This module has taken longer than I hoped, but I got there in the end!
Chapter 11 Continued
Looking at other design ideas - a piece measuring 70 x 70 cms. This size will more than adequately cover the sign. The original words of 'Accès Interdit Sur L'Enrochement' will be changed to 'Accès Permit Sur L'Enrochement'. I will incorporate the lettering into the outer ring of the embroidery.
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The embroidery will consist of 3 main areas (rings), with the lettering obscured around the outer edge in the larger shapes, being faintly visible.
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Experimenting with fish outlines on sheer fabric, using Aquabond as the stabiliser.
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Another variation. I prefer this one with a dark and light outline.
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Looking at a colour scheme and texture for the outer ring of 'rocks' - sheer fabrics cut into small random shapes and soldered together, marking marks. The marks need to be developed to become more suitable, but the pieces bonded well together. The metal is the inside of a tomato puree tube, painted with alcohol inks. I want to develop this metal process further.
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Tea stained craft vilene, layered to look at the effect of a smoother (inner) ring.
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Looking at combining elements.
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I will also look at using some of the lace effects I have designed in this module. I think that paper pulp, used with some of the ideas above could work very well.
The centre will probably comprise painted silk but I am still working on ideas for this.
PAP 3 - October 2023
Finished at last!
The composition shows the issues encountered by coral reefs, due to rising water temperatures and increased acidity. However, coral reefs do have the capacity to recover if conditions change. Research shows that corals need 9 - 12 years to recover, following large disturbances such as mass bleaching or storm damage. Researchers are pioneering ways to protect and restore coral reefs, which have an amazing capacity to adapt to healthier environments, so perhaps there is hope that they can be saved.
ooOoo
I have covered the hexagonal canvases (35 cms in diameter) in pale blue/turquoise silk painted faux silk. It is deliberately plain so that it does not detract from the 'coral reef'. I chose the hexagon shape for the canvases and the surface shapes, as the skeleton of corals has a hexagonal form.
The hexagons of varying sizes are made from silk-painted voile, backed onto felt and cut out with a soldering iron. There is a continuous line of straight stitch across the 3 canvases, with coral 'polyps' made from bound and steamed faux silk, and sea fans, made from pleated faux silk and and as well as painted vilene. I made the branching corals by stitching free machine embroidery on soluble fabric.
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| 1 |
This first canvas depicts the coral reef as it is now, a mixture of dark and light corals. I applied trapunto to the background so that the surface undulates, like the surface of a reef, then stitched the hexagons over the top.
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The second canvas doesn't have trapunto, as it depicts a lifeless surface as the coral begins to bleach. The straight stitches become erratic and the colours fade to pale pinks, blues and white. The reef starts to disintegrate. On the right of the canvas, the polyps are made from white net, indicating the fragility of the reef.
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Close up of polyps, made from net.
The 3rd canvas shows that corals can recover if healthier conditions prevail.
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I have used trapunto on this embroidery to indicate new life and vigourous growth. The colours are brighter than the first canvas to depict hope for the future.
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Close up showing undulating surface of the recovering reef.
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The 3 canvases as they would appear, hanging on the wall.
Costs
Canvases £3.99 each £11.97
Faux silk £1.45 a metre £2.90
Felt £3.99 a metre £1.50
Dynaflow £6 £6.00
Threads Various £5.00
D Rings 6 £3
Sundries £5
TOTAL £35.37
PAP 3 started 13/04/2022
PAP 3 completed 17/10/2023
Time spent on Design 117 hours
Time spent on Embroidery 168 hours
TOTAL 285 hours
PAP 3 - August 2023
I have decided to create a vocal point on each of the pieces. I tried various methods to create the lacy effect of coral, including stitching in scrim and across an aperture. I started working in white thread and then painting it but the lace seemed to sink into the background and had little impact.
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I made 2 layers of coral. The lower layer is stitched with dark pink as the top thread and purple in the bobbin. I stitched the top layer with dark pink on top and pale pink in the bobbin. The slightly different colour combinations enhanced the overall effect.
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The middle embroidery is still work in progress. I have stitched a band of straight stitches through the piece, becoming erratic as the colour fades, to represent the bleaching of the coral. I will add coral polyps and 'stag' coral pieces in fading colours from pink, to grey to white.
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Straight stitches in disarray.
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The top piece is also work in progress. The straight stitches have become more uniform to show that coral reefs are able to adapt to rising sea temperatures and slowly recover.
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The 3 pieces laid out to show the progression of the design.
Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 5, Chapter 12 - Artists Study - Meredith Woolnough
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| Coypright Meredith Woolnough |
I have chosen Meredith Woolnough, a visual and textile artist who works with soluble fabric and free machine embroidery. She is inspired by the natural world, including coral reefs, which ties in with my diploma theme. She lives in Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
She was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of NSW in the early 2000’s, specialising in textiles as a part of her degree and fell in love with all forms of textile art as a result.
Meredith starts by drawing and photographing natural specimens and then develops her ideas in her sketchbook. She transfers her designs onto water soluble fabric and uses free machine embroidery to create her beautiful artwork.
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| Copyright Meredith Woolnough |
Her love for coral comes from her experiences of scuba diving. She presents her coral embroideries as three dimensional pieces, pinned proud of their backing so that shadows come into play. Coral used to be taken for jewellery but by creating her artworks, she enables people to display the beauty of coral in their homes, without destroying coral colonies and their natural habitat.
Meredith has exhibited and sold her work worldwide, is the author of two books ‘Organic Embroidery’ (2018) and ‘The 100 Embroideries Project (2023) and teaches both in person and online classes.
Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 5, Chapter 11 - Large Scale Assessment Piece
I've decided to make a garment for PAP 4. I started with a simple design and worked through various options, until I was satisfied with my ideas.
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Very simple design to start with. Mermaid jacket?
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'Clam' sleeves and fish scales - probably not!
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Looking at design ideas associated with my theme of 'coral reefs'.
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I think there may be some mileage in the fishy sleeves.
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Developing the 'fish idea' further.
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The sleeves to be stitched in clear organza with the fish outline added with free machine embroidery, up one sleeve and down the other! The collar to be made from individual coral branches, multi-layered. The lower border is still to be developed further. It could be based on mushroom coral and brain coral. The main body of the garment will possibly be made from faux silk, possibly with quilting. I haven't decied on a colour palette yet. Samples to follow.
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The fringe to be stitched as a lettuce stitch hem, organza or similar cut on the bias, so that the individual strips curl and show movement. The fringe may be applied to the underseam of the sleeve and around the cuff.
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My next issue is where to display it. I could ask an aquarium but I would like it close to the sea. On the beach we go to every year there are several sea groynes to protect the sand from being washed away. Thirty five years ago we could clamber all over them and sit on them which was very enjoyable. Nowadays, this not permitted.
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Maybe I could find a suitable place to display PAP 4!
Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 5, Chapter 10 - Three Resolved Samples Based On Designs
My first resolved piece is based on a gelliplate print from Module 2.
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I made paper pulp and pressed the original stencil into it (carefully!) to form a shape. I removed the unwanted pulp and left the shape to dry.
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It fragmented as it dried but created a fragile shape in the process.
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I painted the shape with silk paints.
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I made a piece of silk paper using silk waste and CMC paste.
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I layered the paper shape over the silk paper and added small straight stitches. The stitches are 2 strands and darker at the bottom changing to smaller stitches that are 1 strand and lighter at the top, resulting in a very delicate resolved sample.
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All change for my second and third pieces! This design was one of my first ideas for PAP3. It shows many changes in colour and movement.
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| 118 I chose to make a paper background and added colour to the wet pulp by sprinkling over Brusho ink powder. The colours merged into one another beautifully and I like the textured finish to the paper. In retrospect, it might have been idea to add a layer of light varnish as the surface appears fairly dull. |
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I used vanishing muslin to create a lace effect. I have not used it much in the past and was very pleased how easy it was removed with a heat gun.
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The result is a reverse of the the original image and conveys movement, perhaps swirling water or underwater looking up through rocks but lacks the shimmer of water.
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My second piece revisited. I've painted it with CMC paste and it has really brought it to life, what an improvement. The dark areas appeared where the CMC paste was thicker. I dabbed some of it off, but I think the 'burnt' effect gives it more impact.
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This last piece was quite a challenge. It is my face from Module 2.
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I started by tracing the shapes of the original design.
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I stitched the design onto clear soluble fabric and laid it over pre-dyed silk waste.
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To create the silk paper, I added CMC paste, which disolved the soluble fabric and both pieces fused together.
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Once it had dried, I added more stitching and cut it into strips, backing it onto white paper. I'm not over pleased with the result. I think it would have been better to have used a different coloured thread on the soluble film and stopped at that point.