Friday, November 1, 2024

PRINTING ON FABRIC

My last entry was mostly full of stitching and all things textured so for a complete contrast this post is mostly full of printed fabrics with just a smidge of stitching.

I had myself a fabulous two days with just my gelli plates and a selection of acrylic paints. I pretty much started early in the morning on both days and worked until I ran out of room! I did read up a little on the subject of printing on fabric but decided that if I was going to find a fabric and method of printing suitable for my requirements then I was going to have to experiment and find it for myself. 





Many pieces of fabric and test papers later and I thought I was finally getting somewhere. The prints above were made with my own stencils and mix of paints. I have two gelli plates, one of which I keep scrupulously clean. The second plate is covered in printing marks, oddments of colour and bits of hard paint which I use to add a very textured and unique feel to the print.  I wasn't too worried about the complexity of the print or its visual qualities; my principle aim was to have a printed fabric that retained its suppleness and soft draping quality along with being very suitable for stitching. 

We won't discuss the state of my kitchen (so carefully draped to protect any splashes) or the colour of my hands and apron but what I will say is that despite the mad professor approach to the printing I did in fact have my eureka moment! So, I now have a method of printing unique to myself which I can repeat concentrating on the art and not the process. Hopefully this will result in a more liberated quality of print.

Time to try out the theory and work on some soft furnishings. The two pieces below have been stitched and are ready to be made into cushion panels. Each piece is approximately the size of the large gelli plate so I will be using a second plain fabric to complete the cushions; the plain colour will serve as a contrast. If successful I will need to consider printing on larger pieces of fabric but that is another story for the future.

 

From work in progress to a finished piece (below) in my abstract set of stitched and layered floral themed pieces. This was constructed from the 'test' papers using wet strength tissue. 

Time to go and finish my cushions and think about adding a proper painting studio (with taps and a sink please) to my Christmas list!!

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

STITCHED TEXTURES

I fully intended to sit and write a few words several weeks ago but as always the days fly past and another month seems to have completely disappeared. In between times however I did have one very amazing family holiday. We packed the cars to capacity with adults, children and dogs not to mention a stack of provisions. I managed to find a space for some needles, threads and beads but sadly the sewing machine wouldn't quite fit no matter how hard I tried!

The holiday was wonderful, the scenery and countryside beautiful but sadly ended all too soon as does most good things. 

The week before setting off I completed the machine stitching on this embroidery with the aim of finishing the hand stitching whilst away. I managed to achieve my ambition but not by sitting comfortably relaxed in an armchair or outdoors in the sunshine as I had hoped but rather I was perched on a hard wooden seat in front of the biggest window I could find. I should explain that we stayed in an extremely old house built entirely of stone, the walls of which were almost a metre wide. So, when not out and about, swimming, walking or cooking up a storm I found a few moments to stitch and wonder how just a few centuries ago did the women (and men) in dark, gloomy rooms manage to stitch such exquisite work without windows and electric lights?


Poppy and Dahlia Delight


Rose and Pansy Parfait

The latest additions to my floral adventures are now complete and continuing the garden theme are entitled Rose and Pansy Parfait along with Poppy and Dahlia Delight. My set of four hand and machine textured pieces are ready for mounting and framing before carefully storing away to become part of an exhibition next year. I endeavoured to challenge myself in trying different methods of stitching, beading and all things embellishment to add more layers of texture and hopefully I have succeeded. The colours are never quite true when photographed but overall are accurate representations of the originals. As with everything I have enjoyed working on I would now happily repeat the stitching having looked and found a few improvements that I could have made, but that is a stitching story for another day.

Back to the Gelli plate and I have been experimenting with watercolour and oil paints, inks and more mark making. Early days yet as I am still refining my techniques but as with all things painterly there really are no right or wrong ways to work and learn so I will just continue on my journey until I have a series of printed papers that are shouting at me to be collaged and stitched.


The image above is of a few of the more successful pieces from my efforts last week to refine using the Gelli plate for printing on fabric. These were printed onto previously dyed fabrics in order to reduce the number of layers needed to achieve a reasonable and interesting surface design. All the printed fabrics I have so far are perfectly usable but I was hoping to be a little more creative with their use but so far the process does mean that the fabric after printing loses its suppleness and ability to flow or drape when stitched. I have read a few articles on the subject but in the true spirit of experimentation I have now ordered several different fabrics on which to test my sparse knowledge but growing enthusiasm. I suppose I am hoping for my very own eureka moment and you never know I just might be lucky!



Last but not least and completely out of sequence are my efforts at something a little different. It is very much a trial and error piece but as ever I am happy to share my learning curve with you all.

I was out walking with Jackson on a very wet and grimy day when he stopped to admire a clearly delicious smelling tree. I looked upwards to see some beautifully textured bark and a very interesting burl that resembled a cauliflower. I took a few pictures but I was already stitching in my head faster than my legs could carry me home! Several mornings later my interpretation was finished. It is far from perfect but I like the direction in which I am travelling and it certainly warrants further investigation.  



What's not to love about a foxglove!

Friday, July 12, 2024

ONE THREAD LEADS TO ANOTHER

As I write, I am looking out of very wet windows into a very wet garden. The hydrangeas and busy lizzies are extremely happy but all the other flowers are looking rather battered and bewildered. In between the showers I have been manically dashing outside with my camera or trying hard to find a perfect bloom to bring inside.

 

I was recently asked how I work when stitching smaller items such as these textured pieces. The question was related to how I select the colours rather than the sewing method. The answer is that I start with quite a lot!

For these textured works I have mostly worked from a photograph or the real thing and quite a large space! For the piece below I began by selecting thread colours that loosely resembled several different salvia and rudbeckia from my garden to which I added some complimentary colours (mostly suggested by some phlox that was growing alongside). Next I added some lighter and darker thread shades along with a selection of beads. This can often be a sprawling affair as I am choosing threads of different weights and thicknesses for hand and machine stitching and more often than not one thread leads to many others.

As I work this is gradually whittled down and the colours I choose are put on a plate so that I can find them easily as and when required. I have taken to laying everything on a piece of white card as I find this easier than on the green of the cutting mat in my workroom. There is absolutely no substitute for daylight so when the light in my room leaves much to be desired I simply carry the card outside.

As I take so much inspiration from my garden or the beautiful countryside surrounding my home I thought that I would embark on a series of embroideries on a floral theme. This was the first which I called Peony Sorbet.

The second piece on my journey is called Delphinium Sunset and I was lucky enough to be able to select my colours before a deluge drowned the beautiful flower spikes. 


I was so inspired by the colour combinations that I paused stitching to stop and make a selection of papers using the gelli plate and went off on a very happy tangent for the rest of the day!

The delphinium spikes are now a soggy mess of seed heads but I have two very different pieces to remind me of beautiful sunsets and luscious flower spikes.

I have just treated myself to some new and very long overdue sewing machine needles, one pack of which has the largest eye that I could find.  All I need to do now is to experiment with thicker threads to see what different kinds of effects I can achieve using the basic utility stitches and which of the thicker threads will survive the stress and speed of free machine stitching. Hopefully this will lead to a greater variety of textures and stitches which I can incorporate into my work.

I am resolved to try and capture with my camera as many individual flowers as I can to keep me going for as long as possible regardless of the weather at the moment. So I will take my leave with a few images of floral delights from the garden.




Friday, June 7, 2024

 BEADS and CURVES


Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time switching between the two chairs in my workroom as I have alternated between hand stitching on one and legs tucked under the sewing machine on the other. I was still exploring the possibilities of curved edges and although I never set out to make a slightly raised edge somehow during the making process I did! I am not sure if it will be a technique that I will need in the future but I can at least repeat the method. The other thing to note is that for someone who has never been over fond of the ‘bling’ of beads I now seem to have almost used up my complete supply; nasty addictive little things!!! 


 

From wavy edges to a full circle just because I wanted to see what it looked like? Suffice to say that I moved on very quickly having failed to see where it might lead me, plenty of scope for different stitches but it just looked too rigid. Not to be viewed as a waste of time however, just a learning curve quite literally! I much prefer the movement of stitches as they meander and flow. For the time being this one will be filed in the ‘possibly, maybe, one day’ box!

 

My hand embroidery threads stash was rapidly dwindling but I managed to find enough for another piece with matching curved edges. I stayed with the beads for the edging as I very much like the soft finish that they give. The mixing of hand and machine stitching gives me greater scope to vary and control the textures on the surface. I was also interested to note that the same stitch worked in different thicknesses and types of thread gave a very different finish almost to the point of it looking like a different stitch. All very obvious really but it has given me plenty of ideas to try out both by hand and machine. I had for instance been working with thicker threads in the bobbin for added texture using the sewing machine but now I will be working on the premise that if the thread will go through the needle and doesn’t break then it will be good to stitch on the surface with.

 

My last piece to share with you is more of the same but taking a rectangular format (not overly sure if I am quite so keen if I am honest). It wouldn’t be my first choice as a colour scheme but along with a dwindling supply of beads I have now run out of sparkly threads and my supply of hand threads is woeful indeed. But, trying two curves was a good idea and also facing the curves in the same colour beads worked well. 

Moving forwards I will need to consider whether I am exploiting the curves to their best advantage and if the work is at all suitable for 3D or robust enough for any kind of accessory. But before any more stitching I will urgently need to replenish my supplies. 

Sometimes I can be very inspired by a design idea perhaps taken from a photo or sometimes a single colour will be enough to spark a train of thought. When printing or dying fabric I make and mix my own colours which I thoroughly enjoy and are an integral part of the design process so it will be interesting to see where going shopping for colours leads me!

I didn’t feel that I had travelled very far on my creative journey over these the last few weeks. But, looking now at the photographs I can see that I have; it’s just that the finished pieces are comparatively small in size.  So very time consuming in the making but every stitch was worth it.

I frequently see horses when out walking, hardly surprising really as there are several large stables close by. But, in all the years of treading the pathways in and around my home I have never found a horseshoe. This changed very recently when to my surprise I found three in as many weeks! I am very aware of the many superstitions surrounding horseshoes but I have decided to take this ‘find’ as a large hint that I am long overdue an Eco Dyeing session and the rusty shoes will be the perfect addition for my bucket of 'dirty pot water'.

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

IT MAY COME IN USEFUL!

'SPRING'

'SHOWERS'

I had two very interesting pieces (from my previous BLOG) to work with and explore further and that was always my intention until I had been enjoying some long overdue gardening time. I came indoors fresh with ideas to capture the notion that spring had finally arrived! I duly set to work and the first piece was printed, cut out and ready for stitching very soon after. Later that week I woke to the sound of torrential rain and all thoughts of more time in the garden promptly evaporated; piece number two was my response to the wet and windy weather viewed from my workroom window. 

When I have the sudden need to create a new set of prints for whatever I am working on I always start by looking in my box of what I fondly call misprints. These are in fact just simple 'failures' or 'backgrounds in waiting' but often make good base papers for printing over.  As the ideas were buzzing in my head I was quickly able to start work by utilising some of these papers. Sometimes I am so glad that I find it difficult to throw things away and work on the principal that it 'may come in useful' and it usually does!!

I used the same leaf stencils for both designs but not unsurprisingly the different colours I used gave a completely different feel to each piece. I like the effect of the spring colours melting subtly into the background whereas the stronger colours in the second one give more of a contrasting impression and louder impact.




I have been experimenting for some time with dense machine embroidery and complementary hand stitching for embellishment. These little 'landscapes' are pure imagination with the original idea coming from freshly opened 'geode' rocks and the stunning crystalline and mineral matter formations contained within the shells. The beads are a nod to the tiny crystals and whilst I am not a huge fan of beads they work extremely well as a foil to the matt embroidery threads. 
                                                                                   

This last piece was was an experiment to add a a wavy edge and I think and as experiments go this was a success. I very much like the soft finish as opposed to the straighter lines although both may have a purpose yet. I now need to give some thought to its function and method of presentation, could it even be a contender for 3D work? Lots to think about and consider especially as the textured surface is very tactile and wants to be touched! 


Finally, this is the work in progress from my last entry that very nearly didn't make it!  I just couldn't resolve how to finish the the final layer and it seemed to have been sitting around for ages. There were several shapes/motifs floating around and completely by accident I spilt the metallic blue circles across the surface and thankfully I liked what I saw. Perhaps this happy accident will prove to be the way forward when a resolution is too long in the waiting!!

Thursday, April 4, 2024

 ALL THINGS EXPERIMENTAL

I decided today not to begin with any comment on the lack of sunshine but here I am with my opening sentence in my head and it’s all about the weather!! Suffice to say that there is no torrential rain, gale force wind or cloud induced darkness in my workroom and I have spent a happy few weeks making merry with all things ‘experimental’.

My first aim was to create a larger background on which to work (half of a full sheet of tissue paper at least so roughly A2 in size) but, my gelli plate is only 14” by 16” so I spent a few happy mornings working out how to print a background that looked as if it were "by design" rather than a series of overlapping prints with a disjointed feel.


Many sheets of paper later I am approaching the effect that I was striving for and now that I am happy with the process I can begin working on a series of landscape style pieces for future use. Whilst working I had a happy accident with a not quite monochromatic moment meeting a pale but interesting layer. Suddenly I had an area to focus on so I tried something completely different using pens to draw on the plate.

So very different from how I have been working lately but with the addition of stitch I really like the idea so it is destined to become another technique to explore. It reminds me of black wrought iron work so it will be an excuse to take the camera and look for some gates and fencing to provide a little more inspiration. 

Still in an experimental mode I had a series of small colourful landscape style backgrounds left over from my earlier printing attempts which were just asking to be used in some fashion. Walking Jackson earlier in the day I had been struck by the dark sky line meeting the woods and I found myself making some Prairie Points which I decided resembled trees! Once I had started I couldn’t stop and before long I had amassed several little piles of different sized points! Next, was to cut some of the prints into suitable curves and then with a little hand stitching I had a landscape with added depth and again something different to my usual working style.

So, now I have several new ideas to explore and see if any will be viable on a larger scale. Plenty to keep me busy for the next few weeks or so.

My final photograph to share is of what I am working on at the moment. I have a painterly style background with strangely for me quite a lot of shimming gold along with some abstract shapes inspired by a rummage in my ‘really useful box of cardboard packaging pieces’! I look forward to sharing the results soon. 

PS. Whilst digging up newly set Hellebore seedlings from the gravel the sun made an appearance so it would have been very rude of me not to find my camera!



Wednesday, February 28, 2024

RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN

You should be looking at a picture of zingy lime green hazelnut catkins in the sunshine but things didn’t quite work in my favour photography wise this month. I took Jackson to the woods several times to see how wet underfoot it was and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest! Suffice to say that short of swimming past the ducks in their new woodland pond it was going to be a while before I reached the catkins. I resolved to return with my camera but for the last few weeks we have lived under a cloud of perpetual rain and by now I fear the catkins will be past their best for this year.

The Hellebores in the garden have not disappointed in the slightest but as I have posted  close ups of the flowers last year I thought I would cut a selection for a vase to photograph. That didn’t work out according to plan either. I selected a vase and set off with the secateurs but couldn’t bring myself to cut the stems; what am I like?!  So here is something a little different in style for me. Still featuring flowers, albeit not Hellebores but I do have a vase!


I am pleased to report that my 'work in progress'  is now finished and ready to share with you all. Taking photos of my work as it progresses has proven to be a very useful tool over the last months. When I really can't work out if I have the placed the pieces in the most pleasing fashion I simply take a photo before moving them around and compare. If I still can't decide I just leave the room and make a drink before returning and deciding. Sometimes this can take a while until I am completely happy.

Having two completely different methods of working on the go at the same time has been quite a novel experience. I was able to pick up and put down the hand stitching as and when time allowed. This left the machine stitching, printing and everything else for after walking Jackson. The mathematical formula for this seems to be relatively quite simple - The longer he walks and runs the longer he sleeps which means I can give my work my undivided attention. We are usually out each day for a couple of hours but this has benefits for both body and mind as I find when walking that I am thinking and planning my time very carefully so when I am home and working I am very focused and able to stitch with intention.

 


I find it much easier to imagine and construct a pleasing design on a larger scale so I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the results. The format is essentially the same with variations of shape and of the colour palette I chose. The background layer of each one includes silhouettes from my own hand cut stencils of which I am happily building up quite a collection.

My original intention was to mount the work over box canvases but unfortunately the ones I ordered had quite rough corners. I returned them intending to look at other ranges but unable to wait I went ahead and finished the pieces without stitching far enough to the edges to give a seamless wraparound. So, I own up to enjoying myself so much so that in this case I didn’t leave myself many options. I firmly believe the finishing of a piece of work the chosen method of framing is as important as the work itself and always endeavour to pay attention to the overall look of the finished piece. All is not lost as a mount and a sympathetic frame will finish the pieces beautifully.

 

As for the hand stitching, it was never my intention to make two separate works but I realised when looking at the original piece of felt and stitching that I really didn’t like what I had in front of me. I considered what to do for some time before having one of those ‘light bulb moments’ and then it was a simple solution really, out with the scissors and cut it in half!

The idea was loosely based on an old photo of tree bark wearing some rather lovely mosses and lichens which I gave quite a liberal colour interpretation to.  From my last entry you will know that I made a lot of the threads with ‘bobbles’ on the sewing machine along with wrapped wires. These were attached when I added an assortment of hand stitches and beads. With hindsight I would have made one much longer piece more like a tree trunk but that will have to be a story for another day.

With March just hours away and the arrival of meteorological spring imminent we should be looking forward to some brighter warmer days ahead but looking at the forecast it looks like rain, rain and more rain! Back to where I started really.