Each layer of fabric is stitched with areas of textured machine stitchery. Patches of fabric are then cut or melted away to reveal the surface below.
I found this exercise quite challenging when trying to decide which layer to put down first in order to achieve the desired effect in an attempt to replicate patterns created in Chapter 2.
SAMPLE 1
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| 06.06.01 |
For the first layer, I stitched circles in a very pale green colour in an attempt to reproduce one of my papers that had been decorated with bleached out circles.
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| 06.06.02 |
I used big machine stitches to outline the shapes that I intend to cut away (so that I can unpick later). I then used a variegated light blue thread to create stitched texture in alternate panels.
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| 06.06.03 |
This created a very interesting texture/pattern of stitchery on the back of the fabric!
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| 06.06.04 |
I then cut away areas of the top fabric to reveal the surface below. I have to admit to doing a little dance at this point! The design was very subtle as the fabric and thread colour I had selected were of similar hues, but even so, the result was so exciting!
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| 06.06.05 |
To take the design a stage further, I stitched into a panel of cotton organdie that had been printed with thermochromic ink.
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| 06.06.06 |
I place this on top of my previous design, put a layer of polyester chiffon on top, and stitched small blue circles to imitate the sequins on my paper designs.
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| 06.06.07 |
I cut away the unstitched sections.
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| 06.06.08 |
Image above with heat applied. Image below when allowed to cool.
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| 06.06.09 |
Then I cut away the top two layers in stripes in attempt to replicate the original paper design below.
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| 06.06.10 |
this is the original paper image I was working from.
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| 06.06.11 |
For my next sample, I stitched circles with a variegated thread over polyester sheer, then burnt away the excess polyester sheer with a soldering iron. This was an attempt to imitate the bleached out circles on a black quink ink background. I think its pretty effective!
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| 06.06.12 |
I then stitched blocks of whip stitch in straight lines over space dyed cotton, then cut away in wavy lines.
At this point there was a decision to make. Should I cut the outside rectangle of the ‘blue’ fabric so that it appears to ‘sit’ on the black fabric, or should I leave the ‘blue’ fabric whole, just cutting out slits for the wavy lines, allowing the pattern to ‘sit’ on the ‘blue’ background????? I chose the black background as I felt it gave the design ‘weight’. The contrasting black gives a lively, vibrant appearance to the bright colours of the fabrics and threads on the layers above.
I frayed the edges of the cotton a little which seems to make the fabric integrate with the layer beneath and to make the edges appear less severe.
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| 06.06.13 |
Again, I was excited by the back of the fabric, and the ‘mark making’ my stitching had formed, quite unintentionally. I think this is something I will need to record and revisit in another project at some other time. It’s worthy of further exploration.
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| 06.06.14 |
I then straight stitched and zigzagged wavy lines over mono-printed cotton organdie, and cut away in wavy lines, perpendicular to the previous wavy lines. I like the crisp, paper-like nature of cotton organdie that makes it easy to stitch, cut and handle.
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| 06.06.15 |
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| 06.06.16 |
Original paper image.
SAMPLE 3
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| 06.06.17 |
| transfer dyed polycotton fabric was stitched onto printed polyester sheer, and cut away in wavy lines. |
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| 06.06.19 |
The strips that had been removed from the last cut, were re-arranged and appliqued to the design, allowing the darker purple background to show from behind.
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| 06.06.20 |
The finished sample was then cut into quarters and re-assembled to imitate the original paper design below.
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| 06.06.21 |
The sample was held together by stitching around the circular pattern again, onto a cotton dyed background (and with the help of a little bondaweb!)
SAMPLE 4
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| 06.06.22 |
I stitched rust dyed cotton scrim to black fabric with rows of zigzag machine stitch
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| 06.06.23 |
Then cut away lozenges to expose the 'watermark effect' printed background fabric.
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| 06.06.24 |
I then stitched small bubble circles in wave shapes
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| 06.06.25 |
and cut away.
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| 06.06.26 |
For the final layer, I stitched wavy lines over blue/green printed polyester organza, to further ‘fracture’ the design, and cut away.
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| 06.06.27 |
I think this represents the original design from Chapter 2 quite successfully.
SAMPLE 5
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| 06.06.28 |
I used a decorative stitch programmed on my machine to stitch wavy lines in bright blue variegated thread for the background.
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| 06.06.29 |
I then stitched circles onto a second layer of black fabric to reflect the bleached rings on my paper sample.
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| 06.06.30 |
Then I cut away to reveal the stitching below.
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| 06.06.31 |
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| 06.06.32 |
… and cut away to reveal the layers below.
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| 06.06.33 |
The organdie had been mono-printed with thermochromic ink.
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| 06.06.34 |
On a layer of purple, randomly dyed fabric, I stitched more circles to represent the sequin waste pattern printed onto my paper sample.
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| 06.06.35 |
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| 06.06.36 |
Its not a bad representation of the original image, but I’m not so happy with the result as I am with the others. (It looks like a game of snakes and ladders!) I think it probably looks a bit ‘rigid’ and contrived. The original paper sample had been cut and re-arranged many times. This cannot be achieved just by cutwork.
Also, the squares that I had applied with cotton organdie were an attempt to reproduce the transparent layer of painted and ironed bubble wrap that had been woven between the slashed background strips. As the bubble wrap is transparent, the blue background is much more visible in the paper sample. The purple mono-printed organdie in the stitched sample is very opaque in comparison.
I could either somehow apply another layer of cutwork over the top, perhaps in blue, to re-introduce the background colours. The blue seems a bit more prominent in my paper sample.
Alternatively, I could cut through the whole design and offset the strips in a similar way to the paper image.
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| 06.06.37 |
original image.
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| 06.06.38 |
the easiest way to experiment with both options was to slice an image on the computer and fragment. This leaves me with the original to experiment with layering, stitching and cutting away one more time…
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| 06.06.39 |
Both options are a marked improvement I think.
