Stitch to Translate

 

Ref 5.10.1

Ref 5.10.2

Taking the rubbings made in Chapter 9 it was apparent that the images showed up better if left medium size.  The rub taken directly from a stone shown in Chapter 3, ref 5.3.1d and then changed to a negative image gave a good result.

Ref 5.10.3

Looking at the rubbings the following stitches came to mind: variations of bullion knots, loop stitch, an exploration of buttonhole stitch and needle weaving. I also wanted to experiment with Cretan stitch and use broad chain stitch as a solid filling.
Before deciding on stitches to translate the marks the fabric was placed over paper shapes and rubbed with oil pastel. Purchasing a slightly coarse black cotton for this task I felt the weave would take the stitch detail and rub better than the smoother black cotton I had used for stitches in Chapter 9. Learning from my mistake of using too small a piece of fabric in the previous chapter a long strip was made.

Ref 5.10.4

 Photos were taken of each rubbing and pictures were turned to stimulate ideas for stitching.  A strip of black fabric became the playground and different threads were used to interpret the fabric rubbing. The same threads were used for each stitch sample except on sample 4a where boucle and tape were also used to do the Litch stitch.

Ref 5.10.4a

Ref 5.10.4b

For the 4a sample french knot, bullion and Litch stitch were used, thanks Sian for information on the Litch stitch - a great stitch for knobby, knotted threads... and it fills spaces quickly! For the 4b sample I started using Cretan stitch but it soon took a journey into herringbone stitch.

Ref 5.10.4c

Ref 5.10.4d

For sample 4c the twists and turns of buttonhole stitch.For sample 4d chain stitch and open stitch were used.

Ref 5.10.5a

Ref 5.10.5b

In stitching the fabric rubbed images the enjoyment came in filling the negative spaces and turning the images around. It gave a feeling of connecting with those who have carved runes and marks onto stone...using the stone to tell its story of wear and tear.

Ref.5.10.5c

Ref 5.10.5d

For the ease of cross reference I have compared the original sequences below.

Ref 5.10.6 a and b

and now rubbings of the stitched pieces

ref 5.10.7 a

Ref 5.10.7b

Chapter 9 Stitching

Ref 5.9.1

Ref 5.9.2

 My thread library covered a range of natural and synthetic yarns.
Perle DMC 80(white and cream),60(cream) and crochet yarns in 5.9.1,cotton and linen threads, tanne (top), then  sulky, natural linen 50/2 , white linen 40/2 and natural cotton in 5.9.2, top three are cotton embroidery yarns and Anchor and Knockando wool yarns in 5.9.3 and synthetic ribbon top, then Monovic invisible yarn. rayon, silk gimp and paper yarn in 5.9.4

Ref 5.9.3

Ref 5.9.4

Working on a black cotton fabric I chose a simple six stranded embroidery cotton for Sample 1  allowing easy variation of thickness to 'shade' the samples. Looking through a host of stitch patterns, with inspiration from the timeless book by Constance Howard Book of Stitches I decided to chose the simplest stitch, a straight or running stitch to see just how much movement and variation I could achieve.
The samples are noted in columns A,B, and C and rows 1 - 4:
SAMPLE 1
A1 shows diagonal lines of running stitch worked in three rows each of 1 - 6 strands.

Ref 5.9.5a

A2 again works through the thicknesses of the thread a 'seed' effect using single stitches has been worked
A3 proved to be a more complex design of horizontal and vertical stepped stitches which would have been easier to work on a canvas structure fabric but persisted and while it looks uneven and not particularly formal its movement as the thread reduced  from 2 to 1 ply across the piece was worth keeping!

Ref  5.9.5b row 1

A4 Trellis effect where a long single diagonal stitch was woven with an opposite directional single stitch which was held in place with a vertical stitch.

Ref 5.9.5c row 2

B1 Two curved rows of running stitch were stitched in one thread and two thread thicknesses. Alternating the size and space of stitch for a second and third set of rows a meandering thread was used to give a feeling of movement.
B2 Back stitch rows were made in a similar sequence of reducing plys and increasing spaces

Ref 5.9.5d: b3,c3 and b4,c4

B3 Couched thread shows a meandering thick thread held in place by one ply of the embroidery yarn
B4 Milanese stitch worked in 3, 2 and 1 ply sequences.
C1 Random shapes in satin stitch gradually build up in this small sample with, hopefully, a feeling of a 'boulder' landscape
C2 Arrowhead stitch using thread variation and also space and size of stitch changes to add interest
C3 Stepped stitch with 1 - 6 ply thickness and gradually reducing spaces gives a hint of a reflective quality?
C4 Straight stitch in a circular pattern which looked quite interesting on both sides of the fabric
For the second sample a variety of threads were to be used to achieve more irregular effects on the same black fabric.  This could have proved to be a bad choice as some of the threads did not 'sit' easily on the fabric.  However as the sample was being used to get irregular  effects I decide to continue.  Note to self, 'perhaps it would be an idea to get a range of slightly large weave fabrics when doing final resolved sampling' 
The samples, noted in columns A,B, C and D and rows 1 - 4:
SAMPLE 2
A1 Weaving, cotton thread and paper string.

Ref 5.9.6a

A2 Meandering shapes were worked in wide nylon thread and then, to give a variation of width, introducing a thin sulky cotton thread stitched in between.  While the effect had a certain symmetry about the stitch intervals a more random approach could make more impact. Note to self: stop trying to make every stitch even - consider wearing eye mask or make reverse the right side!
A3 three stitches in cotton held by finer linen thread
A4time to play with loops held by back stitch in a variety of thread weights

B1 Weaving and looping woollen threads through perle running stitch.
B2 Long cotton thread weaving with contrasting thread weight of linen and sulky yarn
B3 Straight perle threads interwoven with cotton thread in straight and 'v' formation

Ref 5.9.6b samples a2 and b2

B4 Variety of threads from tanne to nylon ribbon used in stem stitch
C1 ribbon, linen and invisible thread used in elongated stem stitch
C2 cotton perle and cotton tube ribbon used in straight stitch over a thick cotton thread

C3 straight cotton threads stitches that intersected at random, a similar effect to seeding but using a running stitch

C4  Woollen threads held with random stitches

Rubbings from relief surface
In preparation for Chapter 10 Ref 5.9.7 shows the Texture and relief in papers from Chapter 3.  To the right of the images are rubbings done with an oil pastel.  The small images need to be blown up to help investigate the stitch patterns that will be used in the next chapter.

Quilting, padding and stuffing

Preparing the variety of fabrics, for padding and top and bottom layers and the trapped items made my work space look like a rather strange laboratory, with interesting exhibits...the task to make them come together in a way that would move my ideas along into making fabric with a texture that would respond to touch as well as the eye. 

Ref 5.5.1b

Ref 5.5.1a

 For first 'quilt' I went for a traditional design with same cotton cloth top and bottom over a fleece padding.  Machine stitching the quilting lines I then decided to fray the fabric as this was a fabric samples which had not been used in Chapter 4

Ref 5.5.2a

The second machine quilted piece using a silk variegated top thread on a cotton organza fabric again padded with the knitted fleece. Using photos to inspire the shapes or stitch lines for the samples but trying to not be too concerned about a literal translation...

Ref 5.5.3a

Ref 5.5.3b

In these hand quilted wadded pieces two different weights of cotton fabric top and tailed a fleece wadding. A 60 crochet thread was used for the stitching. For sample 5.5.3a  pattern I wanted to vary size of the unquilted sections to try and replicate the idea of layers and strata while keeping a grid like pattern. Ref 5.5.3b

Ref 5.5.4

Ref 5.5.4 sample proceeded to use a variety of threads on muslin over fleece for a more angular sample.  Sadly lost my way - having made a simple pattern once into the stitching went off piste; it must have been the excitement of the Winter Olympics that took my mind away from what I was doing.  

Ref 5.5.5

Ref 5.5.6

For the next two samples the inspiration came from the Broch of Gurness but two different techniques were used.  The initial one 5.5.5 was a random hand stitched quilting stitch whereas 5.5.6 used wooden insets for shape quilting. Sadly my mind was still on wadding  and I failed to read notes correctly and carried on with three layers! The error continues on to sample 5.5.7 when I suddenly realised my error and did a 'rescue' and you will see how some of the wadding has been cut away from the wood sections. For 5.5.7 I trapped some feathers between a layer of net and cream cotton organza and tried to define their shape with hand stitched outlines.

Ref 5.5.7

Ref 5.5.8a

Ref 5.5.8.b

For the padded sample 5.5.8a I decided to alternate the padding in each section, using string (central space), knitting wool (bottom left), thrumbs or waste threads (top), found wool fleece (bottom right) and two sections of cotton fibres. The see through layer of cotton was backed by a coloured polyester fabric to add depth. Picture 5.5.8.b shows the reverse and each of the stuffing contents.

Sample 5.5.9  inspire by my stone/shell from Coral Beach on the Isle of Skye could fall between a shaped or padded exploration using melon pips and a cheese cloth top fabric

Ref 5.5.9b

Ref 5.5.9a

Ref 5.5.10b

Ref 5.5.10a

For cords I have show reverse and front sample 5 5.10 where a twin needle was used to make channels in which pipe cleaners were placed with wide spaces between to allow larger cotton tops for padding.  In pushing the cleaners and padding into the spaces the original clean lines made by the twin needle distorted at the curves, but while it showed up errors in the sewing and turning of a curve with the twin needle I decided to keep the sample as it seemed to enhance a natural element!
Samples 5.5.11 and 12 again explore cording with piping, zig zag and a knotted string in an attempt to replicate the erosion of the  Arbroath Abbey wall

Ref 5.5.12

Ref 5.5.11

For a finale  and following an inspiration regarding tea bags on the Distant Stitch Facebook page, thank you Sian, I looked at my morning mug of tea and thought ...I wonder!!!  The original teabags were square but mine... well they were triangles! So here they are top and bottom which is which? There were a multitude of options that I tried but opted for classic shape.  I have a feeling teabags will become another thing to save as the option of tea dyeing was starting to occupy my natural dyeing tendencies.

Stitched Edges

Ref 4.9.1

Ref 4.9.2

Contemplating how the lettering and drawn thread theme could influence the edges of papers I made the following five samples. The idea of loops as well as the angular placement of letter blocks in Chapter 2, shown at the bottom of this blog, where with me for this exercise. Sample 4.9.1 uses machine stitch 6 on my Bernina Activa 140 which provides a multi outlined 'v' shape done here in Sulky variegated cotton thread.  To complete the edges of paper not at the fabric edge I hand sewena variegated perle thread in feather stitch. The background fabric was a thin muslin that was used as a sieve when draining of the water from last pieces of paper pulp and some of the pulp dried onto the fabric.
For sample 4.9.2 I pinned, studded and added tied loops to the edge, this would allow layers to be added but on the left hand side pinned some wide bias binding which was slit so that it could be used as a hinge. The bottom edge had hand stitched button hole detail which could also act as a joining edge if another edge was butted against it.

Ref 4.9.4

Ref 4.9.3

My next themes bound the edges of the paper to add strength.  Sample 4.9.3 on left shows felt borders using machine stitch 7 over the paper and with pulled threads used to decorate the edge with loops or random tied threads replicating the loops and straight lines in the word 'calligraphy'.  This broke up the 'hard' straight edge but border sample 4.9.4 keeps it line when bound in hand dyed muslin and a hand stitch to emphasis lines. More random pieces of the fabric were hand stitched on the paper.

Ref 4.9.5

Ref 4.9.5a

The samples, 4.9.5 and  5a show one piece of paper that was too large for the scanner but the run of a double line of a machine stitch, stitch 14 on my machine, and used on the edges, was also placed in the middle to show that the paper could be folded into a book shape.  The rounded edge of the paper on the bottom left of 4.9.5 would probably look better  as the top right corner of a finished cover, giving a glimpse into the content or index of the book. As in sample 4.9.2 the background fabric was a 'sieved' fabric.

Details from Module 4 Chapter 2