The brief for this chapter is to develop a fourth resolved sample to show 'line and texture using free embroidery techniques'. The sample is to be stitched on paper or wire mesh based on the module's learning.
Inspiration
My inspirations were the snakes-head fritillary flower, cow parsley once seed has set and hart's tongue ferns.
I decided that some elements would be free embroidered on paper using acrylic wax and some on heat altered metals, both copper mesh and steel cloth.
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Design
Using the three plant/flower sources above, I considered how I would change their shapes to not make them as they 'are' but as they 'could' look. So I did some loose sketches in my small notebook to find how my ideas might work. As I thought (and woke up thinking) about the processes, I also decided that the forms would be supported on a woven bed of sari silk waste in woodland colours.
A flower
So, I had chosen a snakes-head fritillary from photos in my Spring garden.
Page 62. Plan for plant forms - flower and leaves
Page 62. Notebook page of planning (apologies for sideways image)
Page 62. Planning pages from notebook
Page 62. Initial outline of fritillary on heat treated stainless steel cloth
Page 62. Granite stitch on alternate squares of flower
Page 63. A completed fritillary flower
Page 63. Fritillary with fallen leaf exposing internal wire support
More design - the leaf
I had chosen a hart's tongue fern photograph from my garden and I decided that I would make three leaves. These were to be made using copper mesh as a base and would be self-supporting but to enable them to be meshed into the base fabric, a zigzagged stem was made to run from the base of the stem. I made some drawings (right hand page of notebook). The mesh was laid between two layers of organza in a range of shades the outside shape of the 'leaf' was marked out with cable stitch and then overlaid with an automatic blanket stitch. The central vein of the leaves were stitched with an automatic stitch and then the fabric folded down the length of this line. The fabric was then manipulated into shapes similar to those of a fern. The third of the samples was made in brown rather than green organzas and darker stitch and left without a stem support as it was to be 'crunched' as a dying leaf on the base fabric to denote decay.
Page 63. Completed leaf on either side of flower
Unfortunately I didn't take photographs of the processes use to make the leaves
I wanted to use 'cow parsley' anthriscus sylvestris as my seedpod inspiration. Not from the garden this time but from a photograph taken when the seeds had set last year. I decided to make the seedpod from paper. Two different pale beige-y Indian papers were selected - one heavy and one very light. They were to be cut into circles and block printed with an Indian fern shaped block, stitched with an automatic pattern dividing the circle into eight, where the unstitched elements would be cut away, the remaining arms rolled inwards and outwards and small seeds made from the waste paper, rolled and attached to the downwards turning arms.
Page 63. Plan for seed head/pod (left page)
Page 64. Lightweight paper on left and heavy weight on right - small circle above was stitched into the internal centre to strengthen the papers, Block printed and acrylic waxed
Page 64. Stitched with a fern pattern
Page 64. Waste paper rolled for seeds
Page 64. Completed seed head
Joining together would be done both by hand and stitch wherever required.
The colour scheme would be gentle as I am trying to depict delicate plants in growth and decay.
My sketch is on the right hand page above although this was my first thought, once in creation I decided to use a woven base made from sari waste and copper base for stability. This would then be crunched into a more organic shape.
Plan
Image - my image is to be loosely based on a flower, fern and seedpod
Form- the forms would be created using different methods
Textures - There would be soft (flower), spiky (leaves) and curly (seedpods)
Colours - soft colours, lilacs and greens, browns and beiges
Line - The 3D structure would be flowing as none of the elements would be completely upright
Fabric - stainless steel cloth, copper mesh - both heat altered; organza, silk, paper and acrylic wax
Order of work -
The wires were zigzagged first in three colours 28g wire with dark and pale greens and beige threads.
The seedpods next as I need to block print the papers in advance;
Then the flowers; the stainless steel had to be heat treated in advance
Then the leaves; the copper mesh had to be heat treated in advance
The base was then made weaving sari waste and laying it on a layer of copper mesh and stitched around the perimeter to stabilise it but leave the weave open into which to mesh and stitch the wire stems of the plant forms.
The construction was the final part of the process - the wires would not hold the heads in upright positions and were allowed to droop. the wire stems were intermeshed in the base weave and stitched into place using free zigzag.
Evaluation
I would have liked more supported plant forms and should have used a stronger wire to support them.
I have used granite and cable stitch and free zigzag in this sample but on reflection should have used more free embroidery stitches. I could have done more free embroidery on the base fabric to meet the brief more effectively
Page 65. The finished resolved sample "Growth and Decay"
On reflection, I was not happy with the base of this sample as the colours were not in keeping with the stitched flowers, so I deconstructed the piece and wove another base of more tonal silk sari ribbons which I have purchased since completing the original piece and stitched it to the same copper mesh base with organza beneath to protect my machine. The plants were then re-attached and this time more firmly than before to reduce the fragility of the price. I am happier with the new sample as the colours work better together.
Revised sample
Photo of me working
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