Module 5 "Touching Texture"

Module 5: "Touching Texture"

A study based on textured surfaces in landscape.

Friday 7 September 2012

Certificate Module 2 Chapter 11

I really loved this chapter.  It brought together many of the things we'd done in earlier chapters.  I really enjoyed co-ordinating the machine stitching with the decorated fabrics.  Once I had got the right idea of Chapter 10, repeating the cutting and piecing with the decorated fabrics was fascinating and fun.  For some reason, I lost my usual enthusiasm for much of this Module, but now I seem to have it back and am raring to go!

I started with the paper exercises.


2.11.p1
2.11.p2


2.11.p3
2.11.p4
2.11.p5
2.11.p6
2.11.p7
2.11.p8
Next I used machine stitching to decorate some of the fabrics which I patterned in a previous chapter using monoprint, bleach and various methods of tie dye.  This was fun even though I did break 3 machine needles and even a wooden frame!

2.11.st 1
2.11.st 2a (on left) and 2.11.st 2b (on right)
2.11.st 3
2.11.st 4a (left) 2.11.st 4b (centre) and 2.11.st 4c (right)
2.11.st 5a (top) and 2.11.st 5b (bottom)
2.11.st 6
2.11.st 7
2.11.st 8
2.11.st 9
2.11.st 10
2.11.st 11
2.11.st 12

Finally I went on to use these to make stitched fabric samples.

Stage A

Sample 1 was a simple, fairly symmetrical one, just to practise and get my eye in.  I started with the "stack and whack" method mentioned in the course notes.


2.11.sample 1 smooth side
2.11.sample 1 rough side

In my second sample, I joined all the equilateral (nearly) triangle shapes left over from the "stack and whack" to make what was meant to be a hexagon but actually had 7 pieces instead of 6.  While considering what to do next with it, my eye was caught by some trimmings lying about on the floor, so I stitched them around the edge of the heptagon so they could radiate out from it.  It made me think of some sort of sea creature, an octopus or a jellyfish, so I sewed a loop on the centre so it could dangle.  I have photographed it both ways.

2.11.sample 2 radiating
2.11.sample 2 dangling
In sample 3 I tried to incorporate  some interesting decorative seams.  These are evident in the first piecing, although they progressively disappear with subsequent cutting and re-joining.


2.11.sample 3 first piecing


2.11.sample 3 second piecing
2.11.sample 3 third piecing (smooth side)
2.11.sample 3 third piecing (rough side)
In sample 4, with the repeated cutting and piecing it was eventually too thick to seam again, so I butted the seams for the last piecing and used a wide machine stitch to make a faggoted seam.


2.11.sample 4 (side 1)

2.11.sample 4 (side 2)
 Stage B

I started by making one large sample.

2.11.B1
This I then divided into three using the Fibonnacci Series proportions.  The first piece I left as it was, the second piece I cut and re-joined once more and the third piece I cut and re-joined twice more.  I then re-assembled the three sections.

2.11.B2 (side 1)
2.11.B2 (side 2)