Another Present: my Final Project for this Section.

My last project for this section would, I thought, be worth hanging on for. I made this brooch as a present, and before I wrap it up, I'm taking a few photos. As you can see, it's a beetle. It's an amalgam of many different pictures I collected of rhinoceros beetles. It's about 4 inches long. As I wasn't sure it would be a success, I'm afraid I didn't take any pictures in progress, but I can explain the procedure. Firstly, I made a paper pattern - just of the outline. Then, I got some wire - one a thick, garden-tie type wire, the other a 28 gauge jewellery making wire. I made as streamlined a frame of legs as I could with the thicker wire, and began to wrap it in the black wire. I wrapped from the body to the toes and back once, then 2/3rds of the way up, making the spines on the way back down. Finally, I wrapped a third of the way up and back again, making three distinct leg sections. I repeated this a further 5 times. Next, I made a frame for the body with the thicker wire, and sandwiched it in felt. Then I made a frame for the face, mouth-parts and horns. I built up layers of felt, appliquéing them together. I took some embroidery floss and wrapped the visible wire elements of the face, holding two strands at a time, and stitching the ends back into the felt. I used a little more of jeweller's wire to make some feelers for either side of the mouth. Next, I covered the underside and face with satin, carefully cutting holes for the horns and stitching around the mouth. Then I made the 'cap', and again, made some very careful holes for the horns. I stitched it into place. I went out and bought a gold mini-dress with a high sheen from a charity shop, and cut a piece about 5-6 inches square from the hem. I was originally going to use some of my leftover lamé, but decided it wouldn't be hard-wearing enough for a piece that would be worn. I stitched it into place as invisibly as I could, gathering it so that the outlining stitches would cover the curved seam. I carefully folded and tucked the gold and satin in at the neck. I over-stitched the outline of the felt wing casings with some more embroidery floss. I edged the head with some tiny bugle beads and gave it some metallic pearl eyes. Finally, I attached the legs, covered the unwrapped framework with some more folded satin, and attached the pin on top. I'm very happy with it, particularly the range of techniques I got to use, and the amount of improvisational challenges I faced whilst designing it. I think that whatever I decide to make for my final assignment, it'll have to have a sculptural element to it, as this was so much fun to think about. The only issue I would have with making more of them is the amount of time it takes to wrap the legs - probably about an hour per leg. See below for a little gallery.

Extra Texture 'Sketches'.

I've been feeling that I haven't taken enough time recently to work in my sketchbook, and as sketchbooks are really all about experimentation, I've put together this little collection of machine-stitched 'sketches' of architectural textures that I think may come in useful in my final assignment.
These little exercises were simple, though very time-consuming. They were inspired by the technique I had to improvise to ensure my stitching lines were straight when stitching the panels for my box.

I made these by collecting some basic stock images of textures from the internet and either making them into line drawings, or keeping them as they are and improvising with the machine. Once I was happy with them, I printed them on some cheap paper, as the thinner kind makes it easier to tear at the end. As you can see there are 8, and they're only partially torn away. They feature a mix of textures, some more regular than others. The irregular patterns were, obviously, the more difficult to execute. I would say there were three of these. The wood, a close-up of which can be seen below, and the two kinds of church wall - flint and reclaimed stone. I think I'm most pleased with the wood, though that slightly puffed, quilted effect lent by the felt means that each of them has a lovely, tactile surface. In some cases, shorter lines had to be recrossed by the machine because the pattern wouldn't allow for a single pass across the sheet. This was most obvious in the brick patterns. However, carefully stitching into the same holes prevented this from becoming an issue. Let's have a look at a few close-ups: firstly, the wood.

Some of the irregular stones (each marked with a tick when I had stitched all the way around them).

Part of the flint sampler, only stitched midway across to show a little of the original photo.

The slightly raised effect demonstrated nicely by the scallops.

And your basic bricks:

I'm very encouraged by this section, and the emphasis I've placed on architectural motifs means I have an obvious choice for my theme book later in the course. Expect more sketches and experiments on this idea to come.

Fabric Manipulation: the Finished Box.

My box is finally finished. There was a lot more tricky hand-sewing involved than I had thought when I set out, so the amount of work-hours involved was very high, but I think I've covered most of the asked-for techniques. Gathering in the inside of the lid and on the smocked sides. folding and pleating - in the lining of the box body. Tucking I didn't quite manage to include, but as I said, I did make a piped effect around the wooden dowel edging. Quilting - I did a lot of this, both in the box panels and in the 'roof'. Raised shapes - this seems to me to have quite a lot of overlap with shadow quilting, and I think I've used it in stitching around my felt frame in the roof and around the beads in the 'windows'. Before I properly analyse the piece, here are some more photos of it from all angles.

Side view, showing the completed window and smocking.

Roof and reverse.

Reverse and base. Here you can also see the way I folded in the ends of the 'piping'.

Close up on the windows and 'lock' at the front.

The lining in purple satin. Knife pleating in the main body, and thick, decorative hand-gathering in the lid.

Another angle (the flash used in this photo shows up the colour better).

A close-up on the join in the lining.

Finally, lying back with the lid open. I've enjoyed this project, especially the fact that I have taken it a little further and made it into an object with a purpose, which lends even a piece as gaudy as this a little dignity. So, as I've made quite a feature of writing about the techniques I've used by photographing the various stages, I'm going to dive straight into the questions set by the folder.

How does working with fabric in this way compare with working directly with stitch?
If working with stitch refers to the earlier exercises that centred on creating a picture or texture with embroidery, I would most accurately compare the difference between them as the difference between painting and sculpture. Stitching has some 3D elements, like stumpwork and silk shading, as painting does with trompe l'oeil, but you can't really compare a painted object, even the most beautifully shaded and foreshortened one, with the object created in sculpture, because for all intents and purposes, it is the object, plain to be seen, and not attempting to deceive the eye. I find that working out the net, pleating up the fabric, and assembling an object, is a far more satisfying process - though often, when it comes to my own examples, a less skilled one, as the amount of time I can afford to spend on an object like this box would in no way have produced a satisfactory embroidery.

Are you pleased with the shapes and movements that you have created in both appliqué and fabric manipulation? What would you do differently?
I am pleased with the results from both. Off the top of my head, the only faults I could really find with them were that I cut a few corners on my appliqué crow by whip stitching some of the layers together, when they should have been properly stitched in blocks and then carefully attached to a layer larger than them, meaning that only short stitches were used - this would have been a much more elegant effect. And with my box, that I did not leave enough room either side of the lid to allow me to attach further covered rods as I had planned. This meant that the sides were a little flimsy. These two examples are by no means works of art, but they have been executed to my own satisfaction.

How did the pieces work in relation to your drawings? Were the final results very different from the drawings? Did the fabric manipulation technique take over and dictate the final result?
I feel a little uncomfortable answering this question - as I've explained, the raven was far from a thought-through idea, and no sketch of it ever appeared. I merely followed my instincts with it. The box I thought about quite a bit more, and did a page of A3 sketches and ideas. It ended up being quite far from my drawing, as I had imagined lots of ways to include further techniques by making objects for the box to hold. My ideas for the objects will have to wait for another time now, and though I don't think I could describe the techniques as having 'taken over', I certainly developed the idea further in the manufacture.

Was it helpful to work from the drawings in the appliqué exercise? Would you have preferred to play directly with cut shapes and materials?
As I've said, this is a little awkward for me, as I did play directly with shapes and materials. However, as I had never before attempted appliqué, the amount I learnt even in my own way of working means that the exercise held a great deal of merit as a learning experience for me. 

How do you feel about working with stitch in general? Is it an area you would like to pursue in more depth? Do you find it limiting in any way?
I'm very happy with it indeed. As yet, I couldn't say I found it limiting either, as the only property that hasn't been exhibited yet in textiles is not one that inherently can have - that of hardiness, of standing on it's own. Whilst making my box, I found that even a fine sliver of wood reinforced a side of the box so well as to improve it's usefulness tenfold! There's nothing to say that textiles cannot be combined with other fields of art and craft, of course, though it does still feel a little... Well, a little like cheating! I know that's ridiculous, of course, as there is as much a limit to art as there is to the imagination. I certainly would like to explore the area more, as up to this point, I haven't enjoyed a project so much as my golden box.