Having fun!

The whole process of having the wax pot on high and being surrounded cups of procion dye is very soothing to my soul. After two days of mixing colours and dyeing I was left with an absolute riot of colourful fabrics just asking to be cut and stitched.

My plan simply was simply to have as much fun as possible with the colour palette I had created. I had no drawings to work from, no photographs or even a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve. My head and hands simply collaborated as clashing colours were selected, cut, bonded and stitched.

I often feel that stitching can be quite a serious affair; this exercise was just about the pleasure that only fabric and thread can give.

Working with laminate

 

Laminate has a beautiful sheen and luminescent quality quite unlike conventional fabrics. A surprising medium to work with but I was persuaded by its potential.

 After experimenting with an assortment of papers, dyes, paints and Batik I had some lovely papers to work with. Once laminated the colours were brighter and deepened by the encapsulation process.

My first experiments involved geometric shapes stitched across free space. It took a while to evolve a successful stitching process as the laminated pieces were prone to slipping under the needle. Once solved, I was able to construct 2d and 3d grids.

By tensioning the joined shapes into a frame work I was able to work in layers. As a photographer I appreciate the difference back lighting can make to a subject. Having looked at the mounted finished layers I could see that some kind of lighting would really enhance the effect of the layered pieces and create more depth.

Whilst the final framed layers of laminate look deceptively simple the many processes and challenges took a while to resolve. My finished ‘lit’ pieces continue to evolve and I have no doubt that I will be working with layers of transparency for some time to come.

Dynamic flower centres

The biology of flowers is both fascinating and complex. I find myself drawn to the charismatic  centres which under closer inspection are wonderfully complicated and convoluted, full of tiny amazing structures.

Gebera have the most beautiful centres of ever reducing overlapping petals surrounding the central disc.

A quick doodle to look at the proportions and provide a template for another sample. 

Flowers are designed to be photographed and used for inspiration

Flowers are designed to be photographed and used for inspiration. They make me smile and feel good and some have a fragrance that transport me back to happy memories from my past.

If sewing is my first passion then gardening is my second. Actually I think the two are very closely entwined.

I took a few pictures of some flowers from my garden to study a little closer, so much beauty and diversity from just a handful of plants. Just five simple petals on the geranium but look closer at the beautiful markings to each delicate petal. As for the clematis with its ruffled petals and complex centre, what’s not to love?

 

“I must have flowers, always, and always”       Claude Monet

A very wise man indeed!

 

More Recycling

From receptacle to receptacle; these containers were made for an exhibition a few years ago.  Whilst I am on the subject of recycling I thought they would be perfect to include here.

Plastic has featured in my work on numerous occasions through the years. This project was for a Gallery Exhibition challenge and I wanted to use plastic in a completely new fashion. Worn out ’ bags for life’ were cut and refashioned  into 1ply and 2ply plastic ‘wool’ for knitting the vessels. The wrapped ‘sweets’ were an afterthought but were a good way to use up the last of the plastic.

It was an extremely time consuming process but hugely satisfying to see waste plastic transformed and reinvented anew.

Pewter Fabrics

 

Family and friends will testify to my passionate approach to recycling; if something can be reused or repurposed it will be.  It is a philosophy that I practise in my workroom also.

So, what to do with the metal trimmings of pewter?  The answer was to create a new fabric from the pieces. After much experimenting with water soluble, layers and stitch the pewter pieces evolved into two differently fashioned materials.

The first is very soft and fluid (first two images). Once stretched out it was very quickly fashioned into simple bookmarks. I think it will have many other uses but as it will be quite suitable for 3d work, I will begin there.

The second piece is very stable and perfectly suitable for stitching, perfect as a cloth on which to stitch more flowers.