Part One: Project 2 - Stage 2

Friday 15th April: Exploring Marks and Lines through Stitch Techniques

This stage is to explore the different effects that can be created with stitch.

I am going to use a limited pallette of colours and a plain cream background fabric, so that the effects the stitches produce will show up best.

I will use hand stitch using a range of line stitches eg. running, stem, back, chain stitch, etc.

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Sample 1:

Sample 1

Sample 1 shows running stitch created using 1 strand of dark brown cotton thread.
I started stitching the lines far apart and gradually the lines became closer together.
The colour intensified as the stitches were placed closer together.

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Sample 2:

Sample 2

Sample 2 shows running stitch produced with 2 strands of cotton.
The lines were stitched further apart, then closer together - this time with a less regular pattern.
Again, the closer the stitches were together the darker the colour of the thread appears.

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Sample 3:

Sample 3

 Sample 3 shows running stitch with 2 strands of cotton thread and couching with soft cotton thread. I used another organised sequence - the fewer lines of soft cotton used, the more lines of stranded cotton were stitched. The couching was placed at irregular intervals.
This produced a nice contrast when the matt threads were placed next to the shiny threads.

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Sample 4:

Sample 4

Sample 4 shows running and back stitches using a soft cotton thread.
The stitches cross over each other and also are placed close together, then further apart.
Rich textures were produced by overlapping the stitches and placing the stitches close together.

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Sample 5:

Sample 5

Sample 5 shows satin stitch worked in cotton perle threads.
The stitches were worked in opposite directions.
The colour of the stitches appears darker when stitched horizontally and lighter when stitched vertically.

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Sample 6:

Sample 6

Sample 6 is satin stitch worked in 2 strands of cotton.
The effect produced is the same as sample 5: Colour of stitches appears darker when worked horizontally.

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Sample 7:

Sample 7

This sample shows random small running stitches worked in cotton perle.
A nice texture is produced when the stitches are worked in random directions.
The stitches appear darker and lighter depending on how the light catches them.

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Sample 8:

Sample 8

Sample 8 shows 2 rows of chain stitch worked in a soft cotton thread.
The chain stitch produced was full of texture when worked in soft cotton rather than a stranded cotton.

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Sample 9:

Sample 9

Sample 9 has chain stitch and running stitch worked 2 strands of cotton.
The stranded cotton produced a nice flowing, circular line.
As the stitches were worked close together, the colour became darker.

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Sample 10:

Sample 10

Sample 10 shows stem stitch worked in soft cotton thread.
The stitches formed a spiral.
The stitches are textural and distinct due to being worked in a soft cotton thread.

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Sample 11:

Sample 11

Sample 11 shows running stitch worked in both soft cotton and cotton perle threads.
The stitches were worked in a spiral.
The running stitch did not work as well as the chain and stem stitches when creating curved lines, possibly due to the thickness of the threads used.
There was a nice contrast between the matt and the shiny threads when worked close together.

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Sample 12:

Sample 12

Sample 12 shows randomly placed cross stitches worked in stranded cotton, cotton perle and soft cotton threads.
When the stitches were worked close together the colours appear darker.
The stitches overlap producing alot of texture.
The use of different types of threads creates alot of contrast.

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I enjoyed producing these samples.

The limited pallette of thread colours helped identify the changes that happened when stitching. Sometimes the colours used distracts your eye.

There was such a difference in the look of each stitch when worked in a thin thread and then a thick one. I really liked the samples where the colours of thread changed due to the direction in which they were stitched.

This is possibly just a fraction of samples that could have been produced to explore marks and lines in stitch techniques - it will have to be an ongoing record. As I come across more effects, I will have to store them in a sketchbook.

Hopefully, this stage will help me with Stage 3 when I have to produce a sample from one of my drawings in stitch.

The finished sampler

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 The finished page:

Sampler with notes

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