabric - this caused the fabric to shrink. Over this I used whipped straight stitch in a horizontal pattern.

CHAPTER 5 FREE MACHINE STITCHING TO INTERPRET DRAWINGS

I have tried a number of samples using a variety of threads, stitches and dyed fabrics. In the first picture there are 3 samples. I used cotton fabric, silk organza on cotton wadding and polyester chiffon. The stitches are all whipped straight stitch in various colours, changing the top and the bobbin threads.