Inlay applique

The challenge and focus of this chapter lay in ensuring that I was not only recording the method of stitching/work with notes that would help me replicate the stitches/methods in future but in accuracy of cutting and stitch to ensure that shapes were easily slotted back together.  Notes and diagrams were made in paper samples and diagrams. 

For the insertion stitches samples the first sample 27a shows a range of hand stitches and 27b shows machine stitches.  The felt used for the hand stitching is a little busy and detracts from some of the stitching.  The felt for the machine stitch sample was done on a simpler format with reverse strips providing 'contrast'.  The most difficult stitch to execute was the interlaced plaited faggot stitch where six attempts were made to get anywhere near an acceptable piece but as you see my efforts ran dry short of the sample length!!!

                         Ref 27 a hand insertion stitches          New less busy bondaweb pieces on felt                 Ref 27b machine insertion and ref stitch

For the counterchange and counter interchange it became clear that it was important to keep an eye on the 'top edges' of papers/ fabric to enable easy insertion of cut shapes into cut spaces.  Counterchange fabric samples 27c and 27d were made after using paper templates 27c i.  The fabric samples show basic reversal of shapes and 'wrong/ right' sides of fabric being reversed.

                                            Ref Sample template 27c i

                                        Ref 27c ii Half cretan stitch insert                                Ref 27 d Diagonal faggot stitch

The more complex counter interchange sample 27e again reversed sides of fabric but also rotated colour sequence around the piece with matching coloured machine threads defining the sequence.  While I had made a sample machine sewing tension piece I was disappointed that when I had sewed the different weight green thread the width of stitch was still not correct and lost my steady pace on the stitching of the purple shape.

                                       Ref 27e machine stitch insertion and ref pattern

For Interchange Sample 27f I undertook an experiment with turning the new cross shape around to see the impact in paper and then on the fabric sample where I used felt on linen.

                                                                                                     Ref 27f

The choice of linen was difficult as despite tacking the fabric slipped and the insertion joins  were not as tight as felt next to felt.  While I tried to over stitch these gaps, making a bit of a mess, I gradually appreciated that the fray edge could be a 'feature'.  The movement of the inner cross also gave a contrast on the grain of the fabric which gave an additional contrast.  While the undyed linen did little to the colour combination I felt it allowed a clear view of the method.