Personal Assessment #4 – Large-scale Piece

The requirement for the fourth personal assessment was a large-scale piece which would measure more than one metre in one direction and be site-specific, with a clear brief

The brief for the piece

The client wanted a contemporary “take” on Central Asian textiles, in the form of a long, free-standing and brightly coloured strip to decorate a shelf within a wall of fitted bookshelves in a sitting room which contains other textile work and artefacts from Central Asia :

The design was inspired by my research topic – tulips – and was intended to move forward some initial ideas which were explored earlier in the module when the Tulip Totem was created, in particular the use of the bright colours in Photoshop to modify the photos of my totem design developments :

The strip needed to be 2.3 metres long, and 20 cm high in order to extend one way along the shelf, then back on itself, and then back again. The reverse of the strip would be visible, especially in the middle third. Please refer to the earlier chapter on Design Development below this chapter for more details.

As well as evoking the long, thin and very colourful strips used in Central Asian textiles, this piece also recalls personal memories of time spent in Afghanistan, and in particular Chicken Street in Kabul where traditional Afghan textiles and artefacts were sold, and Flower Street where lovely fresh flowers could be bought.

The plan for this piece was already under development when I saw a short feature on television about an Iranian man whose mother died some years ago. He established the Tulips for Mothers Foundation and now plants thousands and thousands of tulips each year in a street in Tehran, as a colourful and beautiful memorial to her and all mothers. In 2020 there were 200,000 tulips.

www.ifpnews.com/son-covers-street-in-tehran-with-200000-tulips-in-mothers-memory

www.media.iranpress.com/video/4bv873dd76b0c71mrwg.mp4

I therefore decided to call this piece Tulip Street (Khyaban Laleh in Persian) :

Front Layer

A range of cloth in natural fibres was dyed in nine different bright colours using Procion fibre-reactive dyes which create subtle differences in the ground cloth, according to the fibres. These included cotton, silk, linen and hemp.

Squares evoking tiles were cut out and placed onto an extra heavy calico base :

The tiles for the whole strip were arranged, pinned and then tacked in place at the same time in order to ensure a flow of colour through the length of the piece. The tiles were then secured with free machine zigzag stitch in similar colours but covering different areas to the actual squares. The zigzag stitch was done in two directions. For short-hand, I will refer to this as “tile stitch”. A variety of bright but different colours were used in the bobbin so that these colours show through a little, evoking the pixilation of the Photoshop images

In some areas, a few shapes relating to the motifs cut from coloured silk organza and placed onto the ground cloth before the tile stitching was done. This created a shadow, blended effect. The motifs below and above the tile stitching are simple abstracted tulip, leaf and triangular shapes. The triangular shapes are seen in textiles across Afghanistan and Central Asia and are used as protective amulets.

Once the ground cloth stitching was complete, motifs in purchased or hand dyed silk dupion were applied by hand using back-stitch in contrasting colours. The aim was to apply motifs in colours that combined well with the ground cloth and also ensured an overall flow of colour in both the ground and the motifs, whilst at the same time keeping some spontaneity in the piece.

The whole piece was then brought together by the application of more motifs, but this time they were smaller tulip shapes in translucent silk organza which had been hand dyed in pale turquoise. The same shape and colour of thread was used throughout the length of the piece for these smaller motifs. There are some interesting effects and colour changes where the hand or machine stitch and the solid silk motifs show through the translucency of the silk organza

The writing of Tulip Street in Persian was done in back-stitch which was then whipped to achieve a slightly corded appearance

Reverse Layer

The reverse layer was constructed in the same way as the front layer using the same fabrics in various fibres but this time the tiles were all attached to the calico base undyed, making sure to use cotton thread in the machine. The whole strip was then dyed turquoise, together with some cotton cloth for the edge bindings.

Cotton organdie takes the dye much darker than other fabrics so this was exploited by placing organdie shapes, using the same motifs as in the front layer, under the tile stitch in the middle third of the piece, as this would be more visible when folded back on itself, ribbon-like. As expected, these show through clearly after dyeing.

Some additional motifs in turquoise silk dupion were applied on top, again using back-stitch

Construction and Completion

Pelmet Vilene was attached to the inside of the reverse layer

The front and reverse layers were brought together and machine-stitched at the top and bottom edges. A strip of the turquoise hand dyed cotton was then attached to bind all edges

The Resolved Piece

Overall Summary

Finished size : 2.25 m x 21 cm

Both the front and reverse ground cloths comprise of entirely hand dyed cloth

Applied motifs are all silk, some hand dyed and some purchased; there are more than 150 applied tulip motifs

Evaluation

The “tiled” ground cloths provide a good solid base for stitch, and would form a very useful ground cloth for pages of a textile book or even a 3D vessel or box, as the cloth is stiff enough to hold its form without support

I was pleased with the vibrant colours, and the changing and merging of the colour fields along the length of the front piece. As always, the stitch-to-dye technique created subtle differences in the turquoise colour of the reverse side which really highlight the tiled effect. It was essential to plan the ground colours for the whole length of the front piece in order to ensure “flow”, but I took a more spontaneous and organic approach to the subsequent colour selection and placement of the motifs

Available work-space is a consideration for a piece of this length as it was necessary to constantly review the overall effect. Fortunately I have a sufficiently long work surface so that the full length of the strip was visible as the coloured tiles were laid down, and the motifs applied.

The piece fits well into its planned space, but of course only the first third is easily visible. I like the idea of a stitched textile on the bookshelves but on reflection I think that some smaller stitched textile vessels might look better, as this long strip is best seen in its entirety.

End of Personal Assessment Piece # 4

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 6, Chapter 10 : Design Development for Large-scale Assessment Piece #4

The fourth personal assessment piece is required to be a large-scale piece which measures more than a metre in one direction, and which should be site-specific with a clear brief

The brief for the piece

The client would like a contemporary “take” on Central Asian textiles, in the form of a long, free-standing and brightly coloured strip to decorate a shelf within a wall of fitted bookshelves in a sitting room which contains other textile work from Central Asia. The room will be redecorated soon and there is a plan to have different colours in the shelf recesses (blue, turquoise and cream) and then a light terracotta for the reminder of the room.

My design envisages a long thin strip inspired by my research topic – tulips – and moves forward some initial ideas which were explored in Chapter 5 when the Tulip Totem was created, as well as other earlier chapters.

The strip will extend one way along the shelf, then back on itself, and then back again, and so needs to be around 2.4 metres long, and 20 cm high. The reverse of the strip will be visible, especially in the middle third.

Overall ideas

• Ground cloth to evoke tiles
• Hand dyed cloth in various natural fibres and bright Photoshop colours for front layer; all dyeing with Procion fibre reactive dyes
• Stitch to dye using undyed natural fibres to create reverse layer which will then be dyed in turquoise – both front and back ground cloths will comprise of entirely hand dyed cloth
• Applied motifs using purchased coloured fabrics, mainly silk
• Hand and machine stitch Note : all machine stitch is free motion unless otherwise stated
• Possible additional decoration such as beads and surface stitch
• Motifs : abstracted tulip, leaf and triangular shapes with some simple Persian calligraphy

This plan was already under development when I saw a piece on television about an Iranian man whose mother died some years ago. He established the Tulips for Mothers Foundation and now plants thousands and thousands of tulips each year in a street in Tehran, as a colourful and beautiful memorial to her and all mothers. In 2020 there were 200,000 tulips.

(www.ifpnews.com/son-covers-street-in-tehran-with-200000-tulips-in-mothers-memory

www.media.iranpress.com/video/4bv873dd76b0c71mrwg.mp4)

I therefore chose to call this piece Tulip Street (Khyaban Laleh in Persian)

Design development and samples

I decided not to design the whole strip on paper first, but did cut a length of paper to scale and placed some outline motifs on the initial third to give an idea of the overall plan and to ensure the appropriate sizes of the motifs. These motifs will be repeated in different colours and arrangements along the piece

The piece will be developed as a whole cloth and I made a couple of composite samples to test ideas, in particular see how to achieve the merging of the tile colours from one section to another.

A range of cloth in natural fibres was dyed to provide the bright colours, with subtle differences, for the ground cloth. This included cotton, silk, silk/rayon, linen and hemp. Nine bright colours were dyed, inspired by the Photoshop colours

For the first sample, squares (4 cm sq.) were cut and placed on an extra heavy calico base, and secured with free machine zigzag stitch in similar colours but covering different areas to the actual squares. The zigzag stitch was done in two directions. Different bright colours were used in the bobbin so that little spots of these colours show through from time to time. For short-hand, I will refer to this as “tile stitch”.

   (last photo, section of paper totem laid over surface)

In a small separate sample I tried securing the tiles to the calico first with a meandering straight machine stitch in a couple of bright colours but it proved to be a distraction when it showed through the subsequent layers of stitch. I also tried using different colours for the two layers of tile stitch, but this just looked too “busy” (top third of first photo and close-up in second photo below)

Given that the whole strip will need to be “tiled” at the same time in order to ensure a flow of colour through the piece, it will not be possible to pin each one in place without risk of injury when stitching so I opted for tacking each vertical strip. As the tiles are secured with stitch, the tacking can be pulled out

I used the green and orange ground cloth developed above for the first sample (at the full scale height of 20 cm, sample 27 x 20cm ), to try out some design ideas

It is clear that once this cloth is attached to the reverse, it will be able to stand up by itself, although I will probably add some little wooden supports in sleeves between the two layers

The next step was to consider how to attach the calligraphy at the start of the piece, which reads, from the top edge, Tulip Street in Persian. (Note : two punctuation dots missing from the first word, will be rectified in resolved piece). The letters was traced onto some water soluble adhesive paper, attached to turquoise silk and then the outline was stitched on the machine. The combinations of letters and punctuation marks was cut out and machine stitched to the ground cloth in a contrasting colour

I then considered how to resolve a particular section from the totem work

A monoprint of the wavy lines on silk organza did not go at all well, so a panel of coloured organza was stitched straight onto the ground cloth with wavy lines and I then cut between them to give an interesting texture and sight of the ground cloth between the lines

Tulip shapes in bright colours of purchased silk dupion were machine stitched over this area and a set of three triangular amulet shapes were also applied by machine

  

A slip with several layers of coloured silk was then stitched together, also in wavy lines, with the intention of creating a faux chenille effect but it was difficult to get all the cut edges to stay exposed and so they were again cut back to show different colours in the layers, and the slip was machine stitched to the surface

This technique needs refining for the resolved piece, but overall these elements give a good sense of the “mood” of the intended piece, although further surface decoration will be required when the ground cloth is complete

A second ground cloth was then developed (20 cm sq.) this time using turquoise and yellow. In both these samples I was able to achieve the effect I wanted with the gradual colour change from one to another, helped also by the use of appropriate colours for the machine stitch to ensure an integrated appearance to the changing colour fields

The first batch of turquoise dyeing resulted in a colour which was not strong enough. I have used it here for the sample but the resolved piece will have a stronger turquoise from a fresh dye batch

I was originally planning to create the front layer in undyed fabrics and then paint the ground cloth with dye to create the colour changes. However, with these bright colours, this would have resulted in some unwelcome blocks of tertiary and perhaps rather muddy colours which would have detracted from the joyful bright colours and which could also have interrupted the flow of the piece. I normally love the colour changes achieved in for example, painted warps, but felt that this would not work when all the colours were very bright.

Before I used the machine stitch to secure the tiles on this second sample, I cut some leaf shapes in organza and laid these on to create a shadow effect under the tile stitch. Additional leaf motifs were then applied with machine stitch, over the tile stitch. These motifs were applied as solid shapes and then cut back to reveal the ground cloth, whilst still creating a strong coloured and textured outline

At this stage I was happy with the construction of the ground cloth and how any of the main motifs could be applied both underneath and on top of the tile stitch. Further surface decoration can only be integrated when the ground cloth is complete, and while I will work progressively in sections along the strip, the entire ground cloth needs to be laid out at the start in order to achieve the desired flow of colours through the length of the strip. The motifs will be added in colours that reflect or combine well with the ground cloth and thus achieve an overall flow in both the ground cloth and the motifs whilst at the same time ensuring a sense of joyful spontaneity in the piece.

At this stage I felt that I have enough clarity about the design plan to proceed with creating the ground cloth, and of course I already have the range of cloths dyed in nine different colours to create the whole of the ground.

I also made a sample of the reverse layer, which is the same basic construction with the tile stitch, but this time the piece is stitched first and then dyed as a whole cloth in turquoise

The middle third of this reverse layer will have some additional surface decoration because it will be visible when standing on the shelf. It will probably also have the Persian writing with the street name at each end.

The calico for the base layer of the reverse will be cut wider so that the the turquoise can be brought over to the front to bind the edges and provide continuity along the length of the piece. A turquoise strip is visible at the top edge of the first composite sample but will also be at the lower edge and each end of the resolved piece

Note : the turquoise strip in the resolved piece will be a little brighter than shown here

I anticipate that most, if not all, of the fabric used for the applied motifs will be purchased coloured silk dupion and organza. I love the variations in colour outcomes when dyeing different fibres with fibre-reactive dyes but instinctively feel that the motifs need some continuity of colour and surface, against the colour and texture variations in the ground cloth.

I think that it might be somewhat easier to plan further ahead with the surface decoration of a large rectangular panel, but there are certainly extra considerations when developing layers with such a long thin strip. Fortunately I have a sufficiently long work surface where the full length of the strip will be visible as the coloured tiles are laid down. Likewise the surface decoration will only be developed when the ground cloth is complete, again in order to maintain the flow of colour over this long distance.

Photo of the two samples and one of the sketchbook pages from the totem work, as a sort of mood board to give a sense of how the final piece will look

End of Chapter 11

Distant Stitch Diploma Module 6, Chapter 12 : Written Illustrated Essay

Note : submitted out of order, Chapter 11 to follow in due course

The requirement for this final chapter of the diploma was to provide a written and illustrated essay as a study of three present day, nationally recognised and influential textile artists and/or designer/makers in embroidery. 300-500 words was required on each textile artist.

I selected three well-known and highly-regarded textile artists – Alice Fox, Ruth Issett and Jean Littlejohn. Their work is very different but has important key elements in common, and each of them inspires me on a regular basis in my own practice. However, the main reason why I find them so inspiring is their mastery of abstracting the essence of their subject matter, which is clearly underpinned by an in-depth knowledge of that subject as well as materials and techniques.

Something else that they have in common is a generosity of spirit and an obvious enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge and experience; all three very kindly took the time and trouble to provide insightful answers to some person-specific questions that I sent to each of them, relating to how they work.

I chose not to focus on their techniques or bodies of work as such, because so much information is readily available and accessible through books, exhibitions and online. However, I will briefly mention how they have each inspired and influenced me in my own practice.

Alice Fox

(photo from postcard)

Alice’s artist statement opens with “My process-led practice is based on personal engagement with landscape and has sustainability at its heart”, and thus her focus is very much on working with natural materials and found objects.

Alice has created various large pieces but is currently focused on working on the detail of small objects and her response to them. So while there is necessarily a level of planning in the development of a series of work, especially for a specific exhibition or commission, there is also always a real sense of spontaneity in her finished pieces.

(photo from postcard)

It is clearly all about the materials; this is a good lesson for working with any materials – understanding their qualities and how best to maximise their potential whilst at the same time remaining open to other possibilities and unexpected outcomes as the work evolves.

It could be assumed that by using natural materials, capturing the essence of the subject matter would necessarily and inevitably follow. However, in many ways it is actually more difficult when working with natural materials because there is less control over the outcome. So, it is also about having the knowledge and experience to see the potential whilst out gathering – having an eye for what is at hand, however ordinary it may appear – underpinned by an in-depth knowledge of processes.

(three photos showing abstraction of essence from a source, taken from Tide Marks)

Thus Alice’s work clearly arises from a combination of knowledge and experience with both materials and processes. Her creative practice embraces holistic approach and reflects a way of life that is fully in unity with nature.

Nature provides infinite possibilities, and the recent lock-down and ongoing restrictions did not create a barrier to Alice’s work as she is fully absorbed by what is growing on her allotment – feeding the family but also feeding her creative work.

There are several beautiful examples of little eco-printed books and papers in her book Natural Processes in Textile Art. She says that she was drawn to books “as a way of making 3D work and shifting the flat plane into an object”. The little books are just one element of her creative practice and Alice loves making them because a variety of techniques and structures can be employed.

  

(three photos taken from Natural Processes in Textile Art, page 109)

They are also very useful in the workshop setting as students can come away with one or more very pleasing finished items. It was the little books that drew me to one of Alice’s wonderful workshops, and it is indeed a real joy to make one. This is part of one I made whilst on that workshop :

The beauty of a small book format is that you can colour, print and/or stitch a single surface and then cut and fold it to isolate different motifs, creating real interest on each tiny page whilst maintaining an overall sense of unity. For the future I’m envisaging a set of rich and opulent little stitched books on particular themes – very different from Alice’s work but definitely inspired by her, for which I am very grateful.

Sources

www.alicefox.co.uk

www.textilestudygroup.co.uk

Embroidery Magazine (July/August 2017 : 32-37). Cloth, Paper, Stone.

Fox, Alice (2017). Unknown Book. Shipley, West Yorkshire : Stitch:Print:Weave Press.

Fox, Alice (2016). Findings. Shipley, West Yorkshire : Stitch:Print:Weave Press.

Fox, Alice (2015). Natural Processes in Textile Art – from Rust Dyeing to Found Objects. London : Batsford.

Fox, Alice (2013). Tide Marks. Shipley, West Yorkshire : Stitch:Print:Weave Press.

Fox, Alice, (2013). Gifts from the Pavement : Saltaire. Shipley, West Yorkshire : Stitch:Print:Weave Press.

Textile Study Group (to be published soon). Insights.

Ruth Issett

(photo taken from A Passion for Colour, page 119)

Ruth’s artist statement starts with “My work is governed by an overriding excitement and passion for colour”, and her sheer exuberance in the use of colour is obvious in every piece. However, it is not just the colour as such that is uplifting but, more importantly, the unique way in which Ruth puts colours together. This involves various mixed media techniques, as well as some stitch, all of which are essentially simple and usually start from undyed papers, fabrics and threads. So Ruth’s work is not about complexity of individual processes, but rather the layering and combination of several processes which work together to achieve complex and exciting results. Thus her practice is underpinned by both an in-depth understanding of colours and how they work together, and also by her knowledge and experience of how those colours behave with different fibres and on different surfaces.

(photo taken from A Passion for Colour, page 35)

I assumed that Ruth has a massive stash of coloured papers and cloths, and indeed she does. These have accumulated over many dye sessions and also through the numerous workshops that Ruth has run over the years, but she told me that she still often needs to dye or print new papers or fabrics especially if she is working on a new series or a specific project. One of the interesting things during the recent lockdown was that Ruth identified that she works better, or at least is more prolific, when she has a deadline – it seems to create more discipline and help decision-making. She says “I always plan what I am going to do in a day, I rarely get out of bed without a plan, although I rarely achieve everything I plan!” This is really helpful advice and it’s interesting to note that the apparent spontaneity and exuberance of Ruth’s work is built on a foundation of discipline and a planned approach, which includes ongoing documentation and record-keeping.

(photo taken from A Passion for Colour, page 115)

I suspect that there is more than enough material for another book, just from the enormous stash that Ruth already has, this would be hugely inspiring for others to see.

I asked Ruth whether, having done so much with colour over a long period, there are still new things that she would like to do, and was not at all surprised to learn that there are – she mentioned a recent exploration of greys and also an increased focus on softer greens and blues prompted by daily walks in the countryside during lockdown. And then there is more mono-printing, screen printing and other methods to express ideas. “What I do know is I’ll never be short of things I want to research”, she says.

(photo taken from A Passion for Colour, page 111)

I always loved colour but it was Ruth’s approach which really helped me to gain confidence in dyeing and now much of my work involves hand-dyed papers, cloths, threads or yarns for weaving, including painted warps.

(my own dye books, inspired by Ruth)

Sources

www.textilestudygroup.co.uk

Issett, Ruth (2013). A Passion for Colour : Exploring Colour through Paper, Print, Fabric, Thread and Stitch. Tunbridge Wells, Kent : Search Press.

Issett, Ruth (2007).Print, Pattern and Colour for Paper and Fabric. London : Batsford.

Issett, Ruth (2004). Colour on Cloth : Create Stunning Effects with Dye on Fabric. London : Batsford.

Issett, Ruth (2001). Glorious Papers : Techniques for Applying Colour to Paper. London : Batsford.

Issett, Ruth (1998). Colour on Paper and Fabric. London : Batsford.

Textile Study Group (to be published soon). Insights.

Jean Littlejohn

(Fin de Siecle : William Revealed, 2013); a piece that I am fortunate to own)

“We celebrate the work of Jean Littlejohn, a respected advocate of embroidery and textiles and a prolific artist, author and teacher, whose practice has impacted the creative lives of makers worldwide.” (Embroidery Nov/Dec 2019:44)

It is very difficult to know where to start when writing about Jean as there is just so much that she has done over many years, much of it in close working relationship and friendship with her Double Trouble partner Jan Beaney. Suffice to say that she is always my first port of call in a storm when I’m not sure how to proceed with some aspect of my creative work.

 

(Turkey Series : Rose Evening; photo taken from Stitch Magic, page 43. I look at this piece often)

It’s always the layering that draws me in. Jean’s use of layering as a technical exercise is fascinating in its own right and while layering of itself is not complex, the results of combining up to ten layers into one complex and fully unified and integrated piece is something that most of us can just aspire to. However, Jean’s use of layering is so much more than a technical exercise, it’s the way in which she expresses her deep connection to history and to the world around her. She told me that “….for some years I have been trying to describe in my work….an interplay between past and present, an ‘in and out of focus effect’”.

(Another piece of work that I frequently turn to for inspiration; Looking Back 1, photos taken from Stitch Rhythms and Patterns pp. 78-81)

Thus the technique of the layering process has evolved to become a means of expression, rather than an end in itself, and this presents a new challenge for every piece because the process needs to be redefined and further developed to express the new subject matter. She says “I love the challenge of working through design ideas and working out how on earth I’m going to do it”. This is why Jean’s work always seems to be moving on in a developmental progression and, I believe, how she is able to balance the volume of the output with the quality and integrity of those finished pieces.

Of course it is also the case that Jean invests much time and effort in research and design development, and places great value in thinking time. I could also mention her use of colour, embellisher, hand dyed cloths and surface decoration, as well as her huge investment in teaching and supporting others. However it is Jean’s use of layering techniques in particular to abstract and evoke the essence of the subject matter and thus create hugely rich, deep and expressive pieces of work that always have integrity which I find so utterly inspirational and exciting.

Jean told me that she likes to work in themes but “when finished I do move on”. This too is a useful learning point – doing enough to do justice to the exploration of the subject matter whilst also knowing when to stop before the design or the techniques become tired and are no longer evolving. This may be obvious but it can be easy to become stuck and not realise it.

Finally, Jean says that she does sometimes return to familiar themes and in the current challenging times, she has “returned to the moon but I have had to find a different way of working to keep me motivated”.

Sources

www.doubletrouble-ent.com

Beaney, Jan and Littlejohn, Jean (2011). Stitch Rhythms and Patterns. Maidenhead, Berks : Double Trouble Enterprises.

Beaney, Jan and Littlejohn, Jean (2010). Stitchscapes. Maidenhead, Berks : Double Trouble Enterprises.

Beaney, Jan and Littlejohn, Jean (1997-2019). 26 books on techniques, sketchbooks, use of colour etc.

Beaney, Jan and Littlejohn, Jean (1998). Stitch Magic : Ideas and Interpretation. London : Batsford.

Range of DVDs

Embroidery Magazine (November/December 2019:44). Yearning for Learning.

Embroidery Magazine (September/October 2013). One and One Makes…

  

Summary

Of course Alice, Ruth and Jean are well-established and well-regarded textile artists, but in their different ways they all feel like kindred spirits to me. I think that’s because not only does their work really resonate with me but they are also so generous with their knowledge and expertise. Likewise they all have an intimate knowledge of not “just” their techniques but how to put techniques together, coupled with in-depth understanding and research into their subject matter, sampling and design development.

Some textile artists, at all levels, seem to get stuck in a particular way of doing things with the result that work begins to look rather similar over time. The work of each of these textile artists is easily recognisable but I believe that what makes them stand out is that they are constantly moving their work along and building on their expertise and knowledge. So while an output of resolved pieces is always required for the next exhibition, commission or publication, actually it is the creative process and personal development, coupled with ongoing research and exploration, which really drives them. This is why they each inspire me in their own way and why they are my “go-to” textile artists when I need a prompt or some inspiration.

I am hugely grateful to Alice, Ruth and Jean for their personal contribution to this particular study and for their continuing willingness and ability to guide, support, share and inspire.

End of Chapter 12

Still to be submitted :

Module 6, Chapter 11 : Design development for Personal Assessment #4

Personal Assessment #4 : Large-scale piece

Distant Stitch Diploma Assessment 3 : Functional 3D Piece

The requirement for the third assessment piece was to make a functional 3D item. My aim for this assessment was to create an outward expression of the inner spiritual journey and also to evoke the contrast between public and private space as seen in the Islamic garden, through the creation of a lidded box where most of the work and decoration is on the inside. I planned to use the techniques of felting, hand and free machine stitch, applique, additional decoration and use of the embellisher. The box is inspired by my own little Islamic garden and the piece is called Paradise is Here.

The key planned elements of the box were as follows :

· Size 7” x 4” (golden ratio) with a height of 3”

· Inner and outer layers to be developed separately but as whole-cloth pieces which would be cut to shape and stitched to form the box

· Outside of box to be made of hand-rolled felt in a mix of blue wool and some sparkly fibres to evoke lapis lazuli

· Inside to be green and gold covered with jewel-like flowers, and with a golden inside to the lid

· Overall aim was to achieve a rich and opulent inside to the box

Lapis lazuli box  from Afghanistan. This one is inlaid with my name :

Photo outside of resolved box :

I started with a full-scale paper plan to map out the approximate placement of the flowers and the different colours, in order to achieve “drifts” of colour when the flat surface became a 3D box

Gold transfer foil was applied to a base cloth of plain calico, and the inside of the box (but not the lid) was covered with layers of detached chain stitch in various greens.

The stitched surface was then embellished from the front to integrate the stitches and colours, and another layer of gold transfer foil was bonded to the surface, this time using MistyFuse which creates a more transparent and organic web-like coverage of the foil so that the surface remains green but with plenty of gold highlights. Gold coloured chiffon was then bonded onto the surface to make it ready for further stitch and decoration

Daisy-like flower motifs were created on the lid, using detached chain stitch and various bright colours, and this surface was then covered with a solid layer of bonded gold transfer foil. The flowers were knocked back with the embellisher and the surface was then further distressed by hand-rubbing to leave some gold on the raised flower motifs; a small gold bead was attached to the centre of each flowers. A temporary calico cover was stitched over the lid surface to protect it while the work progressed on the interior of the box

The next step was to create some flower motifs which would be fully attached to the box inner to give an embossed effect. The blue flowers were made from two layers of silk bonded together, with gold transfer foil bonded to their surface. The daisy-like flowers, similar to those on the lid, were made as for the lid using various shades of gold, orange and russet but this time each one was cut out and hand stitched to the green surface, again giving an embossed appearance. Each of these flowers has a small gold bead at its centre

Embossed flowers just be seen here integrated with the green and gold ground cloth

The next stage was to create and attach the free-standing flowers to achieve a 3D effect. These were developed in a few different ways using bonded silk, handmade silk “paper” and free machine stitch on organza. They were stitched to the surface just at their centres and apart from the blue ones, a small circle of gold bugle beads was attached first to create a little well for the centre to be stitched into, thus giving a 3D effect whereby the flowers stand proud of the surface

Each of the flowers was then given a decorative centre using gold and coloured beads

The previously stitched lid was then uncovered and dozens of tiny gold Swarovski crystals were applied. These crystals have a hole in the middle so that each was applied by hand using gold metallic thread – it was clearly not appropriate to use the hot-fix or glue-on ones!

Scores more crystals were attached to the box inner, in drifts of colours to emphasis the colours of the flowers or the greens in the ground cloth. In all, over 300 crystals were applied to create an opulent jewel-like interior to the box

The unstitched excess base cloth was then cut off and the box shape was formed by stitching the four sides together at the corners. Silk facings were hand stitched to the exposed edges around the top of the box, and the lid was similarly lined with gold coloured silk, so that all edges were sealed.

I then made a sheet of hand-rolled felt for the outer layer of the box, from a beautiful blend of wool tops which included blue and gold metallics (from www.spincityshop.com ). The aim here was to evoke lapis lazuli

The felt was cut to shape, the sides were stitched together to form the box shape and the two layers were brought together with blanket stitch around all the box edges. Little panels of pelmet Vilene were slotted in between the layers of the sides to give additional rigidity.

I decided to keep the exterior very plain and simple so there is no closure mechanism as such, just a large blue glass bead from Herat in Afghanistan, to weigh down the overlapping edge at the front of the box

The Resolved Piece

Evaluation

I am very pleased with how this box turned out as I met all my own objectives and in fact the finished piece surpasses my expectations. I wanted a box which said nothing on the outside about what was within, in an effort to evoke the inner spiritual journey and also the separation of public and private space as found in Islamic gardens. The piece itself was inspired by flowers in my own courtyard garden and also by Central Asian textiles, as with the use of felt.

A couple of modifications were required during the process. Firstly I had intended that the edges of the lid would overlap the top of the box at the front and the two sides but I realised that this would become quite cumbersome at the corners when the felt was added, so I opted to keep the overlap at the front only and to cut the sides flush with the top of the box. In my opinion, this does not detract from the overall appearance of the box

With the benefit of hindsight, the felt could probably have done with a little more rolling especially if the felt was for something in everyday use, such as a bag. Some of the metallic fibres are not fully embedded within the felt surface. However, while the box is functional inasmuch as the lid opens and closes, and tiny items could be gently placed inside if required, it is not intended to be handled on a regular basis.

I had originally planned to add a lot of tiny beads to the inner surface but then discovered the sew-on Swarovski crystals and these have added a jewel-like quality to the interior which could not have been achieved with beads. The crystals catch the light in an amazing way although it is difficult to do justice to them in the photos.

Supporting Information

Time taken : Design development 110 hours, resolved piece 140 hours, TOTAL 270 hours

Costs : around £60 for threads, transfer foil, bonding web, beads and crystals, wool tops. All other items were already in my stock

Health and Safety : nothing to report

End of submission of Personal Assessment Piece #3

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 6, Chapter 10 : Resolved samples using bonding techniques

Chapter 10 required the development of some resolved samples which incorporate bonding – these could be based on previous design ideas from this module or on the overall personal research theme for the diploma.

I decided to revisit the triangular Afghan amulet shape explored earlier in Chapter 5, and to develop a small set of resolved samples which were all “similar but different” using black and silver to evoke the metal amulet, together with some bright colours which might inform the design development work for the upcoming large scale assessment piece, and which at the same time would move on some ideas from the samples in the previous chapter. I also wanted to focus more on smaller bonded pieces rather than applying the bonding web as a layer and adding another layer of foil or cloth to it.

Resolved Sample 1 (14” x 9”) : I developed a set of Somerset patches with different coloured silks bonded together, but instead of folding them to hide all the raw edges, I cut the bonded squares in half to form rectangles so that both sides could be used and would show different colours as well as the raw edges

A ground cloth of dark grey corded cotton was printed with triangles in silver acrylic; the coloured patches were attached with hand stitch to the non-printed areas and allowed to be “open” to reveal the reverse colour; additional hand straight stitch in bright colours over the silver printed areas; simple hand-stitched border in silver metallic thread

The silver acrylic paint turned out to be quite pale and not as “metallic” as I would have liked, so I added a little more hand stitch than I had initially planned. However the stitched areas, using similar colours, do provide a nice balance to the silk patches. Somerset patches tend to generally be made up very neatly to give an accurate point and no rough edges, but I was pleased with the frayed silk edges and how the backing colour is revealed. This cloth could certainly be developed to create a vessel, especially if the triangles were the other way up and thus showed more of the inner contrast colour in a more 3D way.

Resolved Sample 2 (9” sq.) : triangular holes were cut freehand into black industrial felt and were re-applied with simple straight stitch and silver thread to the felt surface together with some of the remaining bonded silk patches from the previous sample; this felt piece was then placed over a piece of earlier and not very successful experimental dyeing on calico using flour paste as a resist and was attached to the calico by more simple hand stitch in silver around each triangular opening to isolate different elements of the dyed cloth underneath.

A scattering of black bugle beads was added for a sparkly contrast against the matte black of the felt

This cloth could also be used to create a vessel, or a panel to perhaps hang in a window where the light would shine through the openings in the dyed ground cloth. If the felt had another coloured bonded to the underside, the triangles could have been cut on just two sides to create the opening and folded back to reveal the second colour, as in this paper sample from earlier in the module :

With more robust stitching, perhaps on the machine, the cloth could also be used as a book covering or a small bag

Resolved Sample 3 (9.5” x 6”) : This sample is a progression from Sample 7, Chapter 9.

Fragments of brightly coloured silks and the silver parts of some sweet wrappers were bonded onto a black cotton drill ground cloth. Silver transfer foil was then bonded over the whole surface and sealed with black chiffon. Triangular shapes were marked out in black in free machine stitch, using different densities of stitch in different areas – five of the triangles received no stitch at all, three were lightly stitched using vermicelli stitch, and the surrounding area was more heavily stitched with granite stitch to create a contrast for the background.

The unstitched and lightly stitched triangles were then burned back with the heat gun to reveal the layers underneath

The hope was that when I used the heat gun, the chiffon and silver transfer foil would burn back to reveal the bright silks underneath as had occurred in the gold and red sample from the previous chapter. This time, however, the transfer foil did not burn back so well, although the process did still create a rather weathered, aged appearance. Some seed beads in turquoise, green and orange were added to the five main unstitched triangles to highlight the same colours in the silks underneath

This layering technique provides a strong surface for further stitch and decoration. More experiments are need to ascertain whether the silver foil is less likely to disintegrate than the gold.

Resolved Sample 4 (11” x 8”) : This sample is a progression from Sample 1, Chapter 9 where red plastic netting was bonded onto a piece of hand dyed calico.

This time three triangles were cut out from an off-cut of Indian commercial grey cotton print which I had previously over-dyed with reds and yellows; the fabric was laid onto a ground cloth of dark grey corded cotton and secured with lines of machine stitch which extended along the outer edges of each triangle; the three triangular shapes were bonded back onto the surface and a line of machine stitch extended along the inner edges of these applied shapes. All of these stitched lines then created more triangular shapes on the surface.

Some smaller shapes were cut from pink plastic mesh which was once a pencil case and these were bonded onto the surface

Strips of the same red plastic mesh used in Sample 1, Chapter 9 were bonded onto the surface, again following the lines of machine stitch. On the previous sample, this mesh did not melt but this time, with more heat and probably because the mesh was in smaller pieces, it has melted giving a less geometric and more weathered and embedded effect; a few extra mesh triangles were then bonded onto some “bare” areas to give a more integrated coverage

Snippets of hand dyed scrim were lightly embellished onto surface in a few areas, then drifts of hand stitch with silvery-grey mercerised cotton in fly stitch to evoke the triangles, overlaid with more fly stitch in shiny grey rayon thread, and yet more in silver metallic thread.

The open triangular shapes were likewise filled with silver fly stitch

I was particularly pleased with this sample because I like the complexity of the cloth created from some not-very-promising materials! The layers of hand stitch were very time-consuming, making it less of a possibility for a large-scale piece but there could be economies of scale to achieve a similar effect in a much larger piece.

Evaluation of chapter

In line with the theme of this module, all samples were developed using previously unsuccessful dyeing experiments, small saved fabric scraps, backing cloths which were off-cuts from other projects, and some recycled plastic mesh.

Throughout this module I have, where possible, focused on layering, sometimes with not very promising materials, and at the same time have also considered what is revealed when looking through the layers. I have also continued to refer to my research topic which is tulips, as well as looking in more depth during this particular module at triangles inspired by my metal Afghan amulet. It has been very beneficial to have a specific focus as a starting point for exploration and to inform future intended creative work.

So these four resolved samples have each fulfilled my own personal brief.

End of Chapter 10

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 6, Chapter 9 : Bonded Layers

The brief for this chapter was to experiment with bonded layers, keeping in mind the recycle and re-use theme for the module.

Sample 1 (10” x 6.5”) : a piece of calico had previously been dyed with three colours of Procion in a jar, then overdyed using flour paste to create a grey crackle effect, then stamped with cream acrylic to create large spots; a layer of bonding web was added to this cloth, then three layers of fragments of red, yellow and orange vegetable nets, which melted a little each time, were bonded on; layer of different gridded net over whole surface

Only the initial layer of bonding web was necessary as much of it was still exposed but a second layer could have been applied before the top layer of net if necessary. There was further slight melting of the top layer, revealing more of the cotton ground cloth. While there is a slightly plastic feel to the new cloth, it also has a distressed appearance and would be a good surface for cutting into shapes and re-applying to another surface, and also for hand or machine stitch. The top red layer over the full surface brings an integrated feel to what was quite a “busy” piece of cloth

Sample 2 (10” x 7”) : I usually colour bonding web with acrylics but this time decided to use Koh-i-Noor paints. The colour ended up being much stronger on the backing sheet than the webbing but I anyway applied the webbing to a paper ground made from uncoloured laminated layers of dress tissue pattern. The colour did not give much coverage, in terms of either depth or even-ness, but it did allow the markings on the dress pattern showed through. Overlapping strips of synthetic organza in similar colours were then bonded onto the surface to give a suggestion of landscape.

The piece was then cut into five strips and hand-stitched in toning colours to a ground cloth of old recycled green woollen blanket

This piece seems to evoke a misty landscape

Sample 3 (9” x 7”) : brown paper was painted with acrylics, repeatedly crumpled and then bonded onto cotton calico; a layer of bonding web was also painted with acrylics, a few holes were made and it was bonded to the surface of the brown paper; copper Markal was rubbed over the exposed areas of brown paper to highlight the crumpled texture and then some snippets of chiffon were bonded on; finally some strands of golden Angelina were secured under a top layer of black chiffon

This surface suggests perhaps an aged painted wall and provides a strong ground cloth for additional stitch

Sample 4 (7.5” x 6”) : Photo of tulips from earlier exercise cut into strips and bonded onto gold coloured crystal organza which was then bonded onto old recycled green woollen blanket; surface sealed with green chiffon using the bonding web already in place; simple free machine stitch in space dyed quilting cotton to echo the lines of the strips

This gives a very solid base for additional stitch and could be useful for free-standing vessels or a wrap-around book cover. However the bonding web is quite obtrusive on the wool blanket

Sample 5 (9” x 7”): Koh-i-Noor colours painted on bonding web which was then applied to plain cotton calico; whilst considering what to do next with this sample, I came across some dried flowers still in the flower press, from some years ago, and so bonded these onto the surface; because the flowers are of uneven depth, some adhered better than others so some long stitches in rayon machine embroidery thread were used to secure some of the items and also to reflect the different colours in the background

This could be taken on to a fully resolved sample, with lot more stitch and perhaps some other surface decoration. The overall effect is quite soft and painterly

Sample 6 (bonded area 5” sq.) : chopped up thrums of mercerised cotton yarn sandwiched between two layer of bonding web; pieces of green vegetable net on top, which again partially melted; piece bonded to laminated coloured tissue papers made earlier in the module; rectangle of turquoise metallic transfer foil bonded on to centre area (in fourth photo, but not well seen) – the foil adhered according to the textures of the threads beneath it

I like to use chopped-up thrums which would otherwise be wasted but I usually tend to stitch them together with free machine stitch using water soluble film – this gives more texture whereas the bonding technique tends to flatten the threads. However the bonded surface is more amenable to accepting additional layers and also provides a firm surface for stitch. Using a multi-coloured background enables different colours to show through the gaps

Sample 7 (9.5” x 8”) : silk fabric snippets and some red and gold foil sweet papers bonded onto dark red velvet; gold transfer foil “sandwiched” between two layers of neutral coloured chiffon which was then bonded onto the fabric surface; free machine stitch to create some shapes prior to burning back some of the chiffon layer with a heat gun to expose the layers below

This again created a very sturdy base for additional stitch and could be useful for free-standing vessels or a wrap-around book cover. The burn-back process reduced the impact of the gold foiling and also melted the top layer of the sweet wrappings, leaving rather more of the underlying silver layer exposed than I would have liked.

Sample 8 (8” x 6”) : non-coloured bonding web was applied to some previously unsuccessful hand-dyed calico; a section of hand-dyed shibori on habotai silk was laid on, along with some strips of coloured synthetic organza to echo the lines of shibori; surface covered with bonded-on blue chiffon, using the bonding web already in place; a window was cut in the chiffon over the area of shibori so that it could still be clearly seen; blocks of free machine zigzag stitch were added in similar colours

More stitching could be added to camouflage the undyed areas

Sample 9 (10” x 7.5”) : painted bonding web was applied to the surface of previously laminated coloured tissue papers – this is an irregular shape due to previous shapes being cut from it; again there was more colour left on the backing paper than the tissue paper surface but it did create subtle textured areas of colour; orange chiffon bonded on and then handmade silk paper flower shapes which had been prepared for something else and not used; some of the flower motifs adhered better than others, and so each was also secured with a tiny copper coloured paper brad at its centre; the piece was then mounted on recycled brown paper

End of Chapter 9

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 6, Chapter 8 : Use of Plastic Materials

The brief for this chapter was to use the heat of an iron to fuse layers of plastic together, and then to make a stitched textile. Given that plastics often appear quite dense and solid, I tried to create a textile that was more translucent and fragile-looking

Collection of samples

Sample 1 (7” sq.) : two patterned plastics fused inside a clear document pocket

Sample 2 (9” x 6.5”) : red vegetable net fused to padded packing envelope (with thanks to Amazon Prime!). This created a good strong base for possible further work with stitch

The reverse is also interesting as a texture because the bubble wrap on the inside of the envelope is white

Sample 3 (4” x 3”) : purple vegetable net fused onto striped plastic gift bag

Sample 4 (4” x 3”) : another purple vegetable net fused this time onto a pink plastic bag, with a grey reverse, and then fused inside clear document pocket

Sample 5 (8” x 4”) : strips of striped plastic gift bag were stitched through the grey plastic and then fused. The stitched became fully integrated with the grey background, creating a smooth surface

Sample 6 (6” x 5”) : red vegetable net fused inside clear document pocket

Sample 7 (6” x 5”) : clear bubble wrap fused inside clear document pocket, creating an interesting, almost watery, texture

Sample 8 (7” x 4”) : knitted strip of grey plastic delivery bag, then fused with iron to form a solid and dense “fabric” but with a lacy appearance and still looking like plastic!

Sample 9 (2.5” x 6”) : knitted green polypropylene garden twine was partially fused with iron; red vegetable net fused on top

Stitched Textile (7.5” x 10.5”)

Layering up the textile :

Strips from the grey plastic delivery envelope were woven to make a simple “cloth”. When fused under the iron the intersections of warp and weft opened up into little holes giving a somewhat lacy effect

Three triangles cut from the earlier laminated tissue paper were fused inside a clear plastic document pocket, which was then fused to the reverse of the grey woven piece (seen top right on photo of completed piece above)

Strips of different plastic were loosely threaded through a yellow vegetable net and fused; this piece was fused together and then fused to the front of the base cloth

Two larger triangles from an orange vegetable net were fused on top of this

A section of gold fused Angelina was inserted on the left behind the woven structure and the whole piece was then attached with some simple hand stitch to a base of pink plastic document wallet

Two additional small rectangles of the pink plastic were stitched on top

I decided to stitch the piece to the pink backing rather than fuse it because this would have given a more solid appearance

Review of chapter

I managed to achieve some lacy but translucent effects from the solidity of most of the plastics. This was helped by having various coloured vegetable nets at hand.

There are fewer samples than usual in this chapter as I am uncomfortable with heating plastics, partly because I anyway do not like working with plastic but also because of the potential for harmful vapours when plastics are heated, even when working in a well ventilated space. Using plastics in this way feels counter-intuitive in the context of recycle and re-use. On the positive side, it was good to note that I actually do not have many plastic bags these days, although they often cannot be avoided with deliveries.

However, I can appreciate that some textile artists find very innovative and exiting ways to use plastics in their work.

End of Chapter 8

Module 6, Chapter 7 : A Contemporary Look at “Quillwork”

This chapter asked for “a sampler of a few different methods and ways of making the formations” [in particular the cross-over formations], using substitutes for porcupine quills and perhaps also some of the new surfaces created earlier in this module, with recycle and re-use in mind.

Note : All samples mounted in an A4 landscape sketchbook

Pages 1 and 2

The intention with these first four samples was to familiarise myself with the basic technique, which in essence is a couching technique.

Sample 1 : One “quill” of old faded ribbon, couched down with two threads onto a cotton calico ground cloth which had been previously dipped into a strong coffee solution; hand dyed textured banana yarn couched on top

Sample 2 : Two quills – a turquoise textured tape of the sort used on soft furnishings, and an orange tape of similar width but less textured. I prefer the lower half of this sample, with more spacing to highlight the diamond shapes. The cross-overs in the lower half were couched down with a contrasting green thread

Sample 3 : One quill of silk chiffon sari ribbon, couched down the centre with one thread

Sample 4 : Three quills of ribbon, and two threads

Pages 3 + 4

All materials on this page were otherwise unwanted but had been kept “just in case”. The ground cloth here is polycotton, dyed some time ago using the jar technique. At the time I did not realise that the cloth was not 100% cotton and so the colours are rather faded

Sample 5 : One quill of copper and monofilament anti-slug tape, stitched down the middle onto a base of the last piece of “paper” made from the Afghan cotton waste. This grey paper is of itself not very exciting but it does create a very useful ground for certain samples, and I will definitely be making some more for future use

Sample 6 : One quill and one thread to create two circles in different colours of acrylic space dyed tape. The tape is quite slippery and difficult to manage so I used just one thread for the couching so that I could better control each pass. This of course creates a herringbone stitch on the reverse side. It is never easy to achieve a good hand-stitched circle but I was quite happy with this effort and actually the shading of the colours turned out better than I expected because the space dyeing was, unusually for a commercial yarn, not at totally regular intervals

Pages 5 + 6

With these three samples, I placed the couching stitches first and then threaded the quills through the stitches

Sample 7 : instead of stitches to hold the quills, I wrapped two kebab sticks with sari silk ribbon and thread and stitched these to the page. Two quills of brown paper, previously used as packing, were threaded back and forth between the sticks. It is worth noting, although not specifically relevant here, that porcupine quills are also used for wrapping sticks or cords, often with additional stitch or lacing techniques

Sample 8 : One quill of sari silk ribbon threaded onto pre-positioned stitches, using two threads

Sample 9 : Same start as for Sample 8, but with additional layer of hand dyed copper lurex tape, again using two threads

Pages 7 + 8

These samples were developed almost entirely from the coloured laminated tissue papers created earlier, with some additional use of a plastic bag and polypropylene garden twine. The page base is purple laminated tissue paper, which has different colours of additional tissue paper on the reverse side.

Sample 10 : Two strips of the reverse of the purple paper were punched with holes and stitched to the page. The first quill is a strip of grey plastic from a delivery package, and the second is the green garden string. I left a gap between the strips so that some of the background shows through

Sample 11 : The quill here is a narrow strip which was cut from another laminated tissue base paper, again with various colours on each side. The quill was stitched with just one thread. I reflected that this laminated tissue paper is much easier to work with than the more floppy ribbons because, as with a real porcupine quill, it can be easily folded over to hold its position whilst being couched in place. There is an element of serendipity in the colour scheme as it changes on both sides, but I tend to prefer this to more solid colours

Sample 12 : A narrow quill from each of the two laminated base papers used, this time tracking each other

Review of chapter

There is, deceptively, quite a lot of work in this technique, which is the traditional work of various native North American groups, and is still being done today. It is in essence a couching technique, but that belies the time and concentration needed to achieve such fine and detailed work. In this regard it prompted me to reflect not only on the work involved with so many traditional textiles, but also the use of available and often natural materials, the contemplative nature of the work and the links to history and culture which give so much meaning to the work on many levels.

One of the benefits of working with materials other than quills is the potential for using strips which are different colours on either side. This was particularly easy with the coloured laminated tissue papers but could also be effective with painted papers, fabric strips stitched together etc. The quills are dyed but of course this creates solid colour; also they appear to be generally quite short so you would need to keep joining in new ones, whereas the use of longer strips lends itself to changing colours along the length.

I enjoyed using different textures within the same sample but this would need more consideration for a resolved piece – for example, depending on the effect required, it is more difficult to achieve the straight edges of the work with textured tapes.

End of Chapter 7

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 6, Chapter Six : Beads

This chapter required the collection of items that could be used as beads; making some beads; and then showing some ways in which beads can be used

I wanted to avoid using plastic and instead focused on making beads mainly made from materials which were already at hand and/or created earlier in the module. This included :

White air drying clay, variety of shapes, texture and applied colours

Soluble paper applied to on textured stamp blocks, including one block made with stitch, to create paper casts

Newspaper which been used as drip sheets

Laminated dress pattern tissue papers

Copper wire

Fine cardboard tube from the inside of a new pair of shoes

I made over 50 beads and then used some of these to create small samples. Other samples were created with purchased beads already at hand. These were the remaining beads which could still be used in future :

Some of my favourites :

Sample 1 : three toggles (1” long) from drip sheet newspaper on plaited cord to form simple tassel; toggles sealed with matte medium

Sample 2 : five more toggles from drip sheet newspaper stitched to surface of triangular Afghan cotton waste “paper”, which was then stitched to the reverse of a used envelope; toggles sealed with matte medium (triangle size 2” high x 4” wide)

Sample 3 : (3” x 4”) four toggles from laminated dress pattern tissue paper stitched onto more laminated tissue and coloured with turquoise Procion exhaust; texture of tissue paper highlighted with metallic copper Markal Paintstik; sealed with acrylic wax

Sample 4 : (2” x 3”) three toggles made from the inked kitchen foil used for printing in an earlier chapter, secured with fine copper wire and stitched to an off-cut of synthetic organzas embellished onto black felt

Sample 5 : (2” x 3.5”) two toggles from air-dry clay, one wrapped with copper wire before drying; acrylic paint and sealed with acrylic wax; mounted on textured surface made from moulding soluble paper onto a stamp block, surface then painted with acrylic, rubbed with metallic copper Markal and sealed with acrylic wax

Sample 6 : (1.75” x 3”) three flat button-like beads from air-dry clay, painted with acrylic and sealed with acrylic wax; mounted on textured surface made from moulding soluble paper onto a previously stitched print block; surface then painted with acrylic, rubbed with metallic gold Markal and sealed with acrylic wax

Sample 7 (overall length 7”) tassel with beaded ends made from the thin cardboard tube in shoe packing materials, beads painted with acrylic in ultramarine and then gold, sealed with acrylic wax; twisted mercerised cotton yarn integrates the beads in the cord (technique used a lot in Afghanistan and Central Asia); large tubular clay bead painted with acrylics and sealed with acrylic wax; ends of cords whipped with cotton yarn to form hanging loop

Sample 8 : (beaded area 1.25” x 1.5”) My first small sample of loom beading using seed beads to create a triangular amulet shape as previously studied; photo shows a strip of silver paper to demonstrate that the beading is free-standing and just secured at top and bottom; mounted on the “paper” made from grey Afghan cotton waste in an earlier chapter

Sample 9 : (overall size 1.5” x 5”) beading to create chain, using seed beads; again mounted on grey Afghan “paper” and with a strip of silver paper to show that the piece is free-standing, not simply couched onto the ground paper

Sample 10 : (5” x 4”) knitted sample using two yarns – a cream Shetland wool and a fine gold lurex mix; gold metal floral beads threaded onto yarn and knitted in; one area of random placement and one of closer linear placement

Evaluation of chapter

I again very much enjoyed using the various papers I had previously created, as well as the air-drying white modelling clay. None of the beads looked very interesting in the early stages of their development but came alive with colour and acrylic wax. Until now I have tended to work with purchased beads but I can see that the hand-made beads certainly add another dimension and of course are completely unique. In particular I would now like to make some triangular amulet shapes to add to future pieces of work.

Finally, as discussed in earlier chapters, beads are of course widely used in Central Asian textiles, but also in stand-alone items. The beaded pen covering with my name on it and all the necklaces were made by one of the guards at the house when I was working in Kabul.

End of Chapter 6

Distant Stitch Diploma, Module 6, Chapter 5 : Design Exercise

The aim in this chapter was to “Celebrate your personal research topic by making a totem of any aspect or aspects of your theme….you could include any shape or pattern that you have recorded as part of your ethnic study on this module if you wish.”

Also, “continue to develop ideas to make a series of exciting designs”

My research topic for the diploma is tulips, within the wider context of the Islamic Garden, and so I decided to first revisit some previous work inspired by tulips

Ottoman tulip inspiration for the Book of Tiles (Assessment 1)

Tulipa acuminata as inspiration for Star of Felicity (Assessment 2)

I love all tulips, especially the lily-flowered ones, but my absolute favourite is Heart’s Delight

As well as a huge range of colours there are many forms of tulip, with some forming an almost triangular shape so I again made a link to recent work on the triangular amulet. With regard to colours, I focused on the ones which have been out in my garden recently moment – mainly oranges and some pastels

My plan for this chapter was to continue to utilise materials already at hand, not least the new paper surfaces made earlier in this module, such as the laminated tissue papers. The papers included pages from an old paperback of Alexander Pope’s poetry, photocopies of earlier research materials and an old favourite, the dress pattern tissue. I also decided to focus on mono-printing with a gel plate which I have had for a while but which was as yet untried. The colour washes were done using Procion exhaust, with acrylics for the prints and rollered sections

The first step was therefore make a good selection of printed and coloured papers inspired by the tulip colours and textures, including the leaves

Shapes were then cut from sections of these papers to create the totem which is 24” deep and mounted on a 4” wide strip of lining paper

Closer detail :

I was so inspired by the totem, and the process to achieve it, that I did some more design work in the sketchbook (A4 landscape) in order to use more of the coloured papers and to store up some inspiration for the resolved stitched samples required later in Chapter 10

Pages 1-3 : cut-out shapes of a tulip, using a mixture of printed papers and coloured laminated tissue papers

Page 4 : The back of an old photocopy which I had been using to test colours. I used the roller and a monoprint with grouting tool to create additional textures. This then formed the base for a photo of one of the tulips

Page 5 : torn scraps of various papers were stuck onto the sketchbook page and washed with a pale orange colour; additional acrylic then added with the roller. I then had fun with Photoshop, using an enlarged photocopy of two sections of the totem, and was really pleased with this effect, with the wood of my work table adding additional interesting texture

Page 6 : a collage of printed papers and a photo of the Heart’s Delight tulip leaves

Page 7 : enlarged photocopy of a section of the totem, cut out and mounted on an olive green coloured page – I wanted to keep the totem intact as an original design source so often use photocopies in the sketchbook

Page 8 : enlarged photocopy of another section of the totem, cut out and mounted on an orange coloured page. The main tulip shapes were achieved by using simple paper masks to print green onto an orange painted page. The overlaid tulip shape seen here was first cut out in a print block which was then rubbed onto lightweight lens paper using a Markal Paintstik. I like the fact that the translucency of the lens paper was retained

Pages 9-12 : more fun with Photoshop to achieve striking variations on the design work. I like them all but particularly Page 10 because I used the photo of the totem when it was hanging from the gate and so have additional diagonal texture from the wood. It’s interesting to reflect on the fact that similar amazing colours were achieved on Ottoman tiles and on Central Asian textiles with tulip motifs, centuries before this computer technology – I know that these sorts of colour combinations will be hugely inspirational in developing my work inspired by Central Asian textiles in particular

Page 13 : This tulip was purchased as Heart’s Delight but turned out to be something else, although still beautiful! Simple montage showing sections of a couple of photos and a piece of laminated dress pattern and lemon coloured tissue paper to which acrylic paint was applied with the roller

Page 14 : page made out of laminated dress pattern and lemon coloured tissue paper. The photo reveals the marked triangular shape of the outer petals, whilst the inner three are more upright and so appear from above as being almost circular. I abstracted these shapes using more laminated tissue paper – I plan to explore this shape more in due course; a simple tear-off of some coloured tissue paper is a reminder of the pink-orange colour also in this tulip

Evaluation of Chapter

I found the idea of the totem very helpful in making decisions about a building up what is essentially a compound piece of related design ideas, textures and colours, especially as I love working with long thin strips. I again also really enjoyed using the “new” papers that I had created and felt less precious about using them given that they are anyway all recycled. This enabled me to work much more freely and spontaneously. I have tended to shy away from mono-printing in the past, but am now very keen to further develop my use of both the gel plate and the ordinary glass plate, not least because it is so easy to develop layers and textures, and I love the spontaneous one-off nature of the process. I can see that it could become addictive!

The Photoshop variations were great fun, not only with the changes of colours but also by the way in which the colours accentuate the textures as well. Just joyful.

Finally, tulips will of course continue to be a huge source of inspiration and it was a real joy to be able to work with them as they came into flower in the garden.

End of Chapter 5