Module 5, Chapters 5 and 6.

I have got a bit behind writing up what I have been doing, so this is a catch up session.
Photo 1 Following Sian’s suggestion, I added some more slashing to the centre of the last sample from chapter 4.

Chapter 5 was making holes and marks using devore paste.  I carried on with the same shapes used in chapter 4 on fabrics bought from Whaleys.  This is new to me so the results were a bit hit and miss.  All the samples started off white but some were dyed afterwards to see the effect more clearly.  The colour scheme is taken from the work in module 1.
Photo 2 First attempt – using cut paper stencils on silk/viscose velvet. As you can see, it was a bit messy and uneven as the paste escaped around the stencil..

Photo 3 I cut some larger paper masks and used them to screenprint the devore paste for the following samples to get more control.

Photo 4 Silk/viscose velvet – much clearer shapes.

Photo 5 same design on silk/viscose georgette  - I love the soft transparency created on this fabric.

Photo 6 Using the other mask on velvet – still a bit patchy but I like the little spots.

Photo 7 Using stitch on georgette as a resist to the paste, before applying.

Photo 8 And after – the stitched area is top right.

I also tried using the paste on cotton fabrics -  it either made no mark at all or, in the case of organdie, the sample disintegrated completely, so I haven’t repeated those trials.

Photo 9 On to chapter 6, making silk paper.  To get started, I pulled out the samples made at summer school with Sian some years ago, to remind myself what I did then.  These were mostly made with a silk hanky as a base and variously incorporate other silk fibres, pieces of silk cocoons, some glittery strands, knitting yarn and loose threads. They are all quite stiff and one has been pulled into holes while wet (this one did not use a hanky).

Photo 10 Two more of these samples – shaped into 3d forms while still wet. the one on the left is very smooth and shiny while the one on the right includes hemp and sisal with lots of spiky ends sticking out.

Photo 11 and 12 I used a bag of mixed silk fibres to try making samples that are less stiff/crunchy, more like felt.  Photo 11 shows a vey thin layer pulled into holes and photo 12 is thicker.  Both are soft and flexible a seem to be reasonably robust although the thicker one needed more medium as some of the fibres have shed.  By the way, they are green because that was a bag of bits I happened to have ready. 

Photo 13 A thick piece made from silk tops and embossed with the string block used before then rubbed with oil pastels. Although thick, it is still much softer and more flexible than the earlier samples as are all the following ones, which I put down to using a different medium.

Photo 14 Throwsters waste trapped between two layers of a silk hanky – this was cut up to add to other pieces.

Photos 15 and 16 Three samples on the same theme, getting progressively more transparent.  On the left in photo 15, layers of silk tops and added shapes cut from the sample in photo 14.  On the right, the same but using a layer of silk hanky.

Below, photo 16, I separated out a very thin layer from the hanky and used shapes cut from an old sample that incorporated sisal.  Finally, I added some loose, loopy stitches.

Photo 17 The same sample against a window to show up the shapes more clearly.

Photo 18 I used the leftover cut out centres and the edges of the silk hanky to make this flower as a reference to the Marc Jacobs dress on this sheet of cuttings.