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.

Module 6 continued

Lastly I experimented with bonding colour onto fabrics using bondaweb. The samples are onto evenweave and the larger are onto muslin and scrim.

Next I tried painting different fabrics with silk paints and textile paints.

CHAPTER 4

I tried space dyeing with procion dyes, colouring fabric and threads. Some of the fabric I dyed in bags using left over dyeing liquid in order not to waste it!

Design 6

Design 5

Design 3

Design 3

I repeated this process in design 2.

In chapter 2 I looked at designing with the shapes made in some of my photographs. I used a variety of papers decorated with inks, paint and crayons, pastels etc. I tore and cut the papers and remounted them, then cut again to create new patterns.

Sian asked me to increase the texture in the machined samples on the left so here are the results. I have left some squares lacy as they act as a contrast. It is hard to photograph well!

MODULE 6 - WATER AND SKY Chapter 1 and 3

The last (16) is a cable stitch sampler using a variety of types and thicknesses of thread and different stitches.

In the second (15) I have combined the suggested 3 and 4 and show zigzag and automatic stitches in the green patches with normal tension, and whip stitch versions in the orange/blue patches.

In Chapter 3 I made samplers of free machining. In the first (14) I have combined Sian's suggested 1 and 2 and show straight stitching with normal tension in the yellow patches and variable tension whip stitch (straight stitch) in the turquoise.

Lastly for chapter 1 in image 13 I used pva and tissue paper and momigami. There is also a close up.

In image 12 I tried sticking pieces of paper onto coloured paper, sometimes carefully and sometimes randomly.

Image 11 shows samples of texture paste 1:1 with impasto gel medium and acrylic paint.

Image 10 shows my efforts at more texture using pva and paint or ink with added flour, rice or couscous! I added highlights with markel or pastels.

Image 9 shows trials of polythene sandwiches using wax crayons and oil pastels which melt. angelina, threads, paper scraps and acrylic paint.

Image 8 shows trials with bubblewrap and colouring tools and colouring of foil and cellophane. Only acrylic paint stuck satisfactorily to the cellophane and I found it difficult to colour the bubble wrap.

Next I looked at ink plus waxy resists using wax crayons and oil pastels. These were successful with drawing inks but not acrylic inks. I then trialled the use of bleach and also tried painting on cellophane, these results are in the following pictures. (6,7)

The next three images (3,4,5) show various rubbings using crayons, pastels amd pencils with added marks.

The next (2) shows inks, acrylic ink and scraffitto with wax crayons and oil pastels in combinations.

I have collected lots of images of water and sky and reproduced them with mark making techniques. I will label these as I go for Sian's sake. The first (1) shows marks made with pencils and felt pens.

Chapter 12 Module 5 Resolved Sample

This is the final piece with some closer photos as the black is difficult to see clearly. Hope it does the job!

This is the work in progress

I put these ideas into a final design sheet.

Next I tried some more fabric manipulations samples (page 6), embroidery and combined samples (page 7).

Ididn't like the blotting paper look, and I knew the white sheers were too opaque. So I tried markel rubbings on black organza and laid this over the blue cloth to see the effect. (page 5) Next I tried cutting shapes out of this allowing an overhanging edge which I could distress to resemble the torn paper. Although the blue cloth markings are still mostly lost I think this is the best option.

I thought that might be ok so I looked to see whether it would work alone or whether it needed to be stiffened with pelmet vilene. I examined it using 2 of my landscape designs as I hadn't decided which to use (page 2 and 3). In the third picture (page 3) I tried raising some parts into relief. Whilst I thought that was interesting I was sorry to lose the "torn" edges of the paper from the design but without the vilene it looked weak. So I decided to see how torn pelmet vilene, coloured with black ink would look (page 4)

The stages I went through are noted on the sheets but initially I considered what background I could use. I had some lovely dark blue scrumpled dyed linen/cotton from module 3 so I looked at doing rubbings on it using markel, from my paper texture sheet from earlier in the module. I also trialled a variety of sheers to see if the marks still showed, and trialled cream linen backgrounds for the dark blue.