Module 4 - Chapter 10 - Book-Type Structures to Try Out

Using dyed & stained scrap paper I experimented with various mock-ups of structural forms to see how many different ways that a book could be constructed.

1001

Clockwise from left: machine stitched concertina book with pages of differing widths, two narrower 'books' oversewn to a central, wider book with oversewn spine, double pamphlet stitched spines with a fold in the middle, bi-folded book with machine stitched spines, pamphlet stitched book with pages of different widths, 4 pamphlets stitched through a cover layer to form a decorative spine.

1002

top left & right, unusual and unconventional ways of suspending books

Bottom left, a book with concerina pages, bottom right is formed by an ingenious method of folding and cutting a large sheet of paper. 

1003

Different methods of stitch were used to connect the pages together. From left to right, top row: buttonhole stitch with jute, gold thread, elastic band with wooden toggles, strings of beads, a stick attached with jute thread, tied raffia. Bottom row: a collection of various blue threads, ribbon, jute, a length of scrim, wool & oversewn raffia.

This was an interesting and valuable exercise. It gave me a lot of ideas and options to think about for my assessment book structure embroidered panel.

Module 4 - Chapter 9 - Stitched Edges

Experiments with stitch to decorate the edges of hand made paper:

0901

The paper edge was folded and glued to give a firm surface. A punch was used to create holes. Raffia and hemp were threaded through the holes forming an over-cast pattern.

0902

A synthetic fabric was wrapped over the edges of the paper. Overcast stitching was used around the edges to hold the fabric to the paper. The excess fabric was then melted away using a heat tool.

0903

An automatic machine stitch was used to decorate the edge of the paper. This was combined with blanket stitch, hand stitched around the edge.

0904

An automatic machine stitched was worked around the edge of the paper, placing thread fibres underneath the stitching to give a soft, irregular appearance.

0905

An undulating rhythm of rough jute parcel string was couched down around the edge of the paper with contrasting cyan embroidery thread. 

0906

Fly stitch was worked around the edge of the paper in groups of three. The turquoise stitch on the outer edge was beaded.

0907

A thin, torn strip of indigo scrim was attached to the edge of the paper using small groups of blanket stitch worked in gold thread.

0908

A piece of blue handmade paper with an irregular edge was attached to a slightly larger sheet of white handmade paper with a more regular edge. This was decorated with randomly spiralling brown free machine stitching, and then in contrast, a row of gold automatic machine stitch in a star pattern was worked close the the edge.

0909

Lock stitch was worked around the edge of the paper with a clump of blue threads stitched around the outer edge, and beige/gold threads stitched around the inner edge. The outer edge was further decorated with beads.

Samples 0906, 0907 & 0909 were inspired by Jan Beaney & Jean Littlejohn's book 'Stitch Magic'.

Module 4 - Chapter 8 - Stitchery into Paper

...so, last year I was incredibly stuck on this chapter.

The idea was to embroider into the papers with the embedded grids, made in the last chapter, using any type of stitchery. The stitching should echo some feature in the research theme of lettering and media patterns.

...then Christmas got in the way!

Fortunately, inspiration struck in the New Year.

040801

Groups of withdrawn threads were bound with buttonhole stitch to create hotizontal bands of stitch. Straight stitches were worked into the paper borders to extend the pattern.

04802

Herringbone stitch was worked in rows to form blocks of pattern. These blocks were then worked perpendicular to each other, diagonally across the grid.

040803

Fly stitch was worked in groups of 3 and overlapped randomly in blue and black thread.

040804

Metallic gold cretan stitch was worked over a machine stitched grid. Torn strips of black fabric were tied to some of the stitches.

040805

Long legged french knots were worked in varying thicknesses of black, blue and red thread, at right angles over the grid.

040806

Straight stitches of blue rafia were worked into a metal grid in geometric shapes to echo hieroglyphs.

040807

Cross stitch was worked in various sizes using varying thicknesses threads.

040808

Using the sewing machine, threads were cable stitched vertically across the grid. Horizontal rows of blanket stitch were worked in various sizes, thicknesses, and colours of thread.

Module 4 - Chapter 7 - To Apply Paper Pulp to a Woven Fabric Grid

For this exercise, I used cotton rag paper pulp from Art Van Go. I dyed one lot of pulp brown and the other blue. Out of haste, I made the mistake of adding the dye to the vat of pulp, rather than dying the pulp first and although the colour was very strong in the pulp vat, it has dried to very pale colours. I also found the cotton rag pulp to be quite 'clumpy' compared to the recycled coloured ppers from my last paper making session. It resulted in much thicker paper.

040801

I withdrew threads from fabric to form a grid, then held the fabric firmly and dipped it into the vat to form a sheet of paper on top.

040802

A grid was placed onto kitchen cloth, then strips of pulp were place around the edges, trapping the loose withdrawn threads.

040803

A fabric grid was placed onto a sheet of pulp, then thin strips of pulp were layed over the top.

040804

As above

040805

As above but using strips of pasterers scrim.

040806

Loose threads were placed onto a kitchen cloth, then a sheet of pulp was layed over the top.

40807

Loose threads were layered on top of a sheet of pulp. then thin strips of pulp were layed around the edges.

040808

A loosely stitched grid was placed onto a sheet of pulp, then thin strips of pulp were placed around the edg to anchor the edges of the fabric.

040809

As above.

040810

A wire frame was wrapped with threads, then dipped in a pulp vat.

040811

A metal grid dipped into pulp.

040812

'threads' withdrawn from a metal mesh, then dipped into pulp.

040813

Sequin waste dipped into pulp.

040814

Plastic canvas grid dipped into pulp.

040815

A wire frame wrapped with threads and dipped into pulp.

040816

Nylon fruit netting stretched across a wire frame and dipped into pulp.

Module 4 - Chapter 6 - Drawn Thread Work Stitchery

Well, I love hand stitching, but having never done any form of drawn thread work before, I found this chapter to be a very steep learning curve. I read all the recommended books and still found it difficult to understand what was needed. I followed Sian's instructions, step by step, but when I looked at the blogs of other students who had completed this module, I felt that I was falling hideously short on creativity and independent thought. I had to engage my brain and experiment!

040601

Threads were withdrawn in bands & then threaded, from top to bottom: woven rick rack, woven twig, woven fabric, knotted fabric strips, raised chain band stitched with wool & herringbone stitch with string.

040602

Blocks of threads were withdrawn horizontally and then stitched in patterns using needleweaving.

040603

Threads were withdrawn in both directions from the centre. The loose ends were stitched down around the edge of the fabric. The diagonal bars were then stitched, using, from left to right; double rows of buttonhole stitch with cotton a broder, twisted raffia, wrapped with fancy yarn, needle weaving with embroidery thread, wrapped with fabric strip, loosely wrapped with hemp, double rows of wrapped gold embroidery thread, wrapped with a group of blue fancy yarns.

040604

Threads were cut and withdrawn in both directions. The raw edge was then blanket stitched. Stitches were then worked on the crossover intersections of the withdrawn grid, from left to right; tightly wound, then loosely twisted coton-a-broder, loosely wound hemp with beads, tightly wound gold embroidery thread, cream fancy yarn, cream cotton scrim, a clump of cream fancy threads, blue sweety wrapper held down with pale blue knotted thread.

040605

Wide bands of threads were withdrawn vertically, then folded and machined together forming tucks. The loops on the middle row were seperated and held down in opposite directions with a cross stitch.

040606

Every other thread was removed in one direction, then machine satin stitch was worked in stepped blocks.

040607

Groups of threads were withdrawn vertically and horizontally, then zig zag stitched was worked over the remaining bands of vertical threads. Clumps of withdrawn threads were then woven, plaited, twisted and knotted back into the withdrawn grid. 

040608

Threads were snipped in the centre and withdrawn from the centre outwards. The blue colour from the centre of the fabric was folded back and displaced onto the cream of the outer edges with bundles of threads that were held down with bars of machine stitching. Short lines of close zig zag stitch were worked over the bars in diagonal steps.

040609

Threads were withdrawn from the centre outwards in both directions to make withdrawn bands of varying widths. Machine zig zag was worked in both directions in continuous lines over the bars. Blocks of needleweaving were then formed in the withdrawn grid.

040610

Bands of threads were removed horizontally and then machine zig zag was worked in both directions forming a grid. Threads and fabrics were then threaded into the grid.

Although it was a mental struggle, I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter. I think I have learned to be a little more inventive and discovered some wonderful ways of decorating grids!

Module 4 - Chapter 5 - Drawn Thread Work

I selected a nice evenweave linen scrim and cut it into 7" squares. The linen was already a 'manilla' sort of colour, so I decided to try painting areas of bleach onto it to get a lighter 'off white' colour. This worked really well, but I now understand why Sian suggested painting with cold water dyes as when I washed the bleach out of the fabric, it frayed quite a lot. When it was dry I painted additional bands in a turquoise blue procion dye.
I mixed up a jar of dye, a jar of soda ash and a jar of salt so that I could mix a small amount of dye whenever it was needed, enabling me to colour just a few squares at a time.

40501

I was reasonably pleased with the end result, but felt that the natural colour of the scim did not contrast highly enough with the bleached areas, so I painted over these with a strong tea solution.

40502

Before re-planning my bleaching stage, I wondered if it was neccessary to wash out the bleach, so I tried a small sample & let it dry. I thought the bleach might affect the procion dye when I painted this over the top, but it didn't. The colours remained strong. As an added bonus, I didn't loose the firm handle of the scrim.

40503

This achieved, I proceeded with the first exercise of the drawn thread work. Threads were withdrawn (in pairs so that the weave structure remained intact) from each square of fabric, forming different patterns.

40504

Random groups of threads withdrawn horizontally.

40505

Threads withdrawn in a pattern of 4x4

40506

Groups of threads withdrawn to form both large & small holes on the fabric.

40507

Groups of threads withdrawn randomly in both directions.

40508

Threads withdrawn in fibonacci series.

40509

Weave threads pulled sideways in both directions creating a distorted edge and also displacing the colours internally, similar to Ikat weaving.

40510

Weave threads pulled inwards from the central area, creating loops and displacing colour. I like the way the holes are created when pulling threads from opposite directions. It forms a sort of contrast to the loop effect.

40511

Several neighbouring threads were partially withdrawn. These were re-threaded into the weave in one 'clump' as a band and then anchored with a twisted knot.

40512

The weave has been withdrawn in bands in both directions. The groups of threads have then been re-woven in rotating patterns. These were then held in place, and decorated with additional machine stitchery.