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.  

Ref 6.11.3c

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

Ref 6.11.4d

Ref 6.11.4b

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!!!