Tutorial: Simon

My tutorial with Simon was challenging as the discussion of what I want to make is difficult at the stage I am at. Simon was slightly directing me to make wall pieces or installation stuff from looking at my research but I don't feel like I can make an installation due to lack of space and that as interesting as my pieces are I think they might look boring on their own on a wall. I need to do something with them which is why I was considering making a wearable item. Simon was very persuasive with them being wall mounted objects and I think it could work or have them suspended like Richard Sweeney's paper pieces. It's a totally do-able idea but I'd have to work out how to fix the edge of the fabric from fraying and make a structure for it to hang from. Simon did help me with how to present my samples. Ideally I'd want to have my samples in my sketchbook along with my research and inspiration but because they are three-dimensional they can't go in. So i have  to take pictures instead but I still needed to display my samples somehow. Simon suggested that I mount them on boards which is so much better than having them all stuffed into a box. He also agreed with me wanting to make my folds on a larger scale and that that is where my next steps are.

I've started stitching my samples on to dark grey mount board. This has helped to show the process and development of my samples.

Tutorial: James

First thing back and I have had a tutorial with James. It was good to have a recap and going over my work as over the time off I've lost my way a bit. We discussed what my next steps could be and to start working towards designing and making what I want to make. I was considering making something wearable and adorning as most of my research has come from vogue and designers looking at clothing. I also think my folds would look great on the body as they would flex and move with movement of the body. I need to do some drawing of ideas. He gave me a good idea of taking an image of someone wearing something and an image of my folded patterns, Cut out the clothing and replace it with the image of my pattern to get some ideas rolling.

Fixing Folds

The starch spray I had been using only held temporarily and gave the fabric a slight orange twinge so I've had to stop using it. I have worked out that I don't need to spray my fabric with the starch before forming. I can sandwich it between the two folded paper and put it in the heat press and that still makes the form. I have been testing fixing my folds so that it's a more permanent fixture. I've taken on the process of shibori by putting my fabric folds in a steamer for 10 minutes. I've had a challenge with putting them in the steamer. I need to have something on the fabric to hold the fold while its in the steaming process. I thought that I could sandwich it like I do when putting it into the heat press but the paper will ruin. I thought With acetate but then I was worried that the steam wont be able to actually effect the fabric. As I have been testing ideas with the folds I have also been exploring various ways I can keep it together. I've used pins and stitches but they left holes in the fabric. I've used paper clips but they left dent marks in the fabric where they sat. The last thing I tried was wrapping the fold with thread loosely which seemed to work well and not make any marks in the fabric.

Tuck Foot and Elastic Thread

I have been in the workshop and using the tuck foot to play with patterns of lines with small tucks. I preferred the gaped tucks in small groups to the block of lines as it showed a more reoccurring pattern of lines that looked better than a continuing set of lines. I also introduced elastic thread to my stitching and made some crinkly effects and scrunched it up with the tuck patterns. This could be interesting with some laser cut fabric. I then tried the elastic thread with different stitch patters to see the effects I the different stitches. I picked a favourite stitch and used it like the tuck to make lines of scrunched up tucks. I liked this stitch as it had threads going across the lines that were quite nice and better than just the plain lines.

Translated Images

This weekend I've been working on my sketchbook and drawing. I've been trying to replicate my images into samples. I took this one images and related it a process that used tucks. I made this sample by using tucks to make little flaps in the fabric similar to the image. I want to carry on translating my images but I'm worried these are a bit different to my folding samples and I really want this all to tie in together.

Dyed Folded Fabric Pt.2

I carried on with dyeing my folded fabrics but this time I coloured the fabric yellow first and then dyed the folded piece with blue making it green but darker on the edges. This was much different than I expected as I thought the inside would be yellow and the outside areas would be blue or green.

Dyed Folded Fabrics

I have been feeling a bit stuck yet again so to try to overcome this I have been in the workshop to expend on my folded fabrics for what else I can do with them. I have attempted a new process of making them by sandwiching the fabric between folded paper and then pressing it. This has made it so much more easier and faster than before. My only ponder is how thick can I have stuff in the heat press, if not very much then I wont be able to make very wide pieces. I was able to make three folded samples in the morning and after lunch I made up some procion dyes to try dip dying them. When I get the folded samples wet it washes the starch off and it loses its form.  So to stop this I have to pin them and starch them after they are dry and press them again. I'm thinking of trying to steam them into their form like shibori. When they are pinned together the dye only effects the outside areas and leaves white sections inside. I made one completely blue, one white with blue edges and a yellow one I am going to do blue edges tomorrow morning. I quite liked the blue colour with the folds, I might want to try a more grey colour. I still want to try different processes with the folds to see what I can create.