New Sewing Machine

My lovely new Pfaff 1475 came today and I have been playing with it. I does a nice wide stitch pattern and I have been experimenting with my theme of "rusty flowers" using the preset patterns and a nappy liner.
My tutorial with Alice Kettle went really well yesterday, she was very inspirational. She  was very positive and has given me lots of ideas about how to take my work forward. In response to my comment that I thought my drawings were often too tight she suggested drawing with a thread, a technique she came across in India. This sounds like a really interesting technique as it will mean that I will not have control over the marks I am making- also if I use cotton threads it will keep the link with Queen Street Mill. I bought some fabric while I was there so I could use threads from that- or am I being too pedantic !!

Rusty Flowers

I have got an individual tutorial with Alice Kettle tomorrow so I have been spending some time today putting my ideas in order. I have not done a mood board for this project but have been pinning  up my inspiration on a large cork notice board in my study. During the last unit I realised that once I have put things into my sketchbook they are lost as I move on to other things.

My 'mood board' for this unit

 I have also decided to keep up the 'eclectic' visual approach to my work as it worked well for me and freed up my work, so I have collected a variety of images and textiles which appeal to me.  By pinning these images up I can see that a colour palette is emerging.

Indian Fabrics, Lace and Rust provide me with inspiration

 My inspiration for this unit have come from a variety of sources and can be listed as rust, distressed surfaces, indian fabrics, flowers, chain stitch and lace. My aim now is to put these design elements together and come up with something different. I have decided to concentrate on experimenting with the surface quality of fabrics but also introducing surface pattern into the mix.  I am also planning on continuing the theme of embroidery in a fashion context and have decided to collaborate with an MA student, TaslimaAhmed, as her work is fashion based and she is planning on making a collection of garments for her MA.

The colour palette is emerging.

I have been researching artist way such as Karen Nicol, Diana Bates and Alison Willoughby.

Lace Day

I managed to get a place on the lace day held by the Rachel Kaye Shuttleworth Collection at Gawthorpe Hall. I wanted to go partly because I was very inspired by the "Lost in Lace' exhibition in Birmingham last month and also because I wanted to do some quick sketches of stylised flowers which I can feed into my work.There were lots of samples on show and I almost managed to fill an A5 sketchbook of quick sketches which I then used to print and stitch into at home.

silk screen painted with reactive dyes in preparation for printing

 I have purchased a A4 silkscreen and equipment so I am now able to print at home. This design is based on one of the drawings I did at Gawthorpe Hall. I printed in onto a cotton fabric and fixed the dye using my wallpaper stripper.

Reverse Applique Sample using fabric printed from screen

The idea of 'rusty flowers' has emerged from the research I have done for this project. Following on from the last unit I have used the fabric I printed as the basis for a 'reverse applique' sample.

This sample look so much like railings that I am put in mind of the wonderfully 'over the top' gates on Warrington Town Hall- if only they were rusty.

"Golden Gates ' Warrington.

Indigo Dyeing

All tied up before dyeing

 I have taken the opportunity to have a go at an Indigo workshop which is something I have not done for ages. I prepared some fabrics before the session using a variety of techniques. The ones where I tie dyed the fabrics worked well along which the batik samples I produced. The ones where I used silk gutta and wax rubbings did not work at all and I ended up with lots of samples of plain blue fabric.

Intricate patterns from tie dyeing using buttons and threads

Good results obtained from shibori- ie wrapping around a piece of copper piping

Selection of samples obtained.

Cornely

 I am really keen to develop my skill in using the Cornely Machine as I like the chain stitch effect it produces, so I have been spending time in the machine room whenever I get a spare hour.  I have used the fabrics I mono-printed a couple of weeks ago as I deliberately printed a loose flower pattern on them.It is easier to practice controlling the machine when you have a design to try to follow.

I plan to include chain stitch into my fabrics as it is a stitch which is used frequently in Indian textiles.

Global Threads Whitworth Art Gallery

As today was a miserable grey sunday I decided to go to the Whitworth today instead of tomorrow and I was glad that I did as I was cheered up by the the textile on display.

Sultan Tipu's decorative tent. Clive Museum, Powys Castle, Wales

 The exhibition has a serious message about the social and political implication of the Anglo- India cotton industry, however I have chosen to concentrate on the wonderful visual imagery in the historical textiles in display and the wonderful exuberance of the work by Anne Wilson.

Petticoat Gujurat 1760's

Anne Wilson Walking the Warp

Visual Sampling

I usually approach my visual research by drawing the objects I am studying and my usual method is to do line drawings which can readily be translated into machine embroider. In this instance I have decided to do some painted and collaged surfaces based on rust. 

I developed these samples at a mark making workshop I did with the artist Claire de Ruiter. The workshop was interesting as we made marks on paper in response to sounds and music.

This allowed me to build up an interesting background surface which I later worked into with collage and other media

More Rust

Rusty squashed drinks can from outside Uni

  have become quite attracted to rusty surfaces and have started a collection of images of rust. Some are taken from the internet and other are images of rust in my environment.

Rust on the Swing Bridge at Stockton Heath

I love the colours on this image from the internet

Peeling paint and rust make a lovely combination

In this image the rust looks like flowers.

I

Queen St Mill Visit

 I have been getting ahead with my research into this topic so it was really good to have a visit to Queen St Mill. Although I have already visited Styal Mill in Cheshire, the Queen St Mill is so much more authentic as it was a working mill until the 1980's and has not been changed all that much. Luckily I decided to take Dave's SLR camera, and since the light was not all that good was the right decision I have a really great set of images.

One of the things that has interested me is rust. Found lots of instances of rusty surfaces in the mill. I especially like this one where the threads have rusted onto the loom.

The colours found on the rusted surfaces are amazing and I have collected a series of images of surfaces for inspiration as I feel this follows on from the worn surfaces I worked with last term