Module 3 Chapter Six



Design Development - page 51 Module 3

 

Below are my initial designs to use in this counterchange exercise.  The inspiration for the design shapes came from a Tree of Life design for the curly shapes and a star fish design for the straight shapes.  I decided to use the curly shapes throughout the whole exercise as I found the straight shapes difficult to organise into an original design, but that doesn't mean I won't be able to use the straight shape design at another time.

 

 

Tree of Life inspiration

 

Star fish inspiration

 

Final design

 

I tried to use black cartridge paper and a craft knife to cut out the shapes but could not manage to get good crisp lines.  So I resorted to a black felt pen.

 

Selected final design using a black pen to determine counterchange. 

 

Stitched counterchange - page 53 Module 3

My first idea of interpreting counterchange was to use smooth and rough surfaces.  The purple thread has been stitched with granite stitch on the reverse (by accident) and a metallic cable stitch to provide a rough raised surface.

The idea below was to use complimentary colours (purple and green, although these colours are not exactly opposite on the colour wheel) as one way to interpret counterchange for design.  The design has been stitched with granite stitch on red felt and has a smooth surface.

Using complimentary colours to distinguish counterchange.

 

A third idea below was to embroider a square of velvet with automatic stitches using metallic thread to further embellish the velvet.  The design shapes were then cut from the embroidered felt and appliqued to the background fabric of painted Bondaweb on cotton fabric. The felt has given a raised surface to the background fabric and interprets counterchange in another way.

The cut outs from the felt below used as a counter change design.



Original felt cut outs appliqued to background fabric.

 

Block Design, Square blocks - page 54/55 Module 3

Ah!  The classic mistake of not reversing the Stitch and Tear stabiliser so the stitched result is back to front never mind.  I left the curly line on the top right  out of the design as it was too much in a small box.

 

 

Diamond Blocks - page 55/56 of Module 3

A small block designed within a diamond shape and then traced in remaining 3 small blocks.  The design next to it has been coloured using a black pen to illustrate counter change.  There are some very interesting shapes but too complicated to stitch.

 

 

 

Extending counter change ideas - page 56/57 Module 3

The image below is an idea from the small block design in which some lines have been left out.  It has been stitched on white felt using granite stich and black thread.

 

Simplify and Stitch - page 59 Module 3

One of my original small block designs with a simplified design below



Small block design

Simplified design

This was the final design (below) stitched on space dyed felt and stitched with multi coloured metallic thread.  I simplified the design a little further to make the stitching easier.  However I think the first simplified design is more interesting.

Module 3 - Chapter 5



 

Hangings - Chapter 5 page 45





Three tabs stitched on purple Kunin felt.  The tabs have been edged with automatic patterns and the edges soldered to form a scalloped edge.  The central motif has been stitched with a thick variegated viscose thread using free machine embroidery and granite/cable stitch. The tabs have been machine stitched to a piece of Kunin felt and the edge has been scalloped using a soldering iron.  I had pleated the felt the tabs are attached to as I had stitched them too far apart and I thought they didn't have any impact.  The tabs look better like this but the fabric they are stitched to doesn't look too great. The hanging pole is a painted knitting needle painted the same colour as the felt.



Detail of one tab

Tassels and Fringes - Chapter 5 page 47

A looped edged fringe made from woollen thread on wire coat hanger frame and stitched with automatic stitches.

Fringe with looped edge made on wire coat hanger frame.  This has been made from a machine stitched cord with automatic machine embroidery stitches to hold it together at the top. 

A fringe with looped edge made on home made wire frame.  I have used sheers stitched with automatic machine embroidery stitches.  I used a heat gun to distress them a little bit, but they could have been distressed a little more I think.  I have knotted them together in some places. 

Here are three tiny tassels made on a cobbled together frame made from a wire coat hanger.  Using a wire coat hanger as a frame is OK but a bit wonky to use.  These tassels have been made from various threads and knotted.  Tassels can be used in a variety of ways to add decoration to machine embroidered pieces, or as my mother said "you could make some nice curtain tie backs with those Jane "!!! 

 

Sources for Inspiration - page 50 Chapter 5

A montage of some of my photos that I have put together because I love the colours and contrasts.  

 

 



 

 

Designer/Makers -Page 50 Chapter 5

 



 

 

 

 

with the prominent stitching on the chapel, making the building even more imposing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Module Three - Chapter Four

Fastenings - page 37
I have been giving some general thought about what I might stitch as an assessment piece at the end of this module.  No decisions have been made, but I am drawn in the direction of a book cover, wall hanging, or perhaps a bag. 

I think that cords will play an essential part in the making up of the assessment piece and they can be used in many ways both decorative and practical and as a means of attaching other edges and finishes.  I think I can say I am going to stay clear of felt buttons.  I have found more inspiration in folk art and fairground resources, although finding inspirational resources in the folk art area are difficult.  The Tate has a major exhibition of British Folk Art this year which may be a good resource area. 

I have recently purchased 'Indian Textiles' by John Gillow and Nicholas Barnard which has a lot of lovely illustrations of clothing which have interesting edges and finishes.

Whilst on a break in Devon we discovered the Dingles Heritage Fairground Museum, a fascinating place and full of old fairground rides and booths which they are restoring.  Some of the fairground booths and games were those that I remember as a child we spent a couple of hours finding something lovely around every corner and of course lots of laughter. 

A restored fairground horse, Dingles Heritage Fairground Museum

I wonder who is that woman in the mirror?

Restored paintwork, Dingles Heritage Fairground Museum

Cords - page 37


List of items that could have a fastening.

Some of the many cords I have stitched using wool, fabric, twine and string cores.  Some of these have been knotted, plaited and twisted as shown below.



The upper green cord has been knotted with different sized knots, I have crocheted the middle cord into a chain, and the third red cord has a core of chenille and black thread and knotted.





Three cords made from sari silk and twisted together

 

Three cords with woollen cores and plaited together.  The wool has not been completely covered with stitches to allow the wool to show through.

 

Some ways of using stitched cords

 



 

Braids - page 39

Thread braids

 

Three samples of thread braids, described  below.

 

Three lengths of knitting wool stitched together to make a wider braid, with automatic patterns stitched down the middle

 

Individual wool braids, stitched with automatic patterns, then plaited and stitched across the plait with automatic patterns

 

Three thread braids stitched together with automatic patterns.  The threads are made up of different types of twine.

 

Fabric braids - page 40

Apologies for the quality of the photos below, they are a bit out of focus.  All the samples below can be used in a variety of ways, as mentioned in the module, the sari silks were used in making a tassel in another module. 

Three sari silk braids stitched with automatic stitches and metallic thread



Three torn calico braids stitched with automatic stitches.  The calico could have been dyed with tea or coffee to make an impression of age.



 

Felt braids stitched with automatic patterns.  The lower two braids have had the edges burnt away with a craft soldering iron.  These could be used as an edge or alone as a cuff around the wrist or neck.

 

 

Tabs - page 42

As the photo reveals I have had a huge problem in trying to get a neat finish with the satin stitch edging.  I just haven't been able to work out how to stitch without pulling and puckering the fabric.  In previous exercises in this module I have used satin stitch fairly successfully as an applique exercise, but an actual stand alone stitched edge has been very problematic.  I have used a satin stitch foot, an overedge foot and an overcasting foot without any success. 

 

The background fabrics on these samples have been stitched on felt using automatic stitches to achieve a background.  The buttonholes were not a problem either, so I felt very disappointed that I couldn't achieve a good finish on the edge. 

 

Button holes with slits and a stick as a fastener - page 42

This little purse has been made from a background fabric using a red batik which has had painted fusible webbing applied.  A red felt backing was applied using straight stitch.  As described above I had a lot of difficulty getting a neat satin stitched edge, so I decided to apply a satin stitch stitched around a pattern shape before cutting the fabric close to the stitches.  In this way I was able to get a much neater edge, the red felt lining helps with fraying issues but the batik will fray at some point.

 

 

Paper buttons - page 43

The buttons below were made using copy paper cut into long strips glued and painted when dried.  Two of the longer thinner buttons were made from a triangular shape and are longer and thinner than those made from the rectangular strips.  The buttons on the bottom row had further strips of paper glued to the buttons to make different shapes.  The central button had gold thread glued and wrapped around the middle.

 

Paper buttons

 

 

Felt buttons - page 44

These were lots of fun to make, especially using different layers of bright colours.  However, when a couple were cut open it was obvious that they had not been felted enough and the layers started to separate.  A couple have been embellished with beads and some have been made into oval shapes.  The most obvious use of these buttons, to me, is in the making of necklaces and bangles. 

 

Felt buttons, but they take a lot more felting than you think

Having a go at making felt flat buttons below was very difficult as I don't have an embellishing machine.  I had a go at needle felting and produce the purple button on the left by using 2 colours of purple wool tops, I also added a few beads to brighten it up a bit. The top and left hand button were made from slicing felt balls but were too thick to go through the sewing machine.  They were not very well felted in the first place and the layers of wool started to come adrift.

The bottom musturd button was made by felting layers of wool into a long sausage but I was unable to get a nice thin sausage by using my hands and they were beginning to get sore.  However I persevered and got something together and just about managed to get this through the machine and added some machine stitching.  But I felt it was a sad way to end the chapter.


Attempt at flat felt buttons