Assessment 3 More samples for banner/ panel

Following  Sian's and Jane's helpful comments I added oil tanks to the low tide felt (as on left below) and I think the textures and sewing will make them better linked, I shall also modify the hill line to provide flow.

I dyed/ painted some scrim to the sea and boulder colours and the tissue silk I had ordered arrived so I made another piece of felt to experiment with embellishment - I laid threads, knitted wool and textiles down amongst the wool roving to see which complemented them best and gave the appearance i wanted and actually bonded in the felting.
The thick cottons did not embellish , the wools were fine
Textiles- the tissue silk and scrim both worked well and felted. The sari silk did not felt- perhaps it was not silk-.  I knitted some of the grey hurunui roving and merino together and cut the knitted piece up to make rocks , boulders. This was successful. I used different threads- cotton silk and rayon to decorate/ embellish further. I was aiming for appearance of moving water. This sample looks very busy, the larger, final pieces will not be as busy as the sample shows stitching for both pieces, the top part of the blue sea is the calm sea and middle the grey day, wind roughed sea. It was easier for me to make a single piece of felt to sample.

I  plan to suspend the two pieces from driftwood or wire scavenged from the beach.

Design for 3rd assessment piece- banner or panel

I could put it off no longer and tackled a design for a banner.
I have now got to stage where I want to get on with it and so thought I would post for comments and help from you all and from Sian.
It was back to the estuary - I did many sketches and coloured pencil drawings. I painted in water colour - it was not good- if it looked bad in paint it would be worse in stitch- so I simplified. - I decided on a felted background with machine and hand embroidery- though i did consider a canvas background and "collage" and machine and hand stitch.
Below are design developments. To increase contrast and interest I want to do 2 long thin textiles based on low tide and high tide, contrast in weather and contrast with the natural pebbles/ sand versus urban road bridge, oil tanks. They will each be about 21cm x 60cms ie half A2 size.

I was putting drawings in sketch pad so some are trying out format/ideas

I did simple collages to explore further

 I made small pieces of felt for stitching samples while waiting for wool to arrive

When wool arrived I made 2 sample pieces of felt in the designs above- they are 1/2 A3 size and I plan to sew embellish so I know how to do larger final pieces. These samples are 3 layers of wool and I would either have to back them eg with ready made felt or do more layers 4/5 - backing has the advantage of covering the back of the stitching
Also covers if there are thin patches- it is felting 101 for me-
low tide sun on L high water grey day on R

 

I originally thought I may lace them together with a gap between but have decided to wait and see.
Back to stitching.
Please comment distant stitchers- this is all very new.

module 4,ch 13: Artists and paper work

Completing module 4: Information on 2 artists Jeanette Appleton and Louise Gardiner.
I chose felting artist Jeanette Appleton because I enjoyed learning to make felt in this module and have been browsing the web for "how do people use felt and needlefelting".  Louise Gardiner came to NZ and I went to a class- drawing odd  looking people in machine stitch, it was a good class and fun to use sewing machine. I especially appreciated her design and drawing skills as well as machine stitching skills after the class.

And evaluation, authenticity and health and safety / storage

Now onto a slow start to module 5 and thinking about assessment pieces.
happy stitching to all distant stitchers

module 4 ch8-11 Forever flowers- ch11 Resolved samples

ch 11: resolved samples to develop a design in felt
The final 3D rose is my selected resolved sample. p33
Apart from breaking needles leading to much stress I also enjoyed making  the picture of flax p 32

I have posted 2 scans of p33 as  I rearranged both pieces to show different views.

Well its back to scavenging on the web for 3 artists and then the paperwork- or to dream about module 5 and lace. There will be a delay to go skiing and watch olympics etc
Enjoy your stitching distant stitchers and keep posting.

Module 4 (Ch8-11) Ch 10 Felt making

ch 10 and 11 were another GLE (great learning experience) as the only felting I had done was needle felting a ball. It was fun and an excuse to stand in the bath stomping on the wool.
However my beginner status meant I made felt: too thin and had to cover holes or join layers, or too thick so it was like springy turf.- I was looking forward to playing with the embellisher foot I bought  for my machine- it took me 11 broken needles before I learned that it really was for just embellishing with a single layer of wool and doesn't manage tangled scrim, or 6 layers /strips of fabric with close weave. I kept my fingers mostly intact and I was pleased I wear glasses as broken needles were ejected in all directions.

ch10 Felt making

 

module 4 Ch8-11 (chapter 8) Slips and prints

Ch 8
In module 4 of diploma you can choose between ch 7- shibori,  and ch 8 - make a slip from a printed image using transferred or direct digital printing methods.
I have not used transfer papers, or printed on to fabric so I chose chapter 8 and learned as i went along. There were near misses- the printer said it was jammed for days until I left it to sulk, and recover,  after one page of printing.
I thought distant stitchers may be experimenting with printing images at summer school in class with Sandra Meech so I wanted to experiment. My results are variable, or perhaps better to say "experimental".

module 4 forever flowers ch 8-11

Another posting.
Chapter 9
I was waiting until I had completed ch 8 before posting. As I wanted to play with making felt, I did the chapters in a different order and finished 8 last night, I have just put all the numbers on the pages in the wrong order so I shall start posting with chapter 9 - Design.

Module 4 Forever Flowers Ch 2-6

I started chapter 2 in February whilst on holiday in Gisborne, and the most suitable flower to draw was a rose. It is hot in gisborne and hibiscus and other heat loving flowers flourish and are more common than roses.  I saw this one at Matawhero vineyard and so I bought a case of wine and asked if I might have a rose to draw. They owners kindly gave me one, and said this rose was created for the previous owner's wife. It is a lovely colour, yellow and soft shades of peach and orange. The wine is good as well.

I finished chapter 6 at the start of May, garden roses are a distant memory as it now almost winter.

 

 

 

This module is useful for using all those pieces of dyed material and stamped fabric that did not make it into other modules work .
Enjoy your stitching

Module 4 Forever Flowers-Ch 1: Historical Study of Elizabethan Embroidery, and Option 2 the rose in embroidery

Module 4 Forever flowers- starts with a Historical study of flowers in Elizabethan Embroidery. First the pictures

Information and bibliography for this study and for the Rose in embroidery

Historical Study of British Embroidery: Elizabethan embroidery- Flowers

See the accompanying sheets for more information and illustration of embroidered flowers.

Why were embroideries made?

During the Elizabethan flower designs were used to decorate clothes, textiles, furnishings, and hangings in homes and public environment.

What is the design source? What is the main design structure?

Flowers were naturalistic. On some pieces they were without a border, others were enclosed either in strap work patterns or coiling foliage. Plants were grounded rather than the cut flower or bouquet common later. The designs and techniques can be seen in both in remaining costumes, domestic textiles such as cushions and bed hangings as well as portraits done during the period.

Where were the embroideries made? Who commissioned it?

 Artisans were employed by lords and wealthy landowners to design and create work. Larger houses would employ embroiderers permanently to produce clothing and furnishings. 

Who designed it? Who stitched it? Are there foreign influences?

Work was stitched by professional embroiderers or women of the household. Pattern books were available in France and Germany by 1550 and were distributed through Europe. Patterns were adapted from books such as Conrad Gesner’s “Catalogues Plantarum” published in 1542, and later from “Herbal or General History of Plants”  by John Gerard originally published in 1597

What are the raw materials?

The fabric used depended on the intended use: for example heavier velvets, brocades and linens were used for cushions and hangings, and finer linen or silk for smocks. Threads were coloured silks, crewel wool, metallic silver and gold.

What methods or techniques were used?

Motifs may be worked on linen or canvas slips and applied to another ground fabric eg velvet. Finer fabrics were directly stitched onto.  Stitches used include tent stitch, double running stitch, couching, detached buttonhole and satin stitch. Spangles, pearls and jewels were also used. Blackwork continued to be popular

Find evidence of animals, birds, insect forms, human figures, plant forms, climate

Areas were filled with embroideries or appliqués. Flowers include the rose, carnation, gilly flower, daisy, cornflower, pansy, iris.  Animals, or birds, eg heron or kingfisher, and especially insects such as a bee, butterfly or moth were often stitched.

Bibliography for  Elizabethan Embroidery and Roses study

V&A museum web site.

Lanto Synge 1989. Antique Needlework.  Blandford Press,  London

Jennifer Harris. 1993 (2010 edition)  5000 Years of Textiles. The British Museum Press, London

Hardwick Hall embroideries on the National Trust website

Sheila Paine. 2008. Embroidered textiles : A World Guide to Traditional Patterns. Thames and Hudson  London

Thomasina Beck. 1997. Gardening with Silk and Gold. Readers Digest  (Australia)

L Yefimova and R Belogorskaya. 1987. Russian Embroidery and Lace

 

For the second study I chose to look at the rose in embroidery -it was a flower I could find to draw.

 

I spent a long time looking at and in awe of these embroideries, but it was time to get stitching.

Completing Module 3: Chapter 12- Textile artists who use construction methods

I chose to look at the work of Anne Jackson, Jan Truman and Nora Fok. They do amazing original work with such skill, it is a pity I am only able to view in magazines or on the web.