Module 3 Chapter 9 - First stages.

For this design exercise, I chose to use a fragment taken from a photo of one of my module 2 metal thread samples (above left, it is the top sample in the sketchbook). The sample is very small so the photo already enlarges it. Above right shows my first try at continuing the design onto A4 paper and below is the second. Both used oil pastels and the second used gold pen.

I used the second design to take it to the next stage, changing to Markel sticks to make larger marks and reflect the texture of the original stitching. The blues/purples on black relate back to the colour scheme used in my research project in module 1. The photo below shows the fragment placed on the A4 sheet which is on top of the larger design.

Making Christmas Shopping Fun...

...by buying lovely handmade things. The insect lavender bags came from Fig in Bristol and the brooches and books are from Jackie Cardy's Etsy shop. If you haven't already found it, take a look at Jackie's blog DogDaisyChains to see more of her work and better photos - lush. Now to figure out who gets what. Hmm, one for you and one for me, one for you and one for me...

Cogs - it's hard to let go

I know I have finished my cogs piece but I keep finding interesting things that relate to what I was doing. I have been admiring David Roy's kinetic sculptures for some time and in his blog this week, he hightlighted some videos of mechanical sculptures on YouTube. And guess what - full of cogs. I particularly like this one

Last part of Module 3 Chapter 8

Here are my ideas for ways to interpret the edge designs for my chosen fabric.

1) Above, a simple edge - the fabric has been pleated and beads sewn into the folds.
2) Below (on its own and with the design) - a more fanciful edge. This uses the idea from an earlier sample of pod shapes stitched on felt, cut out (as one piece) and applied to the edge. I stitched a couple more pods directly onto the fabric. However, the machine stitching did not stand out against the bold colours, so I added the pink cord (French knitting). Underneath are more loops of French knitted cord picking up the turquoise from the fabric - I used a little knitting mill so the cord is very quick to make by the metre.

October ATC swap and some fun stuff.

Here are the ATCs I got in return for the October swop on Facebook - I really enjoy seeing all the different styles and interpretations of a theme. I was planning to post a picture of the ones I made for November, I could have sworn I took one, but my camera says otherwise and it is too late now they have gone in the post. Bother. I will have to wait for the pictures to be posted in the group.

One of the other places I like to browse at random is Instructables - here you will find out how to do/make anything you can imagine. It is mostly electronics, DIY etc but there are all sorts of craft projects too. I like the ones by Lynne Bruning using electronics in fabric and clothing - see below for her latest one and her website is here.


flexible LED eTextile ribbon array - More DIY How To Projects

Pulling Together Module 3 Chapter 8

I am continuing experimenting with edges for this chapter, working up to making an edge based on the designs in my last post. Once that is done, only one more chapter for module 3 - hoorah! I have downloaded the next module which is themed on flowers - a bit of a change of style for me. It will be fun to see how to tie it in with my personal machinery/industrial landscape theme; I have been reading about yarnbombing which suggests one way and I am sure there are others.

There follows a list of all the samples so far. The sizes vary, so I have put a 10p coin in the photos for scale.

Picture 1
is a repeat from an earlier post to keep all the images together. From the top there is
a) edge cut at 45 degrees and frayed on left, threads withdrawn on right with running stitch added.
b) horizontal threads withdrawn part way up the fabric, machining over vertical threads into bars, fabric folded and twisted to leave machined bars at the edge.
c) bottom edge frayed for about 2 inches then folded to the back and the frayed ends pulled through and stitched down in bunches.
d) bottom edge frayed as before and threads withdrawn further up. Folded back and machine stitched to make a hem with the area of withdrawn threads at the edge and the loose frayed ends hanging behind. A strip of dyed scrim is slotted through the loops.

Picture 2
a) Stitched peapod shapes inspired by the chosen fabric. There are two layers, the top one has been cut away at the edge and inside the pod shape while the bottom one is faced and stuffed.
b)The edge has been cut into triangles and zigzagged; 2 rows of triangles cut from stitched fabric have been applied above. (The triangles refer back to the research project in module 1).

Picture 3
More triangles from stitched fabric, this time connected by lines of straight stitching to spill over the edge.

Picture 4
3 small samples of edges created by joining two pieces of fabric with a water soluble material and stitching. These were then folded over to make a stitched edge. From left
a) yarn trapped in the stitching to hang down - this is not quite right as I should have worked from the right side of the fabric to stitch the yarn in. If you enlarge the picture, you will see that the hem is on the outside.
b) straight stitched lines
c)tried to make pod shapes.

Picture 5

Two samples using sheer fabric
a) distressed by running under an embellisher and slashing to give a frayed edge that continues up into the fabric.
b) 3 layers cut and joined using a stencil cutter in repeated cog shapes.


Next is batch of flounces - I got into these so there are quite a few. I found a useful resource was a book called Decorative Dressmaking by Sue Thompson which has a chapter on using flounces . I have shown them with the paper patterns to show how they work.

Picture 6
A straighforward circle gives an even flounce along the edge.

Picture 7

The same size circle but with the cut out part offset and cut apart at the narrowest point so the flounce is larger at the centre.

Picture 8
As 7 but this time cut at the widest point.

Picture 9

As 6 but cut apart at an angle which gives a slight taper and curved ends.

Picture 10

Changing the shape of the curve - I think this is more elegant than the circle.

Picture 11

Another trial shape - not as successful on a straight edge because the centre is boring, but might work better on a shaped edge.

Picture 12
Changing the edge of the flounce using a circular saw shape.

Picture 13
This one doesn't have a pattern as it is a cut out spiral - didn't really work on this scale, I think it would need to be much shorter and fatter.

Picture 14

Last two flounces. I like the sculptural possibilities of using stiffer materials - I can see how they would work vertically, for example on a vessel, holding the waved effect. These two are made from left over scraps from samples made for Cogitation, and both use a circle pattern as in picture 7. From the top
a) lightweight lutradur, painted and stitched, is attached to pelmet vilene. This holds the curves really well without flopping and looks quite delicate with light shining through. It could be put into seams or lots of layers could be added up with the curves lining up. And of course some of it it could be burned back.
b) loose threads on partly dissolved soluble (as we did at summer school) - this is a bit crunchy to the touch and doesn't have the elegance of earlier samples. However, it can be pinched and folded into shape when dry and does hold its shape well.

Picture 15

A late addition to the water soluble edges. This one has a satin stitch edge with the shapes echoed below by lines of free machining and above by Markel sticks brushed off a stencil.

Picture 16


Starting to think about interpreting the paper designs, these final two samples are based on the peapod shapes. From left
a) shapes stitched on soluble material and onto the fabric - I wanted to have some as outlines and some solid, but the outlines did not have enough stitching to hold together when I dissolved the water soluble material.
b) same idea but this time stitched on polyester felt which was cut away with a stencil cutter. The felt was applied to the fabric, some more stitching added and then the background was cut away to give a shaped edge.

Module 3 Chapter 8 Continued

I have revisited the edges I did back in June - above, the first one has been pleated and stitched in place and the others cut out to give a more definite edge.

Below, some new samples. Top left is a cut up photocopy of the fabric. The other two use stamping with foam to continue the pod shapes.

I am hoping to update my website soon with the final notes on Cogitation.

Happy Hallowe'en.

This is my set of ATCs for the October swop on Facebook; I have been practising with the digitising software to design and stitch the pumpkins. You can't really see it in the pictures but the light colour is glow in the dark thread. Have fun if you are out tonight!

Weekend in London

Had a great weekend in London and completely overdosed on visual treats. This is a bit of a long post, so if you are sitting comfortably, we will begin (showing my age there). On Saturday, to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. Greeted by Rachel John's display (above) as part of her Monumental Textiles. Into the foyer - so much to see that it was a good half hour before I even went inside the exhibition proper. Here is Casting Off...A coat for a Boat, a community project that included about 350 knitters. Yes it is a real boat and has been sailed...

..by the gentleman modelling the nifty waterproofs knitted from carrier bags and bin bags.

What I liked about this project were the details, like these rodents (surely too cute to be rats)

and this seagull

There was so much to see that my poor brain couldn't cope, so I had to be quite ruthless and choose just the exhibits I really wanted to see. No photos allowed, so I am including links where possible for you to follow up. The highlight for me was Tom Lundberg's Microcosms - exquisite embroideries that seem to be full of stories. A selection of entries for the Pfaff Art Embroidery competition that I liked included a piece called Travel Bug by Louise Saxton made from reclaimed embroideries, scrap etc; a set of houses by Christine Atkins expressing how we take ourselves when we travel; Sian Martin's pathway Tread Softly.

In the graduates gallery, I was particularly taken by Solid Air by Roanna Wells -inspired by skyscapes and made from shaded stitching on organdy stretched over a backing, so that the shadows add to the effect. I assumed at first it was free-machining until she produced her sample and demonstrated that it was all by hand. Finally the exhibition by Fusion on the theme of Direction was fascinating - so many ways to interpret the word. My favourites were Melita Butterell's series Motorway Birds which combine goldwork with motorway junctions; Ros Murphy's Cosmic Towers - tall vessels decorated with images of nebulae and galaxies and Victoria Macleod's pieces based on aerial maps.

But it wasn't all admiring the work - couldn't resist a bit of shopping...

Now that's what I call a pair of knitting needles. I thought it would be light relief after struggling with my first ever sock. Inspired by Rachel John (see above for link) to have a go at a larger scale. The spray cans are a fabric paint I haven't tried before - non-toxic and water based it is child safe, permanent without ironing and, from the samples I handled on the stand, does not affect the feel of the fabric. I have promised my youngest that we will experiment over half term but I mainly thought they would be useful for adding extra layers on dyed bits. I will let you know what happens! The tool is for rugmaking and prompted a jolly discussion about the wisdom of carrying it on the Tube.

On Sunday, I went with my sister to the V&A to see Telling Tales - Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design - one of their free exhibitions which I can highly recommend. It runs until 18th October. As we had an hour or so to spare before my train, we picked a room in the museum at random and walked around. I have been visiting the V&A at least once a year since I was tiny, but I am sure I have never seen this room before. Part of the European rooms it is called cast courts and contains (life-size) plaster casts of architectural pieces from around the world - standing crosses from Cumbria, cathedral doorways and arches from Spain and Norway amongst many others. A bit mad, but you have to hand it to the Victorians - they didn't do things by halves and believed in education. There were once collections of casts like this in museums across Europe but they have all been destroyed, which makes these ones of historical interest in themselves. I liked this small cast from a church in Herefordshire - look at the pleats on the robes.

We finished with a visit to the V&A bookshop (until my sister threatened to drag me out) where I compiled my Christmas list. I had to have the book in the photo above straight away - it is about yarnbombing, which is a kind of graffiti but using knitting rather than aerosols. If I only had the nerve...

Radio and Television

A quick post to pass on a couple of snippets. Did you hear Woman's Hour this morning? Jenni Murray was interviewing Louise Gardiner and Lynne Setterington about contemporary embroidery. During the interview, Louise did a machined sketch of Jenni (doesn't work too well on radio!) - they promised to put a photo on their webpage but no sign of it yet. Click here for more details and here to listen to the programme - it will be available for 7 days. You may already have heard about the tv series Talking Threads starting next Wednesday evening, profiling various textile artists. If not, click here for details. It is available on Sky channel 171 and also online. One of the featured artists will be Fay Maxwell - see my last post about her workshop.

And finally, a bit more progress on the cushion cover.

Cogitation - Finished

I think.


I have left it running so I can see if anything doesn't look right. Over the last week, I have added lots of random straight stitching to the top cogs to add more texture and couched down some wire to create the missing focal point. When I am sure, I will make another film and put some notes on my website - meanwhile, I am planning my trip to Alexandra Palace for the Knitting & Stitching show on Saturday.

Oh no - I started another project...

...but it's so much fun. Last Saturday my branch of the Embroiderers' Guild held a workshop with Fay Maxwell on "Crewel and Unusual". This is Fay's take on traditional crewel work, using dyed blanket felt and tapestry wool on silk to make cushions. This is as far as I got, always a slow worker. When all the decorative stitching on the felt has been done, the background is going to be quilted using kantha stitching. The design wasn't preplanned - Fay got us all cutting simple shapes straight from the fabric. As it is all by hand, I am hoping to work on it while I am hanging around at my daughters' gym/dance lessons. Except that I am partway through some knitting...

More Work on 'Cogitation'

I give in - it started out as a pun but it has stuck in my head as the name for this piece so I am making it official.

I have added some more colour to the background shapes and linked them by stitching across water soluble fabric. Dissolving the fabric in situ left enough adhesive to keep it all stuck to the metal and I brushed some of the colour off the cogs into the spaces. (Click on the pictures to make them larger). The overall size is a little over A3.

The next picture shows how the clock movements have been fitted to the back and I have also added battens top and bottom so it can either stand on a table or be wall-mounted (still dithering). I put felt onto the battens to stop it from scratching my table while I work on it.

In my last post I mentioned I had tried placing lutradur shapes as the moving parts to replace the original idea. I made a second set of cogs, this time with the lutradur backed by craft vilene as they need to be more solid. I used the same paints and stitching and heated the pieces to break up the top layer and make it look a bit like metal wearing and flaking. My idea is that this is a very old piece of machinery that is just slowly running until it finally dies, achieving nothing; the cogs still working have worn through less than the ones that have stopped, but bits have broken off over time.

On a more cheerful note, this is the paper left behind after spraying the shapes - definitely keeping this for future use.

The short video further down this post shows how the pieces move using the minute hands of the clocks - I used time-lapse photography to take pictures over the course of just over an hour to show a complete cycle greatly speeded up; in real life you need to look twice to see that they are moving at all. (If this sounds very high-tech here's how I set it up

- note the children's videos and coffee table, a vital part of any photographic studio.) The reason for the flickering is that the daylight kept coming and going.

Looking at this, I can see that there is no focal point yet - I like the way that three of the cogs converge and separate so I am thinking I could make that meeting point the focus - nothing has been permanently fixed in place, except the clock movements, so I can make adjustments to the cog positions and how they rotate by changing where they are attached. The moving pieces need more definition so the next step may be to add handstitching for texture.

Progress on Cogs

Coming back to this after the summer break and taking a fresh look. At summer school, we discussed ideas for backgrounds and also whether it needs to be wall-mounted or could stand on a table top. In particular, how to bring in stitching as an integral part. I messed around with threads and soluble fabrics but nothing seemed right so I tried using lutradur.

I machined lots of overlapping lines in gold thread on a piece of lutradur 70 coloured it, zapped with a heat gun then added more layers of paint before cutting out cog shapes. The picture above shows the front and back of these shapes so you can see the colour difference. I decided I liked this effect so I tried adding the mock-ups of the moving shapes...

... and didn't like it at all. Maybe a different arrangement?


Maybe not. It is all a bit too solid compared to the background. In a last effort before packing up for the day, I grabbed some of the cog-shaped off-cuts of treated lutradur and put them on as the moving parts - they looked pretty good but I forgot to take a picture. So I am going to colour and stitch some more cogs and break them into pieces, so that the top layer becomes fragments, and will see how that looks. I have pretty much decided that I will make this piece to stand on a table and be seen from above, and have attached battens to the back for it to rest on. It could be adapted for wall-hanging but it is rather heavy.

Cleaning the upstairs rooms may have to wait a few more days while I get this sorted.

August Stitch Explorer - Pattern Darning

This month's challenge was to explore pattern darning. I had a go using net backed with cotton to give a hexagonal grid to work on and changed the scale and direction. Have look at the flickr group here to see what other people have done.

What is it with cats and quilts?

I guess it serves me right for using a fish design.

I decided it was high time I picked up this quilt again as my summer project having started it in May of last year (see here for previous posts explaining how one quilt turned into two). I find patchwork and quilting work well in school holidays. As long as I have done all the planning beforehand, I can work in little bits without losing the thread. I finished the piecing last week and I am quilting with digitised patterns of fish scales, waves and little fishes.

Quilts 4 London

I just came across this so I thought I would share it with you. It is a project to make small quilted pennants (based on A3 size) to give as gifts to the participants in the 2012 Olympics in London. Go to http://www.quilts4london.org.uk/ for more info.

August ATC - Sea and Sand

A quick post to show my ATC for the August Facebook swop on the theme of summertime. Wool tops felted on the embellisher with a little bit of stitching added. The organiser, Sue, has started a blog called Crafters Corner where you can see all the ATCs in this swop group.