Module 5 continued : chapters 4 5 and7

I am back to finish this module after 2+ years. Life certainly got in the way of the diploma
 Chapter 4 was done 2 years ago but I didnt get to post.
I have done chapter 6 and will post later.

Chapter 4 
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chapter5
Fibre etch
I ended up with several soggy mounds of disintegrated velvet or no result when i found i had the wrong fabric but got some results
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Module 5 ch 1 -3 Lace

Long time since I posted.
However the start of Module 5, researching lace

now on to the chapter
Enjoy your stitching.

3rd assessment piece- Final- At the estuary

Given Kiwis are supposed to be able to make anything with number 8 fencing wire I put it to the test and asked my Kiwi partner to unbend some coat hangers-

this is probably not within the rules but I lacked arm strength to be able to untwist. I did the cutting and bending into shape, joining and framing.

I lined the back with black calico about 6mm from the edge- this was necessary to provide a firm, secure edge to lace the felt to.
Below are pictures of the hanging and close up of the frame and lacing. Size is 68 cm x 52 cm including the frame.

and finally analysis.

So at my tortoise pace, I have hopefully completed 3 assessment pieces and 4 modules.

Enjoy your stitching distant stitchers.

3rd Assessment Piece, Felt Hanging -At the estuary

It is a long time since I posted.
I have now finished  my 3rd assessment piece - there were many learnings along the way-
-using different wools means that they do not felt the same-
-I felted both pieces twice to make them stiffer and then found that they were no longer the same size.
- the wobbly edges meant I needed to even them up to be able to join pieces -
but the slivers became most useful during framing.

First materials methods and what I did

 
Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the 2 felts before I stitched and cut- or I cannot find them- it was so long ago
Below is the felted, stitched hanging, the two pieces were first stitched and then cut and rejoined.
It is pegged to a coathanger - as you can see  it does not hang very well without some method of stiffening (or I could have started again and made thicker felt). Below are close ups of stitching.

 

 I completed the sewing a while ago but went into a complete black hole about how to present it. 
Below are 2 ideas I tried on the small sample piece

I found the green wire  at the estuary. There was not enough for the larger hanging, the lengths of wire are bent to hook together.

More details on framing and costing

Onto the next post

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