TheresaC

REFERENCES

Alexander McQueen (2023) https://www.alexandermcqueen.com/en-gb/ready-to-wear/hybrid-ruffled-pencil-dress-758559Q1A6R1167.html

Alison Willoughby https://www.alisonwilloughby.com/

Amy Gair https://amygair.wordpress.com/

Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Islands-Abandonment-Life-Post-Human-Landscape/dp/000832980X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NXCKEZRIM52G&keywords=cal+flinn&qid=1679955192&s=books&sprefix=cal+flynn%2Cstripbooks%2C82&sr=1-1

BBC Earth (2023) https://www.bbcearth.com/news/abandoned-places-reclaimed-by-nature

Ebay (2023) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234874669848?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-153316-527457-8&mkcid=2&itemid=234874669848&targetid=4584757337008491&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=431353847&mkgroupid=1298523655396099&rlsatarget=pla-4584757337008491&abcId=9301942&merchantid=87779&msclkid=8361991c9d1a14753189fd72eff5c9f6

 istock photo https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/flower-breaking-through-concrete

Peers, M (2023) https://www.mattpeers.photography/black-and-white-gallery/dholkw9cxn5qnp598fclqegdu2g05r

Peers, M (2023) https://www.mattpeers.photography/black-and-white-gallery/nixvt86miyx20cbpy0h11fcyjt6ldu

Peers, M (2023) https://www.mattpeers.photography/black-and-white-gallery/4iw9kycm9amgden9haa26p23vf96r2

Peers, M (2023) https://www.mattpeers.photography/socially-distant/pi4o2eabmne9juehe1q5usvlrbheqs

Peers, M (2023) https://www.mattpeers.photography/the-futures-bright-1/9m47vcanucouaspv0c2ypbgq3jezhw

Pattern Jots (2023) https://patternjots.blogspot.com/search?q=andy+warhol+textiles

Science Focus https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/life-finds-a-way-when-nature-reclaims-abandoned-places/

The Guardian (2016) https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/mar/26/william-morris-heaven-on-earth-oxfordshire-home-restored-to-former-glory

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalena_Abakanowicz

Your Stylish Home (2023) https://.yourstylishhome.co.uk/nproducts/morris_and_co_wallpaper/new_morris_wallpaper/darw/darw212564_indigo-mineral.jpg?fit=crop&s=be1d306d9770ebc51839d9bbcb43887a

I started off this module thinking I would produce two items to show at the end of the module using the skills I’d learned before on this course. I was wrong to think that. Being a textile student I needed to explore the skills which suited me most.

After choosing my narrative, I went to the different workshops and made different samples from each. It became obvious that print still wasn’t something I excel in, although I quite enjoyed using the procion dye. I therefore focused in the embroidery and weave workshops but also made things at home such as small weaves and embroidery.

I have felt like I am always one step behind at what I am expected to do with this module and have found it quite confusing. I thought at first you could do what you wanted but you have to have a story behind everything. I don’t mind doing the research though but feel it stops me from getting on and making things. Then I was told to make lots more of samples and that they could be used as you final pieces and then it seems you have to focus on certain samples that connect with each other to show at an exhibition. I ended up doing quite a few weave samples. I like weave and enjoy doing it but it is quite slow and feel I could have produced more samples with my sewing machine. I had ideas of things I wanted to make and explore such as more appliqué and maybe quilted samples. I shall carry on making them even though the course is now finished.

I took photos of various hangings but I particularly liked this one.

The first photo in the display box shows her paper pattern for the weave and the second is the actual wall hanging. It is a very large piece. I like the colours in it and how it is made up of different shapes and textures.

A couple of my weaves have geometric shapes which remind me of this. They are also of natural colours. They are no where near on the scale or expertise of her wall hanging.

I chose thread colours of browns and oranges and neutrals and added some green unwoven wool. I wanted it to fit in with the other weaves I had done. I started off doing soumak stitch because the warp thread I had was quite thick and showed through normal weave. I thought it looked effective though and carried the stitch on all the way through. It was pretty time consuming as all my weaves tend to be.

I will probably leave it on the hoop to display it.

The soumak stitch is used in the demonstration video we were shown in our first module. It is found on YouTube under the subscription of Sweet Georgia. YouTube (2023).

For the smaller weave I thought I would include a little purple colour of some sort to go with the weave I did that was inspired by buddleia growing out of the railway wall.

Again I started with the soumak stitch to stop the warp thread showing through but I then ended with circular rows of plain weave. I chose a green boucle thread to add a bit of texture and interest.

I decided to fill in the white centre with brown wool. I think the sample as a whole it looks a bit too green but is okay.

I am going to do block shapes instead of triangles and will do the loops on the looms in the workshops, rather than my little home loom, to hopefully give a better finish to my sample.

I wove in different green threads in rows to make the loops and wove plain weave in between sections of loops. I decided I would need to make 3 sections of loops for the sample and cut the sections up to place in the middle part of the sample.

It took me quite a while to do but I liked how it was looking. While I was weaving, Louise came in and said it was nice as a sample on its own and not to cut it up and do some loops a quicker way for my layered sample. I have kept it as a sample.

I carried on doing my layered sample. I layered up the fabric and and sewed in the block type shapes and a channel for my loopy insert. I then cut through the layers and made it look raggedy.

After doing this I decided not to make any more loops after all for the ‘grassy’ channel. As it is limiting to how much of the layered fabric you can see, I thought I’d make a tasseled fabric sample using some of the colours I’d already used in the layers. I’m not sure if I made it the best way as I cut the fabric into frays before I sewed it in but I wanted to check it looked okay first and gave a good enough effect.

I chose a fluffy variegated wool that I’ve always liked to use. I did weave the blocks interlinking the threads again but I added pieces of different green threads as I went along, so the colours were subtly mixed in. It took me a while to do but I was pleased with the result.

I tried to capture the railings by make some short stripe patterns on top of this green blended structure. Sheila told me how to create this by making ‘floats’ in the weave. She gave me a grid stern to follow.

I chose colours I’d used before and ones I thought would resemble colours found in various pictures of paving I’d taken.

They didn’t turn out as sharp edged triangles but I think it looked quite effective in that it did remind me of pictures I had of paving.

To embellish the weave and make it more a bit more interesting, I embroidered some long strands of embroidery thread to hang down.

Amy Gair is a weaver and is originally from the Shetlands. She is someone who believes in hand woven goods even though they take longer to make and is interested in sustainability. She is someone to aspire to in my opinion. I like the earthy look of some of her work. Gair, A (2023). I liked the colours in this photo and they are pretty similar to the ones I have used in my sample.

I have always thought of living in the Orkney Islands with my own weaving loom!

I thought I would try and do some different stitches other than plain weave, so I did a plain and twill stitch in a brown multi thread and then did twill stitch with a boucle green thread. It turned out okay and gave some texture but I’m not sure if it was that effective for the time it took me to do it because of having to follow a sheet carefully to create the pattern.

I then went on to make the blocks for the brickwork and geometric shapes for the painted wall. I might embroider the graffiti onto it but I’m not sure if it needs it as there are white specks in thread I used and this can represent it.

As part of my final outcome, I am going to do more samples of weave showing brickwork and blocks. It’s because my orange brickwork sample was seen as successful and I enjoy weaving. I am trying to do them differently, with different thicknesses of thread and size of brickwork. I’ll also be referring to my photos and research for ideas to reproduce.

I started another sample by choosing a photo I took of a buddliea growing out of a wall along the railway. They are a plant that often grow alongside canals and railways in the crevasses of bricks and paving.

I chose brick colours and wove blocks and added some green and purple loops to represent the buddliea. I liked the weave but thought the colours were pretty similar and didn’t show much contrast and so didn’t show the bricks up that well. I sewed some stitches to define the join of the bricks and thought that looked better.

For my next weave sample I chose to use thicker wool. I used wools of my own that I had bought a few years ago when on offer. I wove bigger blocks this time and added some raw green wool to indicate some plant growth.

I liked the sample but it looks quite basic and so won’t be using it as a final piece to develop.

I looped the wool in rows to give the effect of plant growth, using two colours of green wool. I thought I’d display it in my sketchbook by putting some imagery or paper or fabric near it to show the concrete slabs surrounding it.

I also did a small sample using the sublimation print I had and wove that through to see how it looked.

I made a rough sketch and made some samples up to show my idea. This was also influenced by my pattern making exercise on the mannequin i previously blogged about. The pleats and sprouting plants be a dominant feature.

Although, I quite liked the idea, I went on to make other samples rather than a garment because I am a textiles student and not a fashion student.

Alison Willoughby is a designer who became well known for making basic A-Line skirts and decorating them in various ways such as appliqué. I guess this is of a similar theme although an A line shape skirt has been around for a long time. Willoughby, A (2023).

Issey Miyake is a Japanese designer famous for using pleats. I would say this did influence me to use them as I really liked the designs and the way the garments held their shape. I liked this one I found on Ebay. Ebay (2023).

I sewed the pieces of grey and brown felt together and then made some dandelion leaves by sewing two strips of green fabric together. I left a thin channel through the centre of each leaf and threaded some wire through, so I could bend the leaves. I cut around the wire and tried to give it a more dandelion look.

I sewed the leaves together and tried to get it to look right, bending and moulding them into shape. They took me a while to do but I quite liked doing it and quite liked the result.

I tried to get the paint colours to blend into each other on sone of the prints. I quite liked the effect it gave, especially on the brickwork sample.

I tried to imitate the bricks in grey and orange colours. I linked two different shades of grey threads and wove them in. This was a way of creating a block structure. I then did the same with orange colours. I also looped some in a little to give the effect of weeds growing through the mortar.

I was quite pleased with the result.

I did a plain weave and blended the colours used above into each other. It was only a small weave once it was cut off unfortunately but I do quite like it.

I then took them to weave and wove them in, cutting them into strips first.

The idea was to represent plant growth coming through the cracks. I used some tinsel wool to add to this effect too but it laid down flat. Once I got the weave back I was able to pick the wool out carefully to give the sample a better effect.