Textural contrasts

Letting ones fingers judge the quality of the pieces gives a certain novelty... having been felt it seems to  release the imagination to 'see' the texture and contrast.

Ref 5.7.1

Labelling the grid pattern, made on a backcloth of calico, the items are set out to achieve a contrast in texture, colour tone, height, shape and profile.
A 1 Cream sateen cotton cloth with a sheen that gives a smooth feel. Textures of undulating tucks that form grooves and shadowing
A 2 Soft white cotton  cut on the biased, rolled and frayed to give a light initial touch that has a firmer core of gathered fabric. The folds reveal light and shade in the swirls. 
A 3 Tubes of plastic and wood captured in a coloured, firm cotton which has a fleece wadding.  Initially machined stitched the tubes are held in place under alternate sides of the fleece by perle cotton thread.  White emulsion was used to dull the colour back.
A 4 Soft white cotton and linen thread knitted into a tube rope with alternate plain and purl surface wound into a spiral that encourages rubbing and dipping.
B 1 A springy nylon knitted fabric under a coarse nylon net that has been randomly caught with thread gives a rough surface that lifts from the surface.
B 2 An open weave cotton is frayed and then two circles, that are hand stitched, are gathered and stuffed to show the soft rounded quality of the base thread
B 3 A  double layer of light, coarse calico which has been machine stitched and trapunto filled in two triangles. Sting attached with zig zag stitch to contrast the smooth quality of the padding.
B 4 Extended elasticated nylon lace machine stitch mounted on folded cotton muslin and then allowed to contract leaving a softly ridged surface.
C1 Smooth cotton poplin that has been hand gathered to prepare a surface which could be used for textural stitching for display/ornamentation.
C 2 Sateen cotton that has been pleated and then snipped with loops folded in different directions to provide a sculptural fabric which emphasises light and shade rather than the flat non reflective fleece in C 3.
C3 Snipped knitted fleece fabric attached to folded cotton muslin to form a circle that can be manipulated into different shapes.
C4 pleated acrylic felt that is folded and caught with thread. Assorted fabric remnants placed in fold to add sharp interest to shadows in folds.
D 1 Four grades of rough linen and jute canvas stitched and decorated with rolled selvedge
D 2 Tyvek and nylon lace pleated onto metal skewer and gently melted over candle to produce a bond that gives a structured but flexible surface that is also flexible
D 3 Stiffened even weave linen that has had threads pulled but not withdrawn to a grid pattern that results in crumpled, bulbous shapes in centre
D 4 gathered nylon patterned lace placed over silk tops that sits on nylon fabric.

The sample 'checkerboard' has shown a quick way of testing out ideas for the placement of sections in a finished piece. While I'm not sure that 16 different techniques will be used  this technique helps to establish how the surfaces work together. The following photos  help to hone in on smaller sections.

More detail of A and B                                      More detail of C and D

 These photos have been re taken to try and improve on the images in close up