Chapter 11 Making wall hanging - first stage

First stage: working through ideas as to how this could work! To get a better idea as to whether the design would work the A3 worked  papers were torn up. Tearing seemed to help get a feel of the piece and while the shapes lost a crispness as they were  put onto three boards, had a feeling it would be 'play time' for days! It helped seeing colour relationships and the papers were offering stitching ideas as well as they were turned round and round... 

Ref 6.11.1

Ref 6.11.2

This took more time than  expected but then suddenly realised that the image would be better if the blue was the under layer with the outer colours being the top layer! While I had toned down the image, see  6.11.1  the image, where the blue was the top paper  was strong but in sample 6.11.2, showing two panels at the right hand side of the sequence, my torn paper samples started with the blue in the centre and under the green then reverted and put the layers the other way round! I was please with how the skyline seemed to be forming but again needed to reverse!

Ref 6.11.3a

Ref 6.11.3b

Felt it would be better if the image built up from the blue and deemed it would be easier to work fabric for layering. Keeping my torn paper I took note of what I liked about the tones and surface details for later experiment.  

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Ref 6.11.3d

The process had also alerted me to consider light and shade as well as texture.  The papers focused me to write notes on what I liked. The use of a darker pink and green in sample 3a than used in sample 3b would indicate that the light was coming from  the bottom left hand corner of the finished piece and the colours and stitches on the bottom left should reflect this.

At the same time pondered on replicating my colour card to see how to replicate the edges between colours could evolve.  Although using squares I wanted to soften or lose straight lines.  As Sian observed, the  lines in the shade card, below, from   

Chapter 10 .7 seemed to appear and disappear and this was an aspect I wanted to replicate. These had been achieved by pinking, sticking and tearing and this would be interesting to replicate in different weights of fabric.

Ref 6.11.4a

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Ref 6.11.4c

Sorting out a variety of fabric into colours the key would be to explore colour placement and stitching effect. So sample making was a key activity and if a eureka moment happened would noted but stay focused on exploring several options before honing in too quickly. These colours all look bright but the reverse side, layering, felting embellishing with tops and stitching could knock this back: Note to self make samples that celebrate colour as well as those that knock back colour!  For ease of working I had some vilene to pin the samples onto.

Ref 6.11.4e

I also included some colours that were made from 'colour catchers', 11.4e.  While not a domestic goddess who strives for perfect whites in my wash I was alerted to the value of colour catchers for diffused dyed cloth! Thank you Denice, my neighbour at last years TSG Summer School you have made me an addict- if the colours not right , on the colour catcher not the wash!! just put it back into the next wash and maybe chose darker colours to wash.  My clothes have never been so clean!  Sometimes can't wait for wash day...

Ref 6.11.5a

Ref 6.11.5b

Ref.6.11.6

Kept these two pieces close to hand as a reference to possible techniques.5 a and b made for previous Module 3.  Image 6,right shows tissutex as a base for fabrics and papers that was used when I made papers at the TSG Summer School  workshop 2013 with Dorothy Tucker for kantha backgrounds, felt this could be a useful method for me to consider.

Ref 6.11.7

Decisions from first stage:
This storyboard is a form of precis to help me explore the fabrics and stitching that will take me through the second stage of this chapter but thought it best to reflect and get advice to see if I was heading in right direction!  The third stage of full scale sample making seemed a long way away. But took heart in a quote from TS Eliot's  poem Four Quartets.  It sits on my main story board:
We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

By a strange coincidence BBC Radio i player had Jeremy Irons  reading the whole poem, so I took time out to listen.  And the phrase that hit me ...amongst a few others, 'Fare forward Voyager!'.  It is now written in large letters to help me to keep focused!!!

Chapter 10 Converting your design into embroidery

Before converting some key paper designs into embroideries there was a need to consider how to enlarge the small sequences into a much larger piece.  The thought of a piece being A1 was somewhat intimidating, as was the idea of how this could be housed at home or in an exhibition.  The idea of doing three panels had evolved from the last sequence in Chapter 9, shown above left.  Sian's input on developing the idea, see top right, seemed to help solve the problem. First thoughts considered layout 6.10.1 as It seemed to offer the idea of distance.... but  perhaps it would be better to be sized up and allow the design tell the story! It could always be cut back! I played with shapes and a sequence 10.2.

Ref 6.10.1

Ref 6.10.2

Establishing the dimensions the panels would need to be I made full size cardboard story boards: 6" x 25", 12" x 25" and 18" x 25". Had thoughts of building up the layers over the three section starting with just one layer for the left panel.

Ref 6.10.3

A mind map was made to help keep me on track, 10.3 but when you read keep it simple in the middle and then see all the writing in the bubbles this would be a key task. 
As a result decided to just take stock of previous modules and suddenly the image  from Module 1 Resolved Sample shouted out at me along side the work of Herta Puls.

Ref 6.10.4a

Ref 6.10.4b

 Could this be both an effective way of building up sequences across the three story boards -6 inch squares would translate into the scale I wanted to use? It seemed to offer a fluid but stable background to link  layers, shapes and colours across the three sections as shown in 10.2. Other aspects gave it merit, flexible,

Ref 6.10.4c

Ref 6.10.5

interchangeable - could the back be worked in a different tones and turned to provide areas of contrast or allow the piece be shown as a three dimensional piece as in 10.4c... the list went on! Before getting to carried away with structure lets get back on course...but here's the first signs of smudged excitement in 10.5!

Playing with shapes from my trips in the Glen and the lie of the foothills of the Cairngorms my camera allowed me to consider embossing and solarising images.  

Ref 6.10.6a

Ref 6.10.6b

The decision on shapes would help me focus on how to translate samples of fabric manipulation and stitch into my Chapter 11 sample border and then my larger final piece.  These initial samples seemed too busy and distracting so pruned back to a more simple outline. These pictures made me think of thermo imaging  and  looked at a website were animals have been recorded and the fact that a colour code is also used for how endangered various species are in our area. http://www.veterinary-thermal-imaging.com.
Played around and came up with this image which is perhaps a step too far!

Ref 6.10.6c

Ref 6.10.6d

Ref 6.10.6e

I became intrigued by the image which seemed to place a 'human' figure in the centre of the picture.  It had started when a friend I met on a walk into the glen mused  that the  Water of Nochty could have once been a loch in 'earlier' days! Now there's a challenging thought.

Ref 6.10.7a

Ref 6.10.7

There were still decisions to be made on colour choice, this sample card,10.7 , of the backing to pieces from a fabric shop was on my board but needed to consider tones and highlights. Included the brusho ink colours I had used for making papers as a reference point.

 But  now down to ripples and spirals, the chosen shapes from Chapter 9. These seemed to offer not only an answer to giving the essential nature of the place I had chosen but also gave scope to explore biodiversity, the  conservation theme chosen. 

Ref 6.10.8

With reminders put on a story board for each panel I set out  to review previous samples that could translate these themes from Chapters 5, 7 and 8 .  While the colours may not be appropriate for the final piece these previous samples offered a starting point to reworking the paper design 10.8.

Ref 6.10.8a

Spirals:

Ref 6.10.8c

Ref 6.10.8d

Ref 6.10.8b

While looking through the samples and thinking of how they would translate up in size  decided my samples for this chapter should be made up in a larger scale than these originals ones so that I could see a comparison of what technique worked best.
Sample 8d was put in to remind me to consider 'a flight' above the finished piece as noted in 10.2.

Ref 6.10.9

 Ripples: In this selection I felt it was important to consider the part ripples play in reflection

Ref 6.10.9a

Ref 6.10.9b

Ref 6.10.9c

and also consider the other methods of getting texture with fabric weights and different stitching, cording , overlay.   

If these ideas seem worthy of taking forward would play with colours and stitching to take the chapter forward towards Chapter 11.

Spirals

Ref 6.10.10c

Ref 6.10.10a

 Making a cord from various weights of thread it was attached to three layers of abacus paper, reversed and then sewn to hand dyed blue/green cotton. I then made random cuts in abacus paper and fabric to reveal  the cord.

Ref 6.10.10b

Ripples

Ref 6.10.11a

Ref 6.10.11b

Replicating the ripple template on two shades of nylon chiffon using cotton thread in one and silver thread in the other I then mounted on various papers 

Ref.6.10.11d

Ref 6.10.11c

Ref 6.10.11e

Ref 6.10.11f

 In sample 11e the two sheer fabrics were placed on top of each other.  In looking at these pictures I noted that a fray in the spaces would provide interest