PAP1 3D Bolero Completed!

Continuing to work on the design for a clasp, I tried another variation of the scallop shell but decided it was too clumsy, so had a look at a clam shell instead for inspiration.

I pleated faux silk and fixed it in the microwave to create this frill. It looked good but was still not quite right.

I could see that I was nearly there. Working with the frill idea, I cut faux silk on the bias (with a soldering iron) and stitched a very narrow zigzag along the edges. I folded the fabric, not quite in half, and gathered it to create semi-circles - happy at last!

Adding the pearls in the centre completed the look.

Next stage was the lining. I wanted to continue the theme of circles on the lining so I searched the kitchen for all the circle shapes I could find.

I randomly painted the fabric, gently pushing it into the shapes and added rock salt to create areas of intense colour.

The result was a beautiful piece of toning fabric to match the bolero.

The lining stitched in place.

I stitched two sets of hooks and eyes at the top and bottom of the clam clasp to ensure that there is no gaping where the fronts meet. I also added my designer label, (NiquiSu)! Creating this proved more difficult than I imagined. I tried machine stitching the label but it wasn't neat enough. I had heard that if you iron fabric to freezer paper it will go through an inkjet printer. Well, it works! So I printed the label and sewed it on.

Back view.

Photographed on my dressmaker's dummy over a navy dress. I'm very pleased to say that it fits me too!

 

This is where it all started in January 2020, with a germ of any idea .......

.... and this is where that idea ended up 12 months later.

SUMMARY

Costs:

Fabric and lining                              £13.00

Paints                                               £20.00

Metallic thread                                £18.00

Madeira thread                                  £5.00

Interfacing                                         £3.00

Pattern                                               £5.00

Beads                                                 £6.43

Hook and eye                                    £0.08

TOTAL                                            £70.51

Time Taken:

20 Feb 2020        Design stage started

25 Oct 2020        Final designs completed

21 Mar 2020       Samples and embroidery started

25 Nov 2020       Bolero completed

Time spent on design                                  118 hours

Time spent on embroidery/making up        104 hours

This is has been a very enjoyable project from start to finish. Although I encountered quite a few problems along the way, it was well worth the effort as I learned so much about design,  with its pitfalls and its triumphs.

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 2 - Course Summary

 

Timings for Module 2
Date 2020	Activity or Chapter	Approximate Time Spent (hours)
25 Feb - 14 Apr	Chapter 1	26
3 Mar - 9 Apr	Chapter 2	26.5
30 Mar - 9 Apr	Chapter 3	17
	Blog	9
24 Apr - 28 Apr	Chapter 4	12
28 Apr - 12 May	Chapter 5	15
11 May	Blog	3
12 May - 26 May	Chapter 6	22
26 May	Blog	1.5
26 May - 1 June	Chapter 7	23
4 - 8 Jun	Blog	5.5
10 June - 11 June	Chapter 8	4.5
22 June - 29 June	Chapter 9	12.5
30 June - 21 July	Chapter 10	29.5
22 July	Blog	3
23 July -11 Aug	Chapter 10	25
19 Aug - 12 Oct	Chapter 12	26
12 Oct - 23 Oct	Chapter 13	14
23 Oct	Blog	3
20 Oct - 27 Oct	Chapter 14	6
26 Oct	Chapter 15	3
26 Oct	Course Summary	3
27 Oct	Blog	3
	TOTAL	293

Materials Cost Sheet Module 2
Item	Supplier	Cost of Items (£)	Amount Used (£)	Estimated Cost (£)
Sketchbook	Winsor	5	-	5
Printer paper and printer ink	Sainsbury and Hewlett Packard	-	-	4
A3 Mountboard	Daler Rowney	1.8	6	10.8
Tracing paper	Crawford and Black	2	-	0.6
Glue - tacky, stick and bondaweb	-	4	-	1
Dyes, paints, pens and Brusho ink	Procion, acrylic and Brusho	-	-	3
Gold threads	Golden Hinde	12	-	3
Shisha etc	Sarah Homfray	14		8
Fabrics and papers	Various	-	-	5
Baking parchment	Sainsbury	2.75	-	1
Items from stash	Various	-		4
			TOTAL	45.4

Health and Safety

Item	Usage	Storage
Dyes, inks, paints	Wear overalls and waterproof gloves, work in well ventilated environment. Wear mask to protect against inhalation.	In cupboard on top shelf, away from children and pets.
Bondaweb	Protect surfaces with baking paper.	Rolled, in stand.
Glues	Work in well ventilated environment.	In cupboard, away from children and pets.
Sewing Machine	Use with care.	Clean regularly and cover when not in use.
Camera	Use with care.	Clean regularly and cover when not in use.
Scissors, pins, guillotine	Use with care.	Store away from children and pets.
Iron	Use with care.	Store away from children and pets.
Work in progress		Cover and store away from children and pets
Finished work		Mount and cover and store as appropriate.

Evaluation of Completed Work

Choice of Research Theme: Working on metallics took me through Opus Anglicanum to Indian Embroidery, both of which I have enjoyed studying immensely. There were many interesting books on the suggested reading list, full of inspiring pictures and information. I want to carry on learning more about Indian embroidery when I work on PAP 2.

Use of Sketchbook to glean visual information: In particular, my sketches of an Indian tunic helped me to understand the complexity of Indian embroidery. It spurred me on to make a small sample. It was far more difficult than I thought it would be but a very helpful exercise in making me appreciate the tremendous skills involved in the work. Using the sketchbook also opened my eyes to the many variations of stitch in the embroidery.

Your designs: I enjoyed experimenting with the modern shi-sha designs and am looking forward to developing more designs when I start PAP 2. This module took me into a new and exciting world of metallics which I know I will come back to again and again.

Proposed Design Ideas: I plan to make a lantern, incorporating shi-sha, metallic stitching, free machine embroidery on water soluble fabric, as well as a coral reef theme! I will start working on the design in more detail when I have started the final work on PAP 1.

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 2, Chapter 14 - Developing Design Ideas

 I am interested in learning more about Indian embroidery, including shi-sha so I have decided to base PAP 2 on an Indian lantern. At the moment the shape is fairly classic, but this will change as I develop my ideas. I feel it is more important to work out the basic structure first. I plan to design an underwater grotto theme.

Page 176

Page 177

Side panel dimensions.

Page 178

Dome dimensions.

Page 179

Placement of dome on top of lantern.

Page 180

Sample dome made from pelmet vilene, it worked!

Page 181

Ideas to help with design.

I have a lot of work to do on the design elements of this project. As there will be a battery powered light inside the lantern, I will make the dome and the windows using machine embroidery on soluble fabric, so that as much light can be emitted as possible. I hope that the main structure can be made from pelmet vilene, but if necessary I will make a supporting frame which will be positioned on the inside. I plan to paint the inside metallic white, with lots of mirrors to reflect the light.

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 2, Chapter 15 - Study of Artists

Maggie Grey

I chose Maggie Grey as a textile artist to study because she works with metallics and water soluble fabrics. I also enjoy experimenting with these techniques.

Maggie is currently the editor of Workshop on the Web, an internet-based magazine, and was previously editor of Embroidery magazine. She has travelled extensively, teaching in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. She has exhibited widely including Wessex Textiles and travelling exhibitions with the Knitting & Stitching Show.

She often uses computer software to create and enhance designs and was a founder member of the Computer Textile Design Group, having been its vice chairman as well as leading its education sub-committee. One of Maggie’s techniques is to stitch heavily on water soluble fabric, creating exquisite designs using metallic threads, incorporating objects such as beads, pipe cleaners and melted embossing powders to create necklaces, bracelets, purses or motifs to stitch onto bags. She works in layers, building and combining colours and shimmer which produce her wonderful designs.

In 2009, Maggie was invited to send a piece of work to South Carolina for an exhibition curated by Susan Lenz, entitled ‘Cyber Fyber’.  The exhibition was all about the web and was shown online as a gallery tour in addition to the main exhibition. Maggie’s piece, shown above called ’Binary Humanity’ is about the real people who use their eyes to look at the screen and their fingers to type. Cast paper hands and faces show this on a background of metal and painted plastic. Around the edge are comments from Maggie’s blog by people, describing what the internet means to them.

Maggie has produced numerous books describing her work, which are very easy to read and understand. She is an inspirational speaker and I was lucky enough to hear her speak a few years ago. 

Rachael Howard

Rachael Howard was one of the Royal College Of Arts first six embroidery postgraduates in 1992. Since then she has become well known for devising new ways of combining screen-printed drawings with appliquéd fabrics and machine embroidery.

Rachael’s illustrative style is simple, capturing the essence of the moment with spontaneity.  Her sketches are full of vitality and expression, often humorous and it is easy to identify with the mood of the drawing through the use of a few careful outlines. Her images portray everyday stories and events through image, stitch and text in wonderfully executed embroideries.

She creates sketches and screen and digital prints to which she applies appliqué to fill in her designs, using both hand and machine stitching.  She reuses fabrics from fabric shops, jumble sales and charity shops, including well-worn clothing and prefers tightly woven material as it cuts easily for appliqué.

	Fish and Chips shows a couple on the beach, enjoying their fish and chips. Rachael has teamed the lady’s bright shirt with a pair of checked trousers, whilst the man’s outfit is more run-of-the-mill.  The digitally printed backdrop depicts the rocky landscape of the beach.

Rachael has been involved in many public art commissions and is a member of the  62 Group of Textile Artists.