Thursday, 24 January 2013

Chapter 10

Designs from rubbings.
 
Tracinngs taken from the rubbings in Chapter 9


 
Small samples taken from rubbbing bottom left above

I like the vibrant colours of Sample 1(left) and the varied textures of Sample 2 but the Stitch Magic makes a touch fabric for the top layer and was difficult to cut.
 
 
 
Design ideas from a different rubbbing
and samples worked with this design
The pin tucks on the top layer (left) got lost when the layers were cut.  The stitching on water soluble film works well over the dark painted paper and gave an idea for an edging.




Another idea

 Sample 5 uses the previous design.  the Grilon top layer and double needle tucks on the middle layer give interesting texture.

Sample 6 uses the latest design idea. it has interesting shapes and these lend themselves to surface stitching.  the fabrics lack texture and tonal value.
 
Resolved Sample
 
Design based on  rubbing of overlapping eggs.  Same of the lines have been slightly adjusted to give better shaped and space.
 Cutting away the layers.


Finished sample. 
 
Top  layer- Grilon stitched silk
2nd layer- dyes cotton wth double machine stitched tucks.  the two colours used gave extra depth.
3rd layer- automatic pattern stitched in layers of blue threads on soluble film.
4th layer- dark blue silk
outlined in free running stitch and cable stitch to emphasise the shapes.
The border is layered with cable stitch and the blue layer frayed.
 
 

 and  a close up of the layers and cable stitching in Cotton Perle 8 and silk thread.

 I am quite pleased with the way the sample turned out.  (but it took a lot of thinking time and a Eureka moment )
 I have really enjoyed this module. and have learned so much. The theme was great to research and use; who would have thought that bird bones could be so useful for design!  I have not made resists before but really like the technique, even if I dyed my hands in the process.  I love Brusho sprays,  the colours are wonderful.  Making rubbing provided interesting designs .
Creating texture wth fabrics and stitches  was my sort of thing.  I love gadgets so it gave the chance to use machine attachments.It was one of those topics that could go on ad infinitum, experimenting with fabric and stitch length.  My cable stitched bird and resolved  bird scene sample must be my favourite pieces.
 
sr

Friday, 4 January 2013

Chapter 9


Rubbings from print blocks



Repeat patterns using a grid of bird bones and silhouettes in flight

I tried a couple of colour and bird arrangements.



Collection of birds, eggs, feathers and a birdbox



I tried different colours, overlapping a slightly different way each time.




Dove and eggs rubbed seperately.  This wasn't very successful as the eggs just looked like bird wings.


I tried a different bird shape and this gave a beetter result.






Other ideas.

Flocks of birds.  These give some interesting shapes




Overlapping blocks from Chapter 5

Curved shapes and egg cluster


Birdhouse and angular birds


Overlapping egg clusters  also giving interesting shapes.



Saturday, 22 December 2012

Chapter 8

 

Soft Edge

Torn paper
using five shades from newsprint

 
Torn fabric
sheers, satin(both sides) fine calico and hand embroidery fabric.  The final rows weree machined with a row of straight stitch to secure them.

 Torn fabric nest
I thought I'd make an exotic bird's nest using sari silk as it's torn and fraying already!
 
Torn fabric background
sheer fabrics which usually fray as soon as you look at them: unless you want them to.

Frayed silk carrier rods





Resolved Sample

Sketch of idea

 I had a little help when making the pieces for the background!!



My exotic water bird sit amongst the bullrushes and guards it's nest.
Background : spray painted cotton with pleats and tucks topped with tailor tack using two threads through the neeedle; water is blue sprayed Ployester textures with Grilon thread and machine stitched into the folds. Night sky is also sprayed Polyester sheer.

Bird : body is layers of machine pattern, beak and eye in whip stitch, tail and wing in free edged pieces with sari silk to finish wing. Legs in free stitching.

The edges are turned under to the finished size to show the tail extending beyond the lower edge.


 Close-up of bird and nest.

Egg in layers of cable st.
Nest is "lined" with feathers made on soluble fabric and built with knotted, looped and twisted yarns.


I am quite pleased with the way this has turned out.  It has included several techniques from Chapters 7 & 8 and I think the red focal point is in the right place.  As the free fabric shapes of the wing and tail are curved, so technically on the bias, and have not frayed as well as I had hoped. The tailor tacks tend to unravel too and I should have secured the thread ends to prevent this.




Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Cpter 7 Stitched Texture

Stitching to Create Texture

Cable Stitch
31. Bird is taken from P24 of research, worked on silk dupion in a hoop to try to prevent puckering.
 (Is this a Jub-Jub bird?).



Whip Stitch
also worked in a hoop.
 32 & 33.   Based on the tail of the bird design on a  plate ( p23 of research).  Stitched on cotton with a Calico backing.  I'm not sure the green was a good choice.



Couching

34. Stitched on cotton with a calico backing.  I chose yarns of a similar colour so I could use the same thread and bobin for stitching, which worked well.
  

35. Three layers of Banana yarn


36. Jumbo knittting yarn with two layers of loops.  This gives lots of texture but the presser foot kept getting caught in the loops.


37. Three layers of tubular Rayon knitting yarn knotted along the length.  the knots are closer together on each succcessive layer.  It took longer to knot the yarn than it did to stitch!


38. Banana yarn again, twisted into loops.  I like the unevenness of the yarn as this gives added texture.


39. Jumbo knittting yarn again, untwisted as it was stitched.  I like the floating threads which appear to be unstitched.
 It was interesting to see how this and  the Banana yarn could produce different effects.

40. Bundles of threads using some stranded Rayon  that got tangled when I undid the hank to wind it onto a reel.  There are four layers and I like the way some of  the ends didn't get trapped by the stitching. ( a year ago I would have considered this to be untidy).


Utility pattern to create texture
 
41. Pattern 3 - Varioverlock with four layers


 42. Pattern 4 - Running Stitch with five layers


 43. Pattern 22 - Gathering Stitch, five layers

 44. Pattern 24 - Jersey Stitch, five layers

 Basting. 
45. This is difficult on my machine but I like the cut part.  This could be useful!

 Tailor Tacks
46. I bought a foot when I read Pamela Watts' book a couple of years ago.
 Top left: st length 1.5 
Bottom left : st length 0.6
Top right :.0.6 cut
Bottom right 1.5 cut