Design an Accessory Part 2 and a bit more

To maintain the momentum of musing over various design elements  and not taking  any one of these in isolation I  set out three workboards.
SHAPE, SIZE, DESIGN SOURCE Selected three shapes and three designs to play with felt I would see what problems/ practical solutions would be faced in the final piece.  The first design to be tried on each shape was the paisley. 

COLOUR, DETAIL

The colour and detail board, also incorporated references  to Turner's Moonrise, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-venice-moonrise-d32126 and a book on casalguidi embroidery, Embroidery Techniques, Via Laurie, Search Press. 

Doing the colour and detail board had a play with one of the mask images on gimp:

Ref 3.10.7

The details of the design actual go off the edges of this shape, but I didn't have a steady enough hand to draw those in on the computer! The aim of this image was to consider if the colour changing over the mask would work and whether the idea of using the threads either in soluble fabric or bond a web would be a background option for detail.

Ref 3.10.7a

While not actually completing the process put threads on the soluble fabric ( top) and on bondaweb bottom. Ref 3.10.7b

 By putting the tracing paper over these  pieces could see the colour effect that would be produced. Next stage saw these on the shape by layering in gimp programme                                              Ref 3.10.7c

At least this was a way of reviewing each shape and design before making a decision.  Felt  colours needed to be better graduated across the mask.  My notes of things to consider was getting ever longer! 
Ideas for some more design detail had been done in earlier chapters- particularly 4 and 5 but while going through samples found a small unfinished section, see below, which was started a few years ago after a workshop with Pauline Verrinder - it is for a necklace encrusted with bead wraps, in the Fibrefusion book Evolutions.  Adding to the original piece thought it could be used to provide a more textured cording detail - think it needs the beads and a bit more twist and fray.

Ref 3.10.8

Realising I needed to work on fabric rather than paper and as a full mask rather than small samples wanted to consider  
TEXTURE, DIMENSION, SURFACE Experiments 

• first experiment I used machine stiching as design feature and possible support for wires.  OOPS initial idea was to put design on stitch and tear. First attempt rather wobbly. 
• Next attempt put in twin needle the line wasn't wide enough, would need to get wider twin needle
• and then forgetting that I was stitching on reverse had a zigzag stitch on the front. Maybe I was trying too many new techniques, where previous ones in Chapter 4 had provided succesful.  Back to drawing board...

The other aspect that had became apparent was that the fabric needed to take both the weight of details on the body of the mask and also, where the design went off the mask. Then overwhelmed by the number of shapes, designs  and texure options  I said to myself cut it out, calm down!!! 

 Ref 3.10.9

But that in itself started me thinking - could cutout work be a solution- using covered wire on the braids and coils to draw the design and make more openings to emphasis the line . I could  use the colour idea shown in 3.10.7 as a background 'wash' that would 'edge' the braids, coils and beading? Could there be merit in this idea as the design would appear to emerge and provide the shape focus, this would allow the mask to be flexible and mould round the face? Would a butterfly appear from the cocoon of wooly, gimpy thoughts? Would this be considered an easy option?  But perhaps time to stop and ask advice!
While considering the way forward decided to make a piece of free machine embroidery and play with some ideas and see if the fabric would hold the detail and also give space to add stitch and bead detail.  Although the density of the fabric does hold the wired scrolls it could perhaps do with an additional backing layer for just a bit more support if bead detail is added.  The sample below did however mould well round the face  

Beads

From buttons to beads, these two samples  started life as buttons but thought they sat better in the beads chapter.      Ref 3.8.1

Taking the two colour themes two shape templates were chosen from earlier chapters to work the following designs, the paisley shape for Ref 3.8.1 above  and Ref 3.8.2a below

Wanting to get a feeling of movement, but not be too formal, shapes were sketched onto fabric and built the texture to the designs as I went along.  In hindsight think a bit more consideration of the design detail may have achieved better areas of work. I seemed to move onto different ideas before a larger enough area of one idea had been worked. In the yellow/purple sample, Ref 3.8.3 think I went too far in the other direction!!

Ref 3.8.2b side detail to show raised effect

The other shape selected was the shell.
Ref 3.8.3 a                                                                                                 Ref 3.8.3 b

The shell stamp above, has gaps between the stamp giving a feeling of ridges over the surface. Perhaps a line of hand stitching would define this more in the beaded piece.

To get back on track with the specific tasks asked for in this chapter the sample Ref 3.8.4 includes a range of unconventional 'beads' and a few more methods of stitching down onto a hand dyed muslin and felt base with chiffon on the right hand side of the panel.

Going from top left hand section:
Shell fragment and short ribbons of 'pearl' beads; cogs and copper nails attached with buttonhole stitch; dyed squash seeds in a nest of threads, attached with fly stitch, covered in chiffon; assorted metal nuts covered in chiffon and secured in straight stitch and cross stitch grid and a series of bullion knots; 
bottom row left hand section:
computer floppy disk centres covered with threads or felt attached with whipped spider stitch; shells attached with button hole stitch(bottom left) or cross stitch; loop of dyed squash seeds attached with daisy stitch and waste core metal couched onto fabric; electronic circuit components attached with long and short stitch, over and under a chiffon layer.     To show more detail, see below.
                                            detail of Ref 3.8.4 a                                                   detail of Ref 3.8.4.b

Fabrics and Threads

 In the last chapter, Ref 3.2.2a and 3.2.2b I had started to sort out threads that existed in my storecupboard it was now time to do the same with fabrics.  

For this exercise I included the Deb Menz 'Colorwork' colour cards to try and keep me on track! See 3.3.1a and b below

A range of samples of white silk and cotton fabrics were selected to dye and I also included small squares of fabric dyed for Module One,shown at bottom of 3.1.1a and b.  Using dip dyeing and random dyeing techniques the samples, shown in the centre of each picture, show the results also including threads dyed at the same time. 

Concentrating on pinks, yellows and greens, the pinks were the most success and greens the least, see the turqoise (nice colour but not what I had tried to mix)that appeared on 3.3.1b third from bottom on left! 

Wetted fabric seemed to take colour best. I wish I had taken pictures of the fabrics before it was rinsed as the colours seemed more true to my hopes- maybe next time I won't rinse all of the fabric!
Ref 3.3.1a                                                                                                                                                         Ref 3.3.1b

Before doing monoprints on paper (from the last chapter) and fabric I had a play with some ideas of spirals with Gimp programme.  Sian had sent a great set ofcomputer enhanced pictures of one of my spirals from the last chapter, also, a recent trip to see some Pictish stones at St Vigeans had inspired me. As my hand was still sore it seemed a perfect time to revisit spiral designs before getting into the process of monprints, which I recall needed one to move smoothly and at speed!

            Ref 3.3.2a                                                   Ref 3.3.2b

Ref 3.3.2c Celtic cross at St Vigeans

These images show 3.3.2a, top image; centre of Celtic cross(3.3.2c), the middle image;a footprint (found when removating our house) perhaps a hint of paisley and the bottom image; paisley design which comes from my doodle page: ref 2.  In 3.3.2b the left image; my earlier work in the module ref 1a, and the right image;corrugated model 3.2.8a.

Here are the results after further play. The designs were printed onto transfer paper then heat set onto fabrics, interesting to see the colour change of above designs on the fabrics.

  Ref 3.3.3a                                                                                                                                                             Ref 3.3.3b

Printed on dyed green cotton                  Printed on dyed beige cotton                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                     

Ref 3.3.3c                                           

 Printed on hand dyed purple muslin

                                                        Ref 3.3.3d
                         Printed on hand dyed olive muslin

Now to the monoprints. I decided to print papers first and then with colour palette refreshed and fabric medium added, and eventually an irredescent medium added, continued onto the fabrics.  Hoped to get the maximum out of the colours but realised there was still more left on my screen so did some threads as well!

Have had problems with my camera 'speaking' to my computer so these colours look a bit unrealistic, hope to get problem sorted and my cameraphone back in action.

                                   Ref 3.3.4a paper, helix and paisley patterns                Ref 3.3.4b fabric, wheels, scrolls and paisley

                                

                            Ref 3.3.4c  papers on left fabric on right                   Ref 3.3.4d fabric

                                                                            Ref 3.3.4e Fabric printed then flooded - polyester tile print