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| Sketchbook Cover inspired by Sea Urchins |
Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 1, Chapter 13 - Study of Contemporary Textile Artists
The first textile artists I have chosen are Shelley Rhodes and Vanessa Barragao. They have both created work associated with my theme of coral reefs and have given me a lot to think about.
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Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 1, Chapter 12 - Towards an Embroidered Item
I had been thinking about making my embroidered item well before I started this chapter. I have been interested in creating wearable art ever since I made the espadrilles and beach shoes during my studies for the C&G Certificate. I have started this chapter with my idea and have worked the rest of the chapter towards it.
A close up of the stitching. I have stitched on painted bondaweb before and not had any problems. This time, in the darker section at the bottom, the bondaweb is layered and overlapping. This caused problems with stitching as the glue stuck to the needle and clogged up the eye. Consequently the thread broke quite a few times, very frustrating. I didn't encounter any problems when adding the stitching to the lighter coloured bondaweb at the top of the sample, where I only had one layer of bondaweb.
A few arrangements. I love the combinations of colours and how the fragmented rosettes add texture.
The basic shape of the shrug using a paper pattern. This can be adapted as ideas develop. I would want to use a basic pattern to make sure the finished garment is well proportioned.
I have pinned the shapes onto the dummy to experiment with design. I love the colours, blues and turquoises are a strong feature of my theme. Perhaps the introduction of tiny golden and silver highlights would enhance the colours. The shapes need some refining but my concept at this stage is that there would be a border/edging all around the garment to hold it in shape.
These are very early thoughts, as I don't yet know how my ideas will be shaped by Module 2.
To sum up, my proposal is to make a shrug, in a graduated colour scheme of blues and turquoises, darker colours at the bottom of the garment and lighter ones around the top. Possibly layers of fine fabrics, dyed or silk painted, with added texture.
Texture would be added by creating stitched pieces on water soluble fabric and appliquéed onto the base fabric. Machine embroidery directly onto the fabric could also be included.
More ideas, showing the flowing pattern from the embroidery on page 100a and 100b in chapter 7.
These are early ideas and I will need to work on samples to see what works best.
I rotated the board to look at the design from a new angle, very pleased with the result!
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The finished A4 sized sample with the rosettes added. I liked it so much, I was reluctant to cut it into shapes!
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I applied tracing paper to the back of the felt and stitched from the back to create the initial shapes.
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All the designs are worth developing. However, next time I would like to work on finer fabrics, using a water soluble stabiliser such as Aquabond 2, rather than felt. I would then be able to create a much more delicate effect. I would still work in the same colours, perhaps developing more shapes, such as semi-circles, scallops and arcs.
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To sum up, my proposal is to make a shrug, in a graduated colour scheme of blues and turquoises, darker colours at the bottom of the garment and lighter ones around the top. Possibly layers of fine fabrics, dyed or silk painted, with added texture.
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| Presentation board for Chapter 12 |
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I rotated the board to look at the design from a new angle, very pleased with the result!
Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 1, Chapter 11 - Bold Design Development
I went back to my heap and chose the ridges on the clam shell and the strong shape of the sea urchin spines for inspiration. I used a variety of brushes and wooden spatulas, daubed with acrylic paint to create a series of bold marks.
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I like the repeating swirls on page 151 and the bubbles on page 155 the best. I think both of these designs would work well in stitch and are very much in keeping with my theme.
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| Presentation board for Chapter 11 |
Distant Stitch Diploma Module 1, Chapter 8 - Design Exploration with Hollow Outline
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I chose one half of the clam shape, photographed from above, shown here in greyscale.
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Working on the original shape I gradually enlarged it inconsistently to see what would develop.
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Adding patterns helped to show the development of the shape.
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I looked at the top and bottom of the shape and worked through a series of variations until I got to the bottom right design. I found this one very pleasing.
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I cut the new shape out in the coloured kitchen towel I had saved from chapter 6. The graduated colouring of the paper works very well with the twists and curves of the shapes.
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I redrew the curving shapes then painted them, using colours from my colour scheme.
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I created a mount to focus on the centre of the design.
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Design in landscape.
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Looking at the shapes in greyscale.
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I then mirrored the shape and stitched through layers of coloured papers.
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Quite by accident, a faced appeared, so I pleated the 'hair' and stitched rows of vertical lines down the paper. I think this is more effective in only one colour.
I found it quite hard to get started on Edges as Lines. The stick man was very effective but I eventually found a couple of shapes that I feel work well.
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This chapter was quite challenging. However, I was amazed that by starting with the side view of a clam shell I would end up with the collage above!
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| Presentation board for Chapter 8 |