Module 6 – Chapter 5 – Free Machine Stitchery to Interpret Drawings

Working from my drawings in previous chapters, I chose several images to translate into free machine stitchery. Each sample measures approximately 10cm square.

06.05.01

the first image I chose was of small bubbles in water, slowly making their way to the surface.

06.05.02

I chose a poly cotton fabric that had been transfer dyed which meant that the printed image was slightly subdued. I pierced small holes in the fabric with a stiletto, and slightly larger holes with a punch, set my machine to zig-zag, and stitched around the holes, rotating my hoop to complete the circle. This was much harder that I thought it would be! I used a lime green rayon thread which had a slight sheen, to contrast against the muted background, and a blue/green/purple commercial variegated polycotton thread to compliment it.

06.05.03

I stretched some transfer dyed polyester lycra into a hoop and stitched tiny circles spiralling outwards, and then back in again, the dense machining distorted the fabric into a lovely little raised pimple in the middle. The threads that I had allowed to trail between each circled, relaxed into a lovely loose ripple when I took the fabric out of the hoop. I hadn’t anticipated this, so it was a pleasant surprise!

06.05.04

I stitched spirals into space dyed cotton scrim using a variegated rayon thread. I loved the way the weave of the fabric distorted as the machine stitching pulled at the warp and weft threads which can be better seen in the image below.

06.05.05

06.05.06

The scribble drawing characterized the waves breaking against rocks. I felt that vermicelli stitching represented this well.

06.05.07

I chose a heavy polyester satin that had been transfer dyed. I stretched this in a hoop along with a quilt wadding and a polycotton backing and stitched with silver metallic thread using a vermicelli pattern. Its difficult to see from the photographs, but this gave a raised quilted effect which was enhanced by the sheen of the fabric. The stitching can be better seen in the image below, but sadly it still doesn’t allow you to see the padded/quilted effect.

06.05.08

06.05.09

Using the same fabric, and vermicelli stitch as above, but without the wadding and backing, I set my machine to whip stitch by loosening the bobbin tension and tightening the top tension slightly. In the bobbin I used a silver/green metallic, and I threaded the top with a navy blue polycotton that I hoped would blend into the background fabric, allowing only the metallic loops to be seen as the pulled through the fabric from the bobbin. Better seen below.

06.05.10

06.05.11

06.05.12

Using a transfer dyed polyester chiffon, I stitched a vermicelli pattern with a twin needle threaded with metallic threads. The fine transparent chiffon allowed the zig-zaging of the bobbin threads to be seen looping between the double lines of the metallic top threads.

06.05.13

Next I chose the concentric ripples of water.

06.05.14

I stretched a transfer dyed polycotton upside down into a hoop so that I could work from the back. I wound a bobbin with a hand dyed variegated boucle thread, loosened my bottom tension to allow for the extra bulk of the thread, and also loosened my top tension slightly. I then used cable stitch to create a spiralling pattern. My machine wasn’t to happy with this, the loops on the boucle thread kept catching on the edges of the bobbin case. I had to keep stopping to re-thread my machine, but I think the result was worth it!

06.05.15

Keeping the loose tension on my bobbin case, I wound a bobbin with metallic silver/green thread, and threaded the top of the machine with a navy blue poly-cotton. This time working from the front of the fabric, I stitched a whip stitch in spirals, pulling the bottom thread through to loop on top of the fabric. In places, the bobbin thread pulled in further as I went tighter around corners. I noticed that I needed to move my fabric slowly and run the machine fast to achieve the most pleasing, densely stitched spirals.

06.05.16

To recreate the more patchy irregular wax crayon lines, I used a zig-zag stitch to fill the concentric lines, turning the hoop continually to form a random pattern. Inspired by my paper shapes in Chapter 2, I overlapped a second set of oval shapes in the opposite direction. Closer detail shown below.

06.05.17

06.05.18

The groups of lines above were originally drawn to represent cloud formations, but I felt that they also characterized ripples water.

06.05.19

Using a space dyed cotton fabric and a polycotton machine thread in similar colours that complimented the dyed fabric, I groups of lines in a simple zig zag stitch. Although the colours in the thread matched those in the fabric really well, it was interesting to see the textural contrast that the stitching created.

06.05.20

To interpret the thicker lines of the chalk pastel, I used whip stitch with a variegated bobbin thread to fill in blocks of stitch in order to represent the nature of the chalk onto a rough paper surface where small areas become ‘voided’ within the drawn line.

06.05.21

I thought it might be interesting to combine the two techniques used above.

06.05.22

With a zig-zag stitch I stitched the groups of lines onto cotton scrim. I chose a thread similar in colour to the background fabric so not to detract from the effect the stitch created on the loosely woven fabric.

06.05.23

Using a twin needle onto a transparent polyester chiffon. I threaded the top needles with metallic threads – one silver/green, and the other metallic purple. The bobbin thread was a plain navy polycotton could be seen through the transparent fabric, looping between the double row of top threads.

06.05.24

06.05.25

I love the rhythms created by the lines in Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham’s water drawings that we studied with Bobby Britnell at Summer School.

06.05.26

I used a mono-printed cotton organdie, and cable stitched lines using a hand dyed cotton thread wound into the bobbin. For the top thread I used a purple metallic thread. This created ‘birds nests’ of metallic thread here and there which I chose to leave in situ. All too often I would re-stitch this sample to avoid this ‘mistake’, but rather than striving for ‘perfection’ I can see here that it might be interesting to take advantage of the  rogue threads and maybe attempt to recreate the built-up of threads randomly in other areas?

06.05.27

I stretched a transfer dyed polyester dress lining  into the hoop with a quilt wadding and a polycotton backing. I used a standard straight stitch to create  quilted lines. This time using a dark navy thread to accentuate the ‘ditches’. I felt the result was interesting, but a bit ‘lifeless’, so, having skipped through ‘Machine Embroidery Stitch Techniques’ by Valerie Campbell-Harding and Pamela Watts, I decided to work further into the sample using a machine basting foot.

06.05.28

I used a short stitch length to keep the stitches as close together as possible for maximum effect, and made the zig zag as narrow as possible whilst ensuring the needle cleared the bar in the centre of the foot. I stitched with a variegated rayon thread and cut the tufts to give a softer ‘frothy’ finish. I really like this technique & think perhaps it needs exploring further.

06.05.29

Using a zig-zag whip stitch, I used a metallic blue, followed by a metallic purple in the bobbin, with navy blue in the needle to compliment the muted tones of the polycotton transfer dyed fabric.

06.05.30

06.05.31

To imitate the thicker, sketchy, irregular line created by charcoal on rough paper I filled in lines of waves using whip stitch and a variegated thread.

Module 6–Chapter 4–Fabrics and Threads–Colouring and Bonding

Various dyeing and colouring methods were chosen to give random colouring effects to selected fabrics ready for use in the following chapters of this module.

06.04.01

I selected a range of polyester fabrics, from heavyweight polyester satin, dress lining, soft, lightweight polyester net, and a polycotton mix. I painted and printed papers with disperse dyes, and, when dry, transferred these onto the fabrics with a hot iron. It was interesting to see how many prints I could get from one piece of transfer paper as it gradually faded with use, and also how the print ‘took’ on different fabrics. The polycotton print was a lot more subtle/subdued/faded compared to the other fabrics due to the cotton content.

06.04.02

I crumpled a plastic bag onto the wet painted paper and allowed it to dry before removing it, to give a lovely water-marked effect.

06.04.03

I got a little carried away printing with bubble wrap, but I think the ‘bubble’ effect relates perfectly to the subject of water. It was also interesting to see the colours of one painted paper transferred onto a paper painted with different colours.

06.04.04

06.04.05

06.04.06

I collected a selection of polyester machine threads in variegated and metallic colours to match my colour scheme.

06.04.07

I experimented with markal paintsticks. The image below was stencilled through sequin waste over a commercially printed fabric.

06.04.08

Again, with markal paintsticks, the fabric below was one I had screen printed for a previous project. The fabric is quite light in weight and so was suitable for frottage over a nylon mesh fabric.

06.04.09

I then soaked a range of cotton and silk fabric in a soda ash solution.

I scrunched and stacked a couple of commercially printed fabrics into a jar, poured dye on them and left them for a few hours whilst I painted the rest of the fabrics.

06.04.10

I also dyed a selection of threads to match my colour scheme. The first was a blue ombre effect.

06.04.11

The other group of threads were dyed in a variegated range of colours.

06.04.12

At the end of a very enjoyable day, I ended up with a pleasing array of fabric and threads to use in the next few projects.

06.04.13

06.04.14

The next method I experimented with was adding colour to transfer adhesive.

06.04.15

I was pleasantly surprised by the results that could be achieved with coloured crayons. I ironed this sample onto plain white felt.

06.04.16

Fluorescent green acrylic paint was watered down, and rippled the backing paper, to give a lovely watery effect.

06.04.17

I painted one of my patterns from Chapter 1 onto the bondaweb with blue drawing ink.

06.04.18

Jacquard Lumiere in pearlescent turquoise, and silver acrylic paint onto bondaweb, then ironed onto plain white cotton.

06.04.19

Silk paints.

06.04.20

White oil pastel circles, and white acrylic paint onto a green/grey polycotton. I thought it might give an interesting effect if I tore the bondaweb and layered the two designs together.

06.04.21

White oil pastel circles onto a dark blue cotton.

06.04.22

I watered down some of my thermo-chromatic printing ink and painted it onto the bondaweb. The colours seemed to separate very slightly giving a touch of a pink halo around the ‘blocks’ of purple.

06.04.23

But the ink still changed colour beautifully when heat was applied!



This year, three people have had a massive influence on my research/studies. At Summer School, Bobby Britnell introduced us to the work of Wilhelmina Barnes Graham. Her sea paintings using rows of wavy lines were so simple, yet beautifully evoked the movement and rhythm of the sea.

06.04.24

Nancy Crow’s amazing EXPLORATIONS IN MONO-PRINTING, showcased at the NEC’s Festival of Quilts. Mono printing has always been my nemesis, I guess I find it too messy and unpredictable, however, after seeing Nancy’s imposing display of quilts, I decided I ought to force myself to experiment further.

06.04.25

In Sumi Perera’s interactive work UNBUILDING BLOCKS: VARIATION ON A THEME at the 62 Group ‘Cntl/Shift’ exhibition at the MAC in Birmingham, she used thermo-chromic printing ink. Sadly, we were unable to see the effects due to Health & Safety regulations, but, as a screen printer, I felt it was something I’d like to explore.

06.04.26

Currently, in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, Cuban artist and activist Tania Bruguera has created a heat-sensitive floor that, when visitors work together using their combined body heat, reveals a hidden portrait of a Syrian refugee, made with thermo-chromic ink.


All this being said, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to experiment with combining all three, so spent the afternoon mono-printing onto cotton organdie.

06.04.27

I mixed prussian blue acrylic paint with textile medium to prolong the drying time and to make the surface softer and more suitable for stitch, rollered it onto a plastic sheet and drew the wavy lines with a rubber colour shape tool before printing onto a piece of cotton organdie.

06.04.28

I then printed a second layer of wavy lines with thermo-chromatic printing ink. Its purple, but turns pink when heat is applied.

06.04.29

On some pieces of fabric I printed a third layer of jacquard Lumiere pearlescent turquoise, which gives a lovely iridescent sheen when held up against the light.

06.04.30

I didn’t intend to print the wavy lines over the spiral image, but due to the speed I was working at, ‘it just happened’! The result shows that two different patterns can work together quite nicely, and I might follow this through with some of my stitching samples in the next chapter.

06.04.31

06.04.32

The purple print layer turns pink when heat is applied. This can be heat from a radiator, an iron, a mug of hot water, or even warm breath. It doesn’t seem to change with heat from my hand, but then its winter, and my hands are always cold!!!

06.04.33

06.04.34

The speed at which you need to work when mono-printing forced me to be spontaneous. If you don’t work quickly, the ink/paint will dry on the printing plate. The patterns created by the wavy lines were much looser and uncontrolled compared to my usual carefully planed and structured pen work.

I also noticed that where I’d concluded that I’d made a ‘mistake’ on some prints, the un-intended pattern led me to think of ways I could possibly stitch into the print in a much less predictable manner in the next chapter.

Working quickly forced me to make ‘mistakes’ in layering colours, which led to ‘happy accidents’. I usually spend a lot of time planning colour arrangements and working out how I think something should look before embarking upon an exercise. It didn’t feel good to be ‘out of control’, but I really think I learned a lot, and am very happy with the results.