"Virtual Seminole"

Taking refuge in my studio from the (endless) snooker on TV, I started playing around with Photoshop, cropping, copying and pasting my pictures of my monoprinted fabrics to make a patchwork block, which I then turned and cropped again, into several different strips.  I turned each alternate strip upside down and copied and pasted it all.  A very easy way of doing virtual patchwork (easier to do than to explain).  An enjoyable evening, livened by Scarlatti playing in the background.

Certificate Module 2 Chapter 7 PS

Sian wondered what the back of my log cabin pieces looked like, so here they are:

2.7.A8 reverse

2.7.A6 reverse

2.7.A7 reverse

Sian also suggested I might try chopping up one of the log cabin blocks to make a seminole design.  I sliced 2.7.A8 into diagonal strips then played about with the layout until I got something I liked.  I liked the fact that the shape changed from a square to a much more interesting one.  I also liked the chevron effect gained by turning alternate strips upside down.



2.7.C1

 This has given me a renewed interest in log cabin piecing - as long as I chop it into bits afterwards!! 

Certificate Module 2 Chapter 7: A Little on Account Part 2

Traditional Piecing Methods

Second Stage - Fabric Samples

I don't know whether it was the mood I was in or the technique itself, but I found log cabin terribly tedious and boring to do.  I couldn't come up with anything interesting to do with it.  I did a few samples, but I don't really like them.  Patchwork is something I don't really like so I have struggled with this chapter.  I found my interest increase when I started on the Seminole work.  I loved the surprise element of it.  I haven't done many samples yet, but I'll carry on with this, incorporating the ideas of decorating seams from the next chapter.

A - Log Cabin

2.7.A6

2.7.A7

2.7.A8

B - Seminole

2.7.B6 "right" side

2.7.B6 the reverse side

2.7.B7 the "right" side



2.7.B7 the reverse side

 I found the Seminole work much more interesting.  In 2.7.B7 I was fascinated by how interesting the little bits of pattern were.  Seminole always gives a surprise when it is finished.  The reverse side of both samples gave me a taste of how much the next chapter could add to the interest with experimental seams.  Although I have had time for only two samples so far, my imagination has caught fire with all the ideas sparked off.  Some ideas I'd like to try are:-

• Interpret the marks on the light coloured squares in 2.7.B7 in stitch instead of print
• Try some samples with some seams going one way, some the other
• Interpret my "squiggly lines with circles" from my original sea anemone drawing using seminole patchwork for the squiggly lines (as shown in 2.7.B5 and 2.7.B6) with stitch for the circles
• Try combining seminole for the squiggly lines with yo-yo patchwork for the circles.

I found a book in my local library on Japanese Quilt Blocks.  It seems to go with the Shibori earlier.  It had a section on Sashiko, which would be great to use as inspiration for the stitching on fabrics to come in later chapters.  I'm starting to feel a definite Japanese theme starting here.

These ideas should keep me busy for a while.  Watch this space ...

Certificate Module 2 Chapter 7: A Little on Account

Traditional Piecing Methods

It's been so long since I did any work on City and Guilds that I thought, now I've got back in harness again, I'll post a little bit on account.

The last few months, in fact the whole winter, have been dominated by health issues, with multiple aging relatives needing help and support while they recovered from serious illnesses.  Meanwhile I was going down with every minor bug going.  However, spring is here (I know because the rain is slightly warmer!!) and I've got my energy and enthusiasm back again.

First Stage
Paper mock ups of traditional piecing methods

A - Log Cabin

2.7.A1


 

2.7.A2




 





2.7 A3



2.7.A4




 

2.7.A5

B - Seminole

2.7.B1



2.7.B2



2.7.B3



2.7.B4

2.7.B5



Blogger is playing up and I'm really struggling to get things placed how I want, so I'll post this now and put the fabric samples in another posting.

Looking Into The Mirror

December Drawing Competition


Page 1 - pen drawing

I decided to make my theme looking into the mirror.  I set up three mirrors, one a magnifying mirror at different angles, with a teapot in the middle.  It was interesting to see the multiple images and distorted images which resulted.

Page 2 - pen drawing with coloured pencils

It was interesting how the magnifying mirror slightly distorted the teapot.  It also amused me to draw the mirror and its frame, the real-life part of the page, in black and white, but to colour the reflection to make it seem more real than the real-life part.

Pages 3 and 4

I was particularly interested in the multiple images of the teapot and tried various ways to depict this.  In page 3, I cut teapot shapes, gradually decreasing in size out of sugar paper and layered them on the page.  The result looked a little flat so I broke up the surface by painting a piece of Bondaweb and ironing it on top of the teapot collage.  On the facing page, page 4, I arranged the composition to be a mirror image of page 3.  In this case I simplified the teapots into one shape.  I made a page of mirror writing, with words associated with mirrors and cut the simplified shape out of this.  I coloured the background page with tea before gluing the mirror writing shape onto it.



Page 5 - brown pen sketch on tea-stained paper

I liked the tea staining, so stained another page.  I had a brown drawing pen so did a loose scratchy sketch with it.

Page 6 - layered prints on silvered background

I wanted to try to capture something of the reflective quality of mirrors, and so glued strips of aluminium cooking foil to a page.  I "drew" the multiple teapot image onto card with a hot glue gun to make a raised line.  I inked this line and printed it onto the silvered page as well as onto tracing paper to give a translucent print which I applied on top of the printed, silvered page.  I liked the depth of the multiple prints and the fact that some of the reflective quality remained.  I had used PVA so as to try to make the tracing paper more transparent.

Page 7 - print on red paper

Page 6 was just a simple print from the hot glue gun image onto red paper.

Page 8 - monoprint

In page 7, I rolled black printing ink onto a glass plate and drew into it before taking a monoprint from it.  I cut the print to the oval shape of one of the mirrors before gluing it into my sketchbook.  

Page 9 - accidental monoprint

While one of the monoprints was still wet, a sketchpad fell onto the surface, with the white inside of the cover landing on the print.  There had been some pink ink staining the cover and this showed through the resulting accidental print in places, giving a very pleasing result.
  

Module 2 Chapter 6 Part 2

Monoprints on Fabric

I started with white paint on black fabric.  I mixed the acrylic paint with fabric medium and rolled it onto a piece of glass.  I used various things to make marks on the paint surface, based on my drawings of animal markings, and then laid a piece of fabric on the glass and rolled it with a clean roller.  I also tried using threads and cut paper shapes as a resist.  This worked quite well, but I found it was better to press the fabric down with my fingers rather than a roller, to get into all the crevices.

The next samples were done with black paint on white fabric.  Mostly I used the same technique as with the white on black samples.  In Images 2.6.9 to 2.6.10, 2.6.14 and 2.6.15, I rolled an even layer of black acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium onto the glass.  I then carefully and lightly laid a piece of white fabric on top and used the end of a paintbrush to draw patterns onto the fabric.  The paint came through the weave of the fabric as I did so, so that I could see what I had drawn.  I particularly liked the effect of this technique.  It produced an interesting quality of line, making an organic design with high contrast.

 Image 2.6.13 was a happy accident.  I decided to stop when I had used up all the paint I had mixed and it was beginning to dry on the glass in the warm room.  I dipped a paintbrush in water and started to clean up the glass when I noticed it made an interesting design.  I laid a piece of fabric on it and rolled with a clean roller.  Image 2.6.16 was another happy accident, when I rolled the inky roller onto a piece of fabric to start cleaning the roller up.  Loose threads from the edges of the fabric pieces had gathered on the roller, making a very interesting design.


Shibori Revisited

I had another try with some shibori techniques, trying to get a darker colour on them, and giving me a chance to try to develop deliberately some effects I had achieved accidentally. I used the same Dylon Velvet Black dye and mixed it in the same concentration and the same way that I had used before. However, this time, it turned out more of an indigo blue than black.  I think, maybe, the water I used to mix the dye powder was a bit cooler than last time, but I don't know if that was a factor.  I like it, but am not sure if this will be permissible, since we are meant to use only black and white.  I really love some of the effects you can get with this technique.  Before I did any dyeing I thought it was too labour intensive to be worth it, but, having seen the results, all the hours spent stitching and knotting is well worth it.

Shibori 1

Shibori 2

Shibori 3

Shibori 4

Shibori 5

Shibori 6

Shibori 7

Shibori 8

Shibori 9

Shibori 10

Shibori 11

Shibori 12

Shibori 13

Shibori 14

Shibori 15

Shibori 16

Shibori 17

I feel happy now that, between the shibori and the monoprints, I have a large range of patterned fabrics ready for the piecing of the next chapter.  It has been nice to be back in harness after a break of a few months and I have really enjoyed this chapter.