Stitch. Technical Block 1.

For the last two weeks I have started my technical blocks. My first block was Stitch of which I found very challenging. 

My stitch station for the two weeks. 

First we were to look into our drawings we did in our workshops that we did a week before technical blocks. I then had to think about what stitch ideas connect with my drawings. 

I was pushed to experiment with our fabrics and to challenge my ideas to see what works. 

I chose to work with a more textual drawing that I did, that contained brush marks. I also gained my colour scheme from this image aswell. 

My textual drawing that I chose to work from. This is what I based my entire stitch collection around. I extracted the line work, the brush marks and the colour scheme to create my collection. 

I started experimenting with elastic, wool, lycra, paper and broken needle techniques. 

All of these techniques worked okay but I really liked using a combination between the broken needle and paper as it gave me a really beautiful textured 3D look.

One of my very first samples. I was experimenting with wool as a bottom thread and it turned out like this. I used the broken needle on this sample aswell. I liked it, however it didnt fit in with my drawings and plus it looked like intestines!

Sketchbook Page : One of my samples that encouraged me to use paper in my samples. I used the broken needle to push through paper from the back of the fabric to the front. I like how fragile this piece is. 

One of samples, you can see the relationship to these chosen samples and my final pieces. This piece has the idea of the stripes, multimedia and layers. I think both of these samples were clear points to where my project took off and I had an idea. 

After a tutorial with my tutor, she urged me to use paper as a base instead of the fabric. I took her advice and it worked alot better than I expected. 

Two of my sketchbook pages. Drawings, technical and tutorial notes and samples alongside each other. 

I was pleased with my final samples, however I wish I would of experimented more and worked outside of the box for my samples, I think I would enjoyed it better if I did. The block was very trying for me, I found it pushed my imagination and motivation. I enjoyed this as I enjoy a challenge. 

1/4 final pieces. Cutwork using the broken needle with card, standing alongside stitch on the machine that has raised up into a 3d form. 

2/4 final piece. Using almost the same process as the first sample I used fabric as a clear base and stitched onto the pice with card and thread. I used bondawebb to incorporate the broken needle card onto the piece. I also simply stitched my design onto the fabric, some of the stitching was heavy and some was light. Alike to my drawing I was working from.

3/4 Final piece. This one is alot more busier than the rest. Alot more simple stitch and les broken needle design. I created this design on a transparent viol textile and used card as a base again to sneak through when I did use the broken needle. There is a clear connection to the paint marks in my drawing I have chosen and to this piece. 

4/4 Final piece. I used fabric and card as a base for this piece, the fabric was heavily stitched on. I then used the broken needle as a kind of window idea, so the fabric was peeking though. This technique added layers and looks more clean cut than the rest of my samples. However I find it more boring than the rest.

At the end of the two weeks I was exhausted! My textiles were pushed to create and I had motivate myself to think of original ideas.

However my idea wasn’t that original but was a simple idea that I think pulled off in a interesting and visually pleasing way.