Flint Brocade

Here I am at home trying to make something of the samples I started and tried not to finish while I was away, wanting to work on them in a more considered way and becoming even more emotionally engaged with some of the pieces.

I'll start then with the solufleece challenge and try to work out what I've learned through the process.

Flint Design Stage 1

So here is the piece when I finished Summer School.  I've used the threads in the colours and textures I had available, quite proud of myself for getting on with the job rather than prevaricating too much.  When packing my threads I recalled the restrained palette of those travelling from abroad and tried to emulate it -- just bringing the colours that would match my images with an eye to their texture too.  As you can see I changed my mind when I got home.

Flint Design Stage 2

When I used the grey-brown Herdwick wool Jean had said, "You've nearly got away with it."  She was right, I hadn't, and in spite of the lovely couching and wrapping the first thing I did was to rip it out and replace it with a taupe colour.  It's tonally more in keeping, though texturally perhaps not so good.  If I were doing this piece again I would go still more shades paler.  And here's the thing, I used flint walls as the jumping off point for my Foundation Module and had a range of threads and colour sampling there at my finger tips in the lovely little book I made.  Another lesson learnt: don't forget to refer to your archive you probably have been through these thought processes before.

Flint Design Stage 3

So here we are very, very many layers of sorbello stitch on -- what a wonderful addition to my stitch repertoire.  I've used a huge range of muted threads to create a connective web between the rows of flints.

Flint Stage Stage 4: Flint Brocade (4"x 3")

 The final image shows the piece after washing and drying.  It's hard to put into words quite what I think.  The fact that I'm not enthusing tells me there's a mismatch between the expectation of Stage 3 and the reality of Stage 4.  Being new to this technique I find myself wondering whether the choice of visual reference was appropriate or is it the way I carried out the task?

Could the way the piece looks be the result of how it was washed out?  The water was only luke warm when I washed the piece, but the fibres do seem to have shrunk tightening the lovely lacy sorbello bands and flattening the piece's depth and the threads with sheen have become matte.  Maybe it's a case of less is more and next time the stitches should be less dense.

For the most part I'm pleased with the thread colours, though the blue-grey variegated thread seems more prominent than I would like them to be.

Next steps: perhaps a little more sorbello stitch in fine threads to recreate some of that cobwebby effect I so like.  And perhaps another go.  I saw this wonderful concrete wall yesterday . . . complete with ribs of rough-cut stone mixed into the mortar -- Concrete Brocade, now there's a thought!

Chapter 9 : A Resolved Sample

The image below is a photograph of the many spiral staircases giving access to various buildings at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich.  It was manipulated in Photoshop for my photography course some years ago and when I last discussed this resolved sample seemed like the ideal material.  However, a year's a long time and having taken other photographs of this and other spiral staircases at UEA I'm feeling less certain.

1. Manipulated close-up Spiral Staircase

2. Window Exercise

I tried out the windows exercise not only exploring the idea of composition but also trying to look at the range of tones.  The triangle, semi and full circle produced the most dynamic compositions, but I was rather disappointed with the tonal drawing: it seemed to lack boldness  Maybe it is true to the image?  Maybe the tonal range is subtle which I would like it to be but does it have enough interest?  I was also unsure about how much movement there was in any of the compositions.  Hence the expedition to photograph these other spiral staircases.

3. Mid-distance Spiral Staircase

or:

4. Mid-distance Spiral Staircase

5. Close-up showing glimpses of landscape

As you can see there's a surfeit  of spiral staircases at UEA, and yes I do have even more!

Below is an attempt to create the spiral staircase in image 4 as a paper cutout.  I used a semi-circle taking an off centre position on its diameter and using Fibonnacci sequence divided the shape into imperfect sectors.  Each shape is larger than the next and placed to make a repeating pattern.  The background can clearly be seen between the imperfect sectors.  (By imperfect I mean they don't actually fulfill the mathematical definition for a sector.)

6. Paper cutout version of Image 4

This idea seems more fluid than the initial one, though in being fluid it might simply look muddled.  While waiting for some advice it might be worth trying out some paper cuts to test out my ideas for image 1 of the spiral staircases, and what a difference colour makes.

7. Paper cut of Image 1

8. Paper cut of Image 1

9. Paper cut of Image 1

Paper cut 9 is orientated in the same way as Image 1 and below interpreted in fabric,  The background dark grey is fabric strips which have been overlapped and stitched.  The lighter grey element is strips stitched along their centres and folded in half.  Finally the ice blue element is cut from felt, now half the width of my original design and more in proportion as a result.  All are bought fabrics from stock.

10. Paper cut interpreted in fabric

11. As above with the addition of a rich brown cord

My concern with taking this design forward is that it may not sufficiently convey movement.  With that in mind I traced Paper cut 9 and then extended the lines beyond the circle.

12. Tracing of Papercut 9 with extended lines.

This does, I think, give a sense of movement. The result is almost like a planet orbiting.

Two possibilities occur to me as ways of interpreting this idea.
Firstly, mount the circle offset on another larger circle which is printed and stitched. possibly including some Tyvel treated with the heatgun.  This larger circle will be tonally paler and will include the extended lines.
The second is not dissimilar to the first except that smaller circle is cut out of the larger one.  In both cases the treatment of the circle edges will need great care as to their finish.

Chapter 8 : Beads

 Reading the comments of others about these beading tasks I recognise their surprise at enjoying getting to grips with this type of work.  There's something exacting about it: the mere threading of such fine needles until you discover those with the very clever collapsible eye, though they're not suitable for every task.
I marked the area to test out each idea making it I thought quite small (4cm x 4cm), though in many cases I reduced and reduced it again.  I tested out shapes, sizes and colours of beads in combination, many I rejected as too clumsy or unsubtle, discovering on the way that tiny mauve seed bead with a gold core was indispensable.
The samples were stitched on calico and hopefully show a balance of both structured and free.

My samples then are as follows:

Key to Beading Sampler

     Row 1
1. Graduated lengths of dark grey shiny bugle beads to create a spiral.

2. Grey straight bugle beads (as above) arranged in alternating lines with multi-faceted oval crystal          beads.

3.  Tiny spiral in matte grey-brown seed beads.
4.  Brown medium and tiny mauve seed beads worked densely in rows.
5.  Bugle beads as in (1) worked in four pointed stars to create a diamond pattern.
6.  Stitched diamond pattern studded with small silvery beads and the tiny mauve seed beads.

     Row 2
7.  Rows of clear sequins threaded and arranged in alternating directions.
8.  No beads, but knotted wire in plastic randomly arranged.
9.  Bronze and grey shiny seed beads densely, but randomly arranged.
10.Oval copper sequins (the hole at one end) stitched so that they pivot and created a raised irregular        surface.
11.Circular and oval rings paired and stitched randomly, anchored with a tiny mauve seed bead.
12.Clear sequins topped with small brass cupped sequins and tiny mauve seed bead arranged in rows      and stitched with metallic bronze thread.
13.Dark grey bugle beads threaded with tufts of ice-blue floss and arranged in rows alternately with         groupings of metallic grey seed beads.
14.Oval copper sequins acting as a leaf shape and enhanced with stitching in metallic brown-black.

      Row 3
15.Parcels of long twisted gold and shorter grey bugle beads couched in position with thick soft gold        thread.
16.Groups of three brass cupped sequins interspersed with loops of mauve seed beads.
17.Rows of grey metallic bugle beads a brass cup sequin and mauve been attached to each end.
18.Chevrons of gold bugle beads.
19a,Dark grey bugle beads attached as towers with ice-blue thread.
19bTiny gold sequins arranged in rows and couched with a cross in metallic brown thread.
20.Clear large beads topped with tiny mauve seed beads and couched with three double thickness            stitches.

      Row 4
21.Spirals of small brass cupped sequins face downwards with self-dyed silk organza seed stitched on      top, then beaded with mauve seed beads.
22.Double holed grey oval beads applied in rows with brown metallic thread.
23.Grey beads as in 22 topped with two mauve seed beads and edged with metallic grey bugle beads.
24.Curves of metallic grey bugle beads alternating with curves of mauve seed beads.
25.Rows of a range of different beads from the selection.
26.Double holed clear oval beads stitched to create beetles.

Beading Sampler

I decided to mount the beading sampler on a piece of foam board covered in polyester fleece.  I then beaded three edges in the same way, initially a long grey bugle bead followed by a medium sized brown bead.  In a row behind this I stitched loops of five mauve seed beads, as is shown below.

Beaded Edging -- top and two sides

The sampler's lower edge shows a range of fringing ideas:

B. Lines of grey bugle and brown seed beads arranged in various ways with loops of mauve seed              beads to finish.
C. Three lines of mauve seed beads with a gold bugle beads, sequin and double holed oval to finish.
D. Single line of mauve beads, grey bugle bead, clear sequin, finished with a brass cup sequin and yet      another mauve bead.
E. Continuous edging alternating large clear seed bead and grey bugle bead.

Beaded Edging - lower edge

A final word on mounting: in spit of, I thought, very careful measuring and cutting it is difficult to be really accurate.  I also found spacing the beads for the edges needed a combination of measuring and eye.

This is complete, and yet when the edging was half stitched I wanted to add some sort of border as a bridge between the density of the centre and the lightness of the edging.  Unfortunately I'd stitched through so many of the calico layers and though I might damage the sampler if I started unpicking. What I had in mind was to allow the little bead beetles to scurry amongst the copper leaves with trailing foliage (26 and 14).  Maybe there will be time to test out the idea, certainly it was something that needed careful planning and well before the mounting stage.

Chapter 7: Simple Button Making

This collection of buttons has been waiting on my desk ready to photograph and write about. During that time I've continued collecting threads and beads excited by their colour, texture and potential.  Worse than that the books on my self are full of post-it notes, to say nothing about the browsing and borrowing of library books.  What did Victoria Wood sing, "Just do it!"

So here then is my button collection using fabric, threads and beads in my ice-blue, rich brown and greys colour scheme.

Wrapped Cores, starting from twelve o'clock:

1.  Round core covered with self-dyed  cotton,with gold rub on spiral enhanced with beading.
2.  Round core covered on matte silk gathered in several small spirals topped with small gold sequins.
3.  Rectangular core covered with silk and enhanced with threads and bits, then wrapped with beaded       threads.
4.  Padded wrapped rectangular core wrapped in chiffon and beaded threads.
5.  More obviously wrapped rectangular core (parcel-like), using bought patterned hand-dyed fabric         and wrapped with beads and small sequins.
6. Round core covered in chiffon and decorated on the top with a hand-dyed chiffon strip gathered to     create a flower the centre studded with tiny springs, beads and sequins

Buttons using wrapped cores

  Toggle Buttons, from left to right:

7.  Layered and different width fabric (cotton and silk) rolled round cylindrical core and tied with            faux leather strip.
8.  Another cylindrical core wrapped in cotton enhanced with threads and bits, then decorated with          band of velvet which has been beaded.
9.  Layers of corrugated card covered with cut thread stretching beyond the core.  This was then              wrapped with a gathered and beaded strip of chiffon -- utterly impractical as a button, as many of        these ideas are.

More buttons using wrapped cores

Dorset Buttons, starting from nine o'clock

10.  Metal ring wrapped in soft silk floss.
11.Double card ring wrapped randomly with soft silk floss and strips of blue nylon knotted at                  intervals.
12.Metal ring wrapped in multi thread cords, leaving the centre free.
13.Metal ring wrapped in multi thread cord filling the centre.
14.Medium size ring wrapped in hand dyed sari silk the ring then parcelled round in fine irridescent        thread.
15.Double card ring solidly wrapped in a silk strip and enhanced with beaded thread.

Dorset buttons

Domed Buttons:

Domed buttons

Four samples showing a combination of felt and thin copper sheet then machine using spirals or zigzag to distort the shape.  Further distortion created by applying pressure in a circular motion to the copper.


Tyvek Toggle Buttons:

I haven't used Tyvek before so I carried out a little bit of research including watching Carolyn Saxby's blog which was very helpful.

 I had a Gwen Hedley pack languishing in my cupboard already cut into A4 pieces.  I painted both weights of the Tyvek on each side using acrylic paint in my colour scheme. I also sent for some Lumiere light body metallic acrylic in old brass, metallic rust and pewter which I'm hoping to use at some stage.  The instructions about using Tyvek given by Carolyn Saxby on her blog were very helpful.

Painted Tyvek sample colours 

Sample 1

Above are four samples of Tyvek layers molded by playing the heat gun over them creating interesting surface textures and profiles.  Tempting though it is to try and speed up the process it's not a good idea to hold the heat gun too close as the Tyvek can become molded on to the kebab stick and become impossible to remove.  Slower is also good for another reason: it's important to consider the effects made by the heat gun: is it time to stop or push distortion even further.  Ensure that the ends are treated.

Sample 2

The above four samples show the addition of threads and beads.  The colour combinations are more subtle and therefore more pleasing.

Sample 3

These three samples show an experimental sequence in the use of adding text.

From the left the first sample uses a strip of an art flyer (advertising the Giacometti exhibition at Sainsbury Centre in Norwich which is now on).  Although I thought the strip was fairly narrow it was too long and the paper too thick for the heat to mold the Tyvek and in so doing change the shape of the paper.
The middle sample uses a small piece of newsprint and here I was concerned about setting fire to it. This did not happen and the hot Tyvek and the newsprint together with the threads are melded into one, though maybe the proportion of newsprint to coloured Tyvek leaves the newsprint too dominant.
The third sample  shows better proportions of newsprint to Tyvek.  I also included some metallic fabric in copper and this has also partially melted.  The threads too -- silk slub and a polyester rainbow thread works well.

I do like the idea behind these samples.  There is something of John Dee, the Elizabethan spymaster, about them, as if some secret code or instructions are wrapped inside and only half revealed.  I could also imagine using pieces of map, a postcode . . .

Incised Toggle Buttons:

Toggle buttons incised with a Soldering Iron

Flat buttons incised with a Soldering Iron

Like some new skills I found using a soldering iron quite tricky.  The design needs  careful forethought as the soldering iron affects the materials instantly.  Some of the buttons I layered with a number of fabrics both man-made and natural, but unlike my heat gun samples I don't feel the effect shows this. Maybe a soldering iron is a tool for very specific work, though much more practice would be needed to answer that question.

Chapter 6 : Simple Tassels

Handmade

Many of activities I've undertaken so far in this module -- decorating paper, hand and machine stitching, even making cords -- have had about them an expressive facet that has been exciting, though if I'm being perfectly honest machine embroidery can still produce unintended results.  I've approached the making of simple tassels with a degree of puzzlement fearing that their creation was more about technique than expression.  I'm really not sure why I bother having this conversation either with myself or in this blog because, as usual, I've begun to see the potential of practising these techniques and seeing the result of countless small decisions.

The descriptions of materials are in anti-clockwise order  from 7 o'clock.

6:1

1.  Baby blue, brown velour and grey denim yarns, the head padded by a 3 cm polystyrene ball and
     wrapped in brown velour, the tie of grey denim yarn. (the tie would be better brown)
2.  Butterfly tuft in natural linen yarn and contrasting storm grey Kidsilk Haze.  The tie of clingfilm
      and silver grey machine embroidery.
3.  A squab in grey velour, Kidsilk Haze and self-dyed silk.  The tie is velour.
4.  Long looped and twisted tassel in ice blue Panama yarn, pale grey crochet yarn and blue-grey silk
     floss.  The twists are silver gilt thread.
5.  Long beaded tassel, the threads as in (4) and caught through a cut silk cocoon coloured with
     metallic rub-ons.  The knotted tie is of clingfilm and metallic thread embroidery.
6.  Small, twisted three-knot tassel, again in the above yarns and tied with silver gilt thread.
7.  Self-dyed two-tone cord threaded through a cut silk cocoon, with the same cord and bead and
     knotted finish.
8.  Grey tape, Petra cotton and sari waste applied in layers and wrapped around a 3 cm polystyrene
     ball.  The tassel is wrapped with a cord made of clingfilm and silver grey embroidery and left
     looking shaggy.  The head is stitched with silver grey detached chain stitch.

It was interesting getting the proportion of head to skirt right and its thickness given that the tassels are not a part of any overall design only samples.  It was also important to limit the number of design features so that the individual tassel did not become too fussy, but just enough to make it balanced and suit the materials used.  For example (8), the first one I made, looked unsatisfactory without the addition of the detached buttonhole stitch on the head.

Ensuring that the yarns/threads covered the polystyrene ball was tricky.  I didn't resort to glue, but if the tassel were being handled regularly this may be the solution.

Little practical matters also came to light:  the wonders of collapsible beading needles used on 5 and the need to wet and then wrap the cords used in (7) tightly with clingfilm after the tassel was complete.  Finally, cutting any of the yarns and threads straight needs practice.

Machine made Tassels

Below from left to right are a Turk's Head Knot and three samples of machine made tassels.

1. Textured tight strip with thick space-dyed machine thread zig-zagged to make a cord.
2. Dark grey and rich brown velour wrapped round a frame and zig-zagged in grey thread.  The made     fabric is wrapped and threaded through with a knotted cord in the same colours.
3. Self-dyed sari ribbon, incorporating cling film and other threads, zi-zagged in Rainy Day space
    dyed thread.  Two lengths of the made fabric are rolled and stitched, then looped through each
    other and trimmed with cling film cord stitched with metallic thread.
4. Self-dyed sari ribbon (this time only two strips) zig-zagged in metallic thread.  Self-dyed cord is
    looped through the ends and left uncut and unstraightened.  The two tassels are trimmed with self-
    dyed gimp and velour and stitched with metallic threads.

6:2

I have learned such a lot through making tassels. Initially I thought they were mainly associated with elaborate interior designs and required a high level of finish.  Of course this is only part of the story.

The experiments in combining colour, texture, thickness, using a range of materials and techniques were endlessly fascinating.  Even using just my colour palette it wasn't always possible to create the subtle effect I wanted, and to add sheen rather than shine to the finished result.

Size and proportion were important too and  for this its useful to imagine the role and function served by the tassels.  In this regard I was interested to find how stiff the made fabric became when as many as six wrappings of sari waste were wound round the frame as in the pale blue tassel, a problem I exacerbated by then rolling and stitching the fabric.  I'd chosen to do this as the fabric was too wide and out of proportion to the length.  By reducing the sari waste in the brown double tassel the band is soft and flexible and narrower.  The tassel in the pale blue version is far too stumpy.  So much to get right!

Chapter 5 : Cord Making

I have just loved making cords! Although I don't play the piano I imagine it's akin to playing scales. I've amassed a wonderful collection of yarns and thread: there's the thick, the thin, the matte, the shiny, the man-made and the synthetic, all in my colour scheme (some self-dyed).  There's cling-film and wire, strips of fabric, ribbon and raffia.  What to choose and combine.  Which thread on the top bobbin, which below -- the adjusting of tension and the cording foot.  Perhaps the joyeousness comes from worrying less about machine control which caused me so much concern in Chapter 4.

Machine Stitched Cords

5:1

1.    Tubular yarn (self-dyed), stuffed with knitting yarn and ruched by pushing together at intervals.
2.    As above, the tubular yarn stiffed and zig-zagged with matte and shiny bronze thread.
3.    Sari waste (self-dyed) and zig-zagged with fine and multi thread silk in ice-blue.
4.    Gimp (self-dyed) and velour yarn zig-zagged with matte and shiny bronze thread.
5.    Torn strip of fabric (self-dyed) and zig-zagged with fine and thick self-dyed) thread.
6.     Silk slub and cords (hand-dyed) with thick grey crochet thread.
7.     Herdwick wool zig-zagged with shiny bronze thread.
8/9. Another shade of sari waste (hand-dyed) zig-zagged with two thicknesses of grey silk.
10.  Grey tubular yarn and several strands of Herdwick wool zig-zagged in surges with fine thread  
       and thick silk.
11.  Cling film zig-zagged in surges with shiny and matte bronze thread.
12.  Cling film and wire zig-zagged in surges with thick and thin ice-blue silk.

Even within such a controlled palette the range of effects is considerable, and these are only a selection of the cords I've made.  It's fascinating to see the effect made by contrasting colour or texture or limiting the materials by one quality.

I've possibly drawn attention too often to the fact that certain threads and yarns are self-dyed, but I have been very taken by the subtlety of colour that's possible, especially the creation of space-dyed effects and the luminosity it's sometimes possible to achieve.  It's quite addictive!  The record of the materials I've used is also useful.

Finally, I've found the way in which yarns are manipulated when stitched in this way, creating thick and thin, flattened and bunched, even split areas throughout their length, interesting.  The insertion of wire in the set of threads to be corded also has plenty of possibilities.

Twisted Cords

The range of twisted cords below starts with the most simple -- a collection of  yarns and threads -- to more complex examples which twist existing cords with other materials to create new cords.

5:2

1.   Sari waste (hand-dyed), linen yarn and thick silk thread.
2.   Existing silk zig-zagged and fabric cord and two textures of silk thread.
3.   Herdwick wool and synthetic yarn enhanced with small sequins.
4.   Sequined yarn, as above, and sari waste (hand-dyed).
5.   Silky yarn and synthetic yarn of varying colours and thicknesses.
6.   Silk ribbon and hazy mohair yarn.
7.   Two existing cords: thick strip of tights zig-zagged with thick thread and strip of fabric again
      stitched with thick thread.
8.   Sari wasted (hand-dyed) and synthetic yarn used in (5) above.
9.   Tubular year and bronze zig-zagged cord, ribbon and velour yarn.
10.  Silk strip and existing cord of matte fabric zig-zagged with thick matte thread.

As I've made these twisted cords I've become aware of their additional properties.  The softness, for example of (1) but how the soft yarn can be given more robustness with the addition of Herdwick wool.  How the softness of some synthetic yarns might be appealing to the eye, but would wear poorly.

Two ready made cords twisted together are not only very attractive, having subtlety and interest along their length, but made of the right materials are robust enough to be made into something else and withstand wear.  (7) is such a twisted cord.

I like the properties of (10), the strip of silk with its sheen adding a very lovely quality to the existing rather matte cord.  It had a lovely irregularity about it with the silk more obvious in places.

Knotted, Plaited and Wrapped Methods

5:3

1.   Grey tubing zig-zagged with thick bronze thread with pairs of knots at intervals.
2.   The above cord combined with sari waste (hand-dyed) wired and zig-zagged with bronze glitter
      thread. The two are knotted together at intervals.
3.   Two strips of sari waste (as above) and grey tubing knotted together with half knot.
4.   Gimp (self-dyed) and grey tubing zig-zagged with storm grey silk knotted together with half
      hitch.
5.   Looped braid edge/Pawnee braid using materials in (4).
6.   Plait using brown organza ribbon, velour yarn, cord with stuffed grey tubular yarn as in (3).
7.   Double ridge using cord made with grey tube (3) and brown cord, six strands of brown cord
      knotted round.

These techniques have great potential especially with the addition of wire, for instance (3) would make a lovely bracelet, as would (4) and (5).  The double ridge in (7) would be equally attractive if the cord were wrapped with brown sari waste.  The addition of beads is another possibility... but that's a whole different chapter.

Reviewing the Situation

Although I've moved on to the next chapter -- cords -- my mind has kept returning to machine stitchery and trying to understand why I'm so frustrated with it.  As I think I've said before I became rather bogged down in the process and lost sight of the effect I was trying to achieve. 

 Looking at my ideas board it's obvious -- a lightness of touch which the couched sample 4:15 most nearly approaches, the enclosure of spaces creating highlights and shadow.  Perhaps I need to return to printing fabric like the paper sample on the board so that the machine stitching is just a way of emphasizing the spirals, rather than creating them.

Ideas Board