Module 5 "Touching Texture"

Module 5: "Touching Texture"

A study based on textured surfaces in landscape.

Friday 1 March 2013

Certificate Module 2 Evaluation of Functional 3D Embroidered Item

 

The completed embroidered assessment piece for Module Two is a Kimono based on the design topic of animal markings.

 

How do you feel about the resulting conclusion?

I am pleased with the resulting conclusion.  The kimono has turned out just as I had visualised it when I first had the idea.  It fulfils everything I wanted of it.  It gave me great joy during the making of it and it continues to give me pleasure as I look at it and wear it.  I wanted to achieve a rhythm and flow across all the surfaces of the garment, to reflect the fact that it was conceived as a costume for Nanki Poo the wandering minstrel from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado.  I tried to portray the rhythms of music in the flow of different tones and textures across the garment and I think I achieved that.

 

Is it fit for its purpose – give reasons?

I believe it is fit for its purpose.  In a practical sense it is a garment that is well made and comfortable to wear.  It was intended as a costume for a young man in the operetta, who is really the son of the Mikado and so of high status, although he is pretending to be a penniless wandering minstrel, “a thing of shreds and patches”.  In Japan, clothing is full of subtle hints and messages about the wearer’s status, family and taste and I wanted this garment to do this.  It should be a patched, poor person’s clothing, while at the same time expressing subtle hints that its wearer was of high status.  I think it has achieved this.  The technique of applying patches which were secured with rows of simple running stitch was one used by poor peasants to extend the life of a worn garment.  Fabrics beyond even patching were torn into strips and re-woven into a new fabric and this technique too is used in the kimono.  Many features were inspired by photographs of an antique fisherman’s coat.  On the other hand, many of the hand-embroidered patches are so labour-intensive that they could only be afforded by a rich person.  High status in Japan is indicated by labour-intensive and complex decoration and this gives a clue that the wearer is not the poor minstrel that he appears to be.

 

If you were asked to make it again, what changes would you make to the way you designed it and the way you made it?

I am really pleased with the results and would not change much.  One source of satisfaction for me is that most of the fabrics were dyed and printed by me.  It slightly irks me that the plain dark blue fabric is a commercially dyed one.  If I were to make it again, I think I would try to dye the plain dark blue fabric myself.  I am not certain that this would be possible because the busy quality of the patterned areas of the garment need the contrast of the quiet flat areas of the plain dark blue.  I am not sure that I am accomplished enough at dyeing to achieve this even colour by dyeing at home.

Certificate Module 2 Health and Safety Considerations

 

Working Processes

Possible Risks

Safety Measures Adopted

Dyeing fabric

Inhaling dye powder

Staining of skin and clothing

Accidental poisoning of children and pets

Mask worn when mixing dyes

Dyes stored in a safe place where children could not access them

Protective clothing and rubber gloves worn when working with dyes

Used dyes disposed of sensibly

Printing fabric with acrylic paint and fabric medium

Once dried acrylic paint is impossible to remove from clothing and furnishings

Paint and medium stored securely

Any spills wiped up before paint dried

Used paint cleared up before it dries

Table protected by vinyl cloth and any vulnerable articles removed from room

Rubber gloves and protective clothes worn

Ironing

Burns

Electrical faults could cause fire

Trailing flexes could cause trips and falls

Hot iron could damage surfaces and materials

Care taken while using iron

Dedicated area for ironing only, placed close to power source

Iron left in safe place after use until completely cold before being stored away

Cutting out pattern pieces

Accidental cuts

Scissors stored in a drawer out of reach of children

Care taken to keep tidy while working with scissors and scissors kept point down in a heavy based pot while work is in progress

Machine sewing

Stitching fingers!

Trips and falls because of trailing flexes

Care taken while sewing

Frequent breaks taken so that fatigue does not lead to careless errors (something you only do once, in my case 20 years ago, only minor damage to finger fortunately!!)

Machine stored with cover on and out of reach of children

When in use, machine sewing table close to power source so no trailing wires

Hand sewing

Pricking fingers

Muscle strain

Eye strain

Care taken with needles and scissors with pin cushion kept close at hand

Frequent breaks to prevent fatigue and muscle strain

A dedicated pair of glasses just for hand sewing (I hold my sewing much closer than I hold a book while reading so I need a different focal length for sewing)

Editing photographs and posting on blog

Designing on computer

Eye strain

Muscle strain for neck and shoulders

Take frequent breaks from work

Make sure keyboard, mouse and chair are at correct position for strain-free working

Certificate Module 3 Costing Materials, Recording Time and Authenticating Work

 

Materials

  • cartridge paper 5 A2 sheets                                         £  1.00
  • printer paper 20 sheets                                               £  0.24
  • printer ink multi pack of cartridges for Epson printer    £ 46.95
  • black drawing pen                                                       £  2.20
  • fabric                                                                        £132.00
  • thread                                                                       £  27.36
  • iron-on interfacing                                                     £ 11.25
  • cold water dye                                                            £  3.11
  • acrylic paint                                                               £  7.50
  • print blocks                                                                £ 15.96
  • fab foam                                                                    £  1.58

     TOTAL                                                                        £249.15

 

Timing

Date when design work was started 25th September 2012

Date when design work was completed 7 January 2013

Total number of hours on design work 9 hours 45 minutes

Date when embroidered item was started 25 October 2012

Date when embroidered item was finished 8 February 2013

Total number of hours on construction and embroidery 105 hours 45 minutes

Total time spent on photographing, editing and posting on blog 5 hours 30 minutes

Total time on kimono project 121 hours

 

Authenticity of Work

Below is a photocopy of the authentication of my work to authenticate that my work for the City and Guilds Level 3 Certificate, Module 2 is my own unaided work.

Module 2 authentication

Below is also a photograph of me working on earlier chapters of Module 2

use this 2