Part Four: Project 8 - Stage 2. Ex 1

Experimenting with Structures
To be able to understand the construction of a textile surface I need to experiment with simple structures.
Exercise 1: concentrates on experimenting with basic weaving.
Exercise 2: is where I make simple ropes, braids and plaits.
Exercise 3:working with threads and yarns within a frame.
Exercise 4: working with a grid

The course book states:

These exercises aim to stimulate your imagination and develop a more inventive approach to traditional techniques.

By working in a freer way I hope to be able to develop some interesting structures, colour combinations and use a variety of different textures.

Exercise 1:
1)Find two pieces of paper or thin card that are the same size; cut the pieces into strips of equal width, leave the strips attached at one end.

Two pieces of paper with strips cut

2) The warp is formed by taking one of the sheets and laying it so that the joined edge is at the top, and the strips are lying vertically.
The weft is created by taking the other sheet and laying it so that the joined edge is vertical and the strips are lying horizontally.

Warp is on the left, weft is on the right

3) Start to weave the horizontal strips 'over and under' the vertical 'weft'.
Continue until all the horizontal strips have been woven, secure the edges with a dab of glue to hold the 'fabric' together.

The woven structure

This is the basic principle of weaving - all I have to do now is experiment around these 'rules' for weaving.

Basic Weaving:
I painted two sheets of card and cut them to the same size.
One was watercolour paper painted with blue watercolour, the other was thin card painted with red and yellow acrylic paint.
The blue sheet formed the warp, the red sheet formed the weft.

Basic weaving with painted sheets of card

The main problem I encountered when weaving the strips together was that the card was not flexible, it was hard to get the strips to lie closely together. The next time I do this I may leave the warp intact - ie. leave the sheet joined at the top, but cut the weft into strips.

I like the contrast in colour of the red against the blue - I think the streaks of yellow add interest to the woven sheet.

Varying the size and shape of the strips:
With Gwen Hedley's book 'Drawn to Stitch' in hand - I followed some of the suggestions.
Pages 40 - 45 give suggestions for exploratory marks and some basic paper weaving which was perfect for this exercise.

Sample 1:
I prepared a page from a book - using different mark making tools, bamboo pens, round sponge brush, paint brush, I applied black ink over the text on the page.
I made different marks placed in different directions across the page
The book was obtained purely for making marks on... one that I will never read, but one that will be incorporated into some art exercises.
I then applied some coloured pastel to a sheet of brown paper - random marks and colours were used.

Woven sample: brown paper and a printed page

This time the weft was cut into strips and threaded through the warp - it was much easier, the ends were glued into place to hold the woven sheet in place.

I liked the outcome of the weave - the two background colours work well together, the brown and the white.
The black marks make an interesting contrast to the background sheet with the pastel on.

This sample was much more exciting and dynamic than the basic woven sample - the blue and red one.

I decided to take a small section of the woven strip and enlarge it: 

A small section from the woven sheet

This could be very exciting if taken into stitch - an idea for a further exercise or sketchbook work.

I then chose a small section from the woven strip and made a repeat pattern from it.

Repeat pattern from the woven sample above

I really like the repeated images - the colours and the marks are very different from the form they appear in, in the original woven strip.

Cropping the image to an oval and repeating the design achieved this:

Repeat pattern using an oval shape

Another interesting pattern appears - light seems to glow from some areas where the ovals meet.

Taking the same woven sheet - but this time photographing it from the back:

The reverse of the woven sheet

Without the marks and the colors of the 'right' side - the pattern seems very clean and clear.

I once again cropped the image and produced a repeated pattern:

Repeat pattern of the design above

 I like the repeat pattern - it has started to look like a lace design.
Visually it gets lighter and darker in areas - the design seems to undulate.
The accidental marks - the dots and dashes where the ink bled through the paper add interesting marks to the design.

Sample 2:
I used two sheets of paper from my book - this is the first, prepared with orange and blue inks

Prepared page with ink

This is the second; a page with different sizes of type and interesting line drawing

Page chosen for the weaving

I then cut the sheets and wove them together:

Sample 2: Woven sheet

There are some interesting areas in this weave - with a little more practice I would like to be able to plan the design - Gwen Hedley says:

"with a little experience it is possible to plan areas of colour and shape, by judicious placing of colours, papers and marks on the two papers to be woven." Gwen Hedley, "Drawn to Stitch" p45

Having cropped the image I produced a repeat pattern:

Repeat pattern from sample 2

This really shows the effect of varying the size and shape of the strips - the central section seems to be raised against the background.
The other interesting parts are the lines of text that appear near the top and bottom of the repeat pattern.
Different areas of the design really pull your eye in - it has become a dynamic design.

Sample 3:
First sheet: Dots, dashes, squiggles, lines were applied to the paper using different mark making tools

Page with marks made in black ink

Second sheet: Using a page with little text on it, I applied swirls of black ink and lines.

Swirls of black ink applied to the page

These sheets were cut and woven together:

Printed sheets woven together

The result is more interesting than either sheet was before they were woven - the dark marks on the second sheet really break up the finished design.

I cropped the woven sheet into a cross shape and repeated the image

Repeat pattern from a section of sample 3

This has become a very busy design without any light areas - although I like the look of this design, I should have tried using an even smaller segment from the woven sheet to work with.

Use a variety of different materials
I used a variety of materials in this exercise: plastics, materials, batting.

Sample 1: Plastics.
I cut two pieces from a plastic bag - the plastic is quite a rigid material, it was easy to cut.
The cut pieces were from the same bag, which meant there was continuity in the colours of the red, blue and white.
One of the pieces had writing on it, the other diagonal stripes.

Plastic bag weaving

Having woven the pieces together you can see a new design.
The reds and blues from both sheets almost run into each other, creating new shapes.
The plastic has a level of transparency allowing some of the design that would normally be hidden within the weave, to show through.

I then isolated part of the design, this is a very small section with parts of the lettering showing:

Cropped section of the design

The section was then repeated and rotated to make the picture below - the red has gone and this image now shows a bold graphic design.
I also like the shadow images that appear 'underneath' the design - the shadows of the weaving.

Repeat design created from the cropped image above

Sample 2: Muslin
I cut two pieces of hand dyed muslin, both pieces were taken from the same piece of cloth.
When they were woven together you can really see the changes of colour.
This piece was harder to manipulate when weaving because the cloth is very flexible and soft.

Woven pieces of muslin

I know that I could have bonded both pieces onto stabiliser first - but having chosen not to, I persevered with the weaving - the ends were glued into place to stop the cloth from coming apart.

I really like this piece - there are shadows where the fabrics overlap, the colours are almost similar in some places - then areas of bright or lightness appear.
This would make an interesting piece to stitch on to.

Sample 3: Quilt batting
I really may try bonding the materials another time - although the fabric stays soft and squishy when you don't. I resorted to stapling the ends to hold the piece together this time.

Woven pieces of quilt batting

Lines and shadows appear where the fabric overlaps, the start of an interesting surface. One that could be used to stitch on, thread things through.... the possibilities are there.

Sample 4: Felt and muslin
This sample was created when I read 'use a variety of materials' - I translated this to meaning in one sample.
I had a left over piece of felted knitting and used this as the warp, a piece of hand dyed muslin was used as the weft.
This could almost be a sample for the next section - 'hard materials against soft'.
The muslin really struggled to be woven in and out of the felt, the two materials fought against each other.

Weaving: felted knitting with strips of dyed muslin

Although I managed to get the woven strips to sit snuggly next to each other - it is not an attractive piece of work. The softness and thinness of the muslin make it gather and wrap around itself, this quality is usually a good thing - but here when the felt is so rigid - makes it just look 'scruffy'. Or, does it now have texture?

Using hard materials against soft materials.
I used cardboard, batting, sticks and twine.

Sample 1: Cardboard cereal packet and quilt batting. 
This took many hands to achieve - the rigidity of the cardboard and the flexibility of the quilt batting meant that I had to work out a way to hold the weaving together, otherwise the cardboard would just slip and move about.
I held the weaving together by stapling the strip of cardboard to the one next to it as soon as that piece was in place.

Weaving: Cardboard and batting

Although tricky to put together it has quite an unusual look - the batting really stands out from the cardboard. There are very good shadows due to the difference in thickness between the card and the batting.
From this side you see the print and the pictures from the cereal packet being broken up by the weaving process.

This is the reverse image, the shadows show up more clearly without the colour from the print interfering.

The reverse weave

Sample 2: Skewers with twine
The hardest part of this sample was working out which piece of twine went over and which went under the skewers.
Having mastered the weaving part I then had to work out how to hold the sample together - there was the last skewer that needed holding in place, and then there were the sides - would the skewers just fall out?
I decided to tie the string in pairs at the bottom and then glue beads to the sides to hold the sticks on to the weaving.

Weaving: Skewers and Jute twine

I like the way this sample worked out - It starts off being woven as tightly as you can make it and then it naturally moves, as you can see in the photo there are waves and curves happening down the strings.
Turned on its side - with the skewers vertical - this piece reminds me of garden fencing.

This sample could also have been used in the next section 'make a more open weave' but I decided to leave the sample just as it was.

Making a more open weave and then weaving across diagonally with threads or paper.
Notches were cut in a piece of thin card and then warp threads were placed through the notches.
I then wove other threads across to form an open weave.
I used another colour, green, to weave across the sample diagonally.

Open weave with diagonal threads across

The loose weave meant that the sample was unstable - so I decided to keep it on the card backing.
I have seen similar samples in books which are then stitched to a stable backing fabric.
I decided to tie the weft threads together to hold them in place.

I like the loose weave and the diagonal thread - there is movement and interesting shadows that are starting to appear.
However, I probably need to experiment a lot more to get the best out of this technique.
I can imagine threading fabrics or silky thread through a loose hessian, eg. darning, would achieve a better and a more interesting finish.

This has been an interesting exercise and one which I will use the techniques again to create an interesting surface to use for stitching.

Part Four: Project 8 - Stage 1

Yarns
Project Eight focusses on yarn.
As I will be creating textile structures for this project, I will need to understand the use and qualities of the raw material - fibre and yarn, and also how they will interact in the textile making process.

Raw materials affect the performance, the function, the aesthetic appearance and the cost of making a piece.
Textiles can be needed to drape, fold, wrap, stretch, cover or hang - the success of the project will be down to the maker's knowledge of the construction and fibre content of the raw materials used.

This project starts with making a yarn collection and analysing yarn qualities.
It then moves on to experimenting with invented structures using various yarn-like materials.

Stage 1
Collecting Yarn and Exploring its Qualities
I have a small collection of yarn, some of it was given, some of it was bought, some came from charity shops and some came from far away places which are inhabited by strange animals - and brought back by good friends.
This small collection is currently housed in five large boxes and a very large bag.
Hopefully the next two projects will reduce the quantity of yarn I have.

I was inspired to see the work of Freddie Robins (link to website here) at "Smile" an exhibition at the Ruthin Craft Centre, in relation to the issue of a 'stash of yarn'.
These are her "Comfort Creatures" - link. She says:

"My 'Comfort Creatures' are an embodiment of the emotional attachment that I have to wool. I love wool. Through adulthood I have amassed a large amount of odd balls and balls of wool. I have bought wool all over the world from Bangladesh to Berlin, South Africa to Shetland. These odd balls are no use to me. I can't, and don't want to, make anything from them, but I am compelled to buy them.
My 'Creature Comforts' are a personification of this useless wool, an attempt to turn my feelings towards an undervalued, everyday material into tangible objects that it is socially acceptable to love. In this particular series of 'Comfort Sheep' I have turned the ball of wool into a caricature of the sheep breed that the wool originally came from."

My mum always knitted and she always used pure wool, at a time when pure wool was a rare commodity - acrylic yarns having taken over in the 1970's with its cheaper prices, bright colours and easy wash labels.
She taught me to knit when I was a child - but it was a long time before I could knit with confidence, to knit without shouting, "I think I've dropped a stitch...."

These days pure wool is still a treat, and there are a wide range of fibres available in the 'natural yarn' ranges.
Although this can be an expensive option, the feel of the yarn, the look of the finished piece, the warmth from the fibre when it is worn, makes it a sensible choice.
This would be the best option if you were making a garment that you wanted to wear for a long time - it would keep you warm, look good and wear well.

There will always be a place for synthetic yarns, the cost per ball will always make them a popular choice.
The ranges of yarns available in synthetic fibres is amazing: you can have synthetic mixed with natural fibre - this would give you the look of a more expensive yarn; you can buy 'fancy' synthetic yarns, examples in the photo's that follow, these will give you the look of a luxury fabric such as fur; you can buy synthetic yarns in any colour - my first knit a few years ago was a Dr Who scarf - a few pounds to purchase all the yarn and it was a fabulous gift.... would it have been any more special in pure wool, probably not.

Along with the regular yarn and fibre choices that I have available, I hope to add some other 'yarns' such as: plastic bags, wires, grasses, leather, strips of fabric, papers.
These speciality yarns will be added as I gather them for the forthcoming stages of this project.

The yarn collection:
Image 1: 
The 3 balls of yarn on the left are Kidsilk Haze - this is a blend of 70% Super Kid Mohair and 30% Silk - it is a beautiful yarn, fine, soft, has a slight sheen to it.

The 3 balls of wool in the middle were bought many years ago to make a pom-pom scarf for a friend there is a mix of cashmere, alpaca and merino wool in these 'left-over' yarns.

The large ball of grey/brown yarn is made from a merino wool/possum mix.
The ball in the photo below was bought at the Knitting and Stitch show a few years ago - I made  a baby's cardigan from it - this is the left-over yarn.

L-R: Kidsilk Haze; Alpaca/Cashmere/Merino; Possum

Mohair comes from the angora goat - before we moved overseas we actually kept 3 angora goats, I learned to shear them, trim their hooves and evict them from the house when they escaped from the garden. You can see a beautiful picture of angora goats here.
You can read about the day we got the goats on my husband's blog "Travels with my Rodent" here.

Mohair is a wonderful fibre - it is durable and resilient, it has a high lustre and sheen, it dyes well. It has great insulating properties making it warm in the winter, but it remains cool in the summer due to its moisture wicking qualities.
It is naturally elastic, flame resistant, crease resistant, it does not felt.
The fibre gets thicker as the animal grows older, the kids (young goats) produce fine hair which is used for clothing, the hair from the older goats, being thicker, is used for carpets and fabrics for outerwear.

Cashmere: Like mohair, comes from the goat. It has a fine texture, is strong, light and soft. It has excellent insulating properties so a garment made from this yarn will keep you very warm.
Unlike the angora goat, the cashmere goat has a 'double fleece' - the cashmere for clothing comes from the soft undercoat; the outercoat is coarse and is made up of guard hairs - these must be removed before the fine, soft yarn is produced.
An image of the beautiful Cashmere goats is here.

Alpaca: The fleece from the Alpaca is soft and luxurious, lustrous and silky, warmer than wool and not prickly. It has no lanolin, this makes it hypoallergenic.
The fibre is also naturally fire retardant and water resistant.
There are 2 types of Alpaca that produce 2 very different types of yarn: 1) Huacaya - this has a crimp, which makes it more suitable for knitting and crochet; 2) Suri - this has a longer, silkier fibre with a low crimp - this makes it ideal for woven garments.
Images of these gentle creatures are here and here.

Merino: The Merino sheep has the finest and softest wool of any sheep - there are a variety of Merino sheep, some are bred purely for meat, others for their fleece - only the ones bred for the fleece produce the fine, soft yarn which we associate with the term Merino.
The fibre from the merino is lighter than that of any other sheep - this makes it light to wear.
It can be worn by people with sensitive skin and has a silky feel.
It keeps you warm, yet remains breathable. It can absorb up to a third of its weight in water before it leaves you feeling damp.
Because it is wool - it will spring back into shape after being wet, it does not crease.
These very woolly creatures can be seen here.

Image 2:
The red possum yarn in the next photo was brought back from New Zealand by a friend, I hope to use this to make a really warm pair of gloves. 

Possum Yarn

Possum yarn: Possum fibre has been mixed with merino wool, when knitted up this yarn makes garments that are light, soft and very warm.
The possum fur is a hollow fibre, when spun with the merino wool it creates a yarn that is hard wearing with heat retaining qualities.
The yarn resists 'pilling' and does not irritate the skin, it is fluffier than angora.
A link to a picture of the possum is here, the animal is a pest in New Zealand and is currently destroying their native habitat.

Image 3:
This is 100% wool so will be durable and elastic, and this yarn is very soft and smooth.
There is a twist to the yarn - in some areas it is tightly twisted making the yarn thinner; in other areas it is hardly twisted at all, making the yarn appear thicker.
The care label states that it must be hand washed and dried carefully, no tumble drying, no dry cleaning - this will make it suitable for felting.
This yarn is very soft, squishy, cuddly.....and that's how it enticed me to bring it home...

Chunky Print: 100% pure wool

Image 4:
This is the left over yarn next to the project it was used for.
Noro Kureyon, this is a hand dyed yarn made in Japan. The colours are wonderful, the yarn doesn't feel soft, but once it has been carefully washed it seems to soften up.
It is 100% wool and will felt - if you want it to.

Noro Kureyon: Hand dyed yarn 100% wool

Image 5:
This was bought for felting with, and is the left-over yarn from a project.
I found this yarn in a charity shop, I knew it was 100% wool, and I also hoped from the texture of the yarn - very rough - that it should felt.
It did felt, I made knitted baskets which were then machine washed to complete the felting process.

The itchiest, most feltable yarn - 100% pure wool

Image 6:
Pure wool from my mum, this yarn was once a jumper.
It has been carefully unravelled, washed and rewound into balls.

Recycled yarn - from jumpers past - 100% pure wool

Image 7:
The first two skeins, on the left, are Merino/Bamboo/Nylon sock yarn.
Merino wool has been discussed earlier in this post, the addition of nylon is to add strength - it is a sock yarn and needs this synthetic fibre because of the wear and tear involved in sock use.

Bamboo: is a natural fibre, has a nice sheen and is anti-bacterial.
It is strong, flexible and is softer than silk when spun, but it can lose strength when wet.
When knitted into a fabric, bamboo is breathable, cool and it drapes well.

The next two skeins, from left, are recycled sari silk - link to a website that sells this yarn is here, this has a great close-up photo of the strands of yarn showing the jewel-like colours of the silk.

Sari Silk: This yarn is a by product of sari production. "It is the loose end of sari's collected from industrial mills in India that is hand-spun into yarn."
The hand spinning makes each hank unique, the colours are rich and the texture amazing.
Silk has excellent draping qualities and good thermal properties.
It is a good fabric to wear in both hot and cool climates and does not crease badly.

Skeins 1/2: Merino/bamboo sock. Skeins 3/4: Sari silk. Skeins 5/6/7: hand dyed wool

The last three yarns are all hand-dyed wools - the variations in colours and shades within each ball is unique. These yarns are at their best without too much decoration, patterns are lost in the colours of the yarn.

Image 8:
These are all different cotton yarns.
The pink one is a soft DK knitting cotton, this was bought to knit babies bibs with.
The yellow one is a crochet cotton picked up at Twilley's factory shop.
The blue ones are DK mercerised knitting cotton - this is smoother and shinier in finish to the other cotton yarns.
 
Cotton: This is a versatile fibre that is very strong when wet. It absorbs moisture and can be worn with ease in hot climates. It is also a very hard wearing fibre that can withstand repeated washing.
It can be less elastic and retain less warmth than animal-hair yarns.
Yarns made from plant fibres, such as cotton, are tolerated more easily by people suffering from allergies (dermatitis, hives etc).

Mercerised Cotton: Mercerisation is a treatment applied to cotton which strengthens it and gives it a more lustrous appearance. It also makes it accept dye more easily than unmercerised cotton.

L-R: DK Cotton, crochet cotton, 2 x mercerized cotton

Image 9:
This is a really nice 'natural' feeling yarn. It has all the qualities of silk and cotton - so can be warn easily in warmer weather.
The advertising states this yarn is great "For when you want a little more texture than cotton"
It has 25% polyamide mixed into the yarn - this is a nylon product, which will be mixed in to add strength and durability to the yarn.

Jaeger 'Trinity': Silk/cotton mix

Image 10
These 'fancy' yarns are great - there are no natural fibres, no stretch, no heat retaining qualities, but the finished product, when knitted up, is wonderful.
It knits up quickly on big needles and looks like a luxury product - such as fur - when made into hats, scarves, jackets etc, it is also relatively cheap to purchase.
The 'eyelash' and 'fur' yarns can be knitted with a mohair or other wool fibre to add warmth to a garment.

Different 'fancy' yarns

The advantage of a synthetic yarn such as polyester is: it can be resistant to creasing, it is durable and does not fade. It also resists water and wind well.
One polyester yarn that I looked up link here - Titan Polyester was recommended not only for its strength, but also because it "won't rot" - making it suitable for outdoor use.

Image 11:
These yarns are mainly polyester yarns - these yarns again offer a luxury knitted product at an affordable price.
These yarns can be knitted alongside a wool yarn to add warmth, they will add an interesting texture and a splash of colour to a plain wool yarn.

The ball of lilac yarn is mixed with cotton and feels like a soft cotton yarn.
Poly-Cotton mix: the polyester keeps the fabric crease-free, stain resistant and helps to retain the garment shape. The cotton will keep the fabric more absorbent and comfortable

More interesting textured yarns

Image 12:
Acrylic/Wool mix: These have been great 'affordable' knitting yarns - they look and feel like pure wool. The addition of wool will add wool-like characteristics to the finished product: adds warmth and elasticity to the acrylic fibre
Acrylic: Lightweight, soft and warm fibre that has a wool-like feel. Dyes and washes well. Resistant to sunlight - will not fade.
The down sides: not as warm as wool, 'pilling' is an issue, can be static, requires heat to 'block' a garment.

Acrylic/Wool mix yarns

Image 13:
The properties of the acrylic yarns are listed above.
This is a selection of plain dyed acrylic yarns - they are not as warm as wool, they do not feel as soft and squishy as wool - but they are reasonably priced, great colours and offer a good alternative for some knitting/crochet projects.

These are some of the yarns that were bought to make the Dr Who scarf - so many balls of different coloured yarns were required, it would have been a very expensive scarf and probably not as colourful, if it had been made from pure wool

100% Acrylic yarn

Image 14:
Acrylic yarns: properties listed above.
These yarns make a reasonable mohair substitute - the fluffy fibres knit up well to create a luxury looking garment.

100% Acrylic 'Mohair' Yarns

Image 15:
Ribbon yarn: 100% polyester.This is another yarn that knits up to produce an expensive looking, silky garment that drapes nicely.
Link to a scarf made using a ribbon yarn here, a pretty, colourful, glamorous looking garment.

Ribbon yarn

I have tried to include a variety of yarns for Stage 1, my yarn collection contains a selection of natural and man-made fibres.
I feel I know these yarns a little better than I did before with the research that I have done.

I have not yet included other more unusual yarns, leather, strips of fabric, wire etc - these will be added later.


References
Mohair
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohair
http://www.corrymoor.com/

Possum
http://www.merinopossum.co.nz/

Cashmere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashmere_wool
http://www.cashmere-forum.net/knowledge-sharing/

Alpaca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca_fiber
http://everythingalpaca.biz/why_wear_alpaca.html

Merino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merino
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/expert-advice/merino-wool

Bamboo:
http://knitting.about.com/od/yarn/a/bamboo_yarn.htm

Sari Silk:
http://www.ethniccrafts.co.uk/store/d4364-recycled-sari-yarn/

Cotton:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercerised_cotton

Polyester:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyester
http://www.swicofil.com/pes.html

Acrylic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_fiber

Part Four: Project 8 - Interlude

Analysing Colour, Texture and Proportion

Analysing how colour and texture have been composed in a painting or other image.

I have to choose a postcard that I like because of the colour and texture in the image; then reproduce accurately all the colours that I can see in the postcard.
Once that is completed I must look for yarns that interpret the texture and surface qualities, as well as the colours found, in the source material; then I must make a yarn wrap.

I have a collection of yarns that I have been given, or bought over the years - I know that this collection takes up quite a bit of space in my storage cupboards.
What I am worried about is that I will have the textures, but not the colours of yarn for this project; or the right colours but not the texture required.
Although I am really happy at the thought of recycling garments, papers, wires etc for yarn.

While starting the 'Interlude' to Project 8 I am also working on Stage 1 at the same time.
Stage one requires you to sort out the yarns you have - the ones that are currently in bags, boxes, drawers around the house.
As the interlude requires you to make a yarn wrap - to match the colour and texture of the picture you have chosen - it made sense to work on both at the same time.

The image that I have chosen is by Kurt Jackson (link to an earlier post featuring his work is here) "For Bruce Chatwin, Aug 2005" - created using mixed media and collage on hessian.
This picture is from Kurt Jackson: A New Genre of Landscape Painting p81.

Kurt Jackson: For Bruce Chatwin Aug 2005

The image is full of texture, from the hessian it is painted on, to the textured marks scratched through the layers of paint.
I love the colours that are in this picture, you can feel the heat, see the sunshine.
The painting is part of Kurt Jackson's 'Kardamili' series - these were created in Kardamili, which is a small village on the coast of the Mani Peninsular in Greece.

I started, as the course book suggested, by reproducing the colours that I could see in the painting.
This had to be done in daylight, as soon as artificial lights go on, the colours seem to magically change.

This was the part of the paper where I tried out the colours - some worked, some didn't.
I made notes showing which colours were mixed together to get the sample.

Sampling the colours

The colours that worked were painted in a larger block - again, notes were made regarding the composition of each mixed colour.

Swatches of colours that 'worked'

With my picture and my paint swatches in hand I moved on to the next stage.
A yarn wrap - I had to search through my yarns to find ones which not only had the right colour, but also the right texture and finish.

Although I enjoyed doing this part, I still find it hard to find materials that cover all the above - I have a wide range of yarns - but not in every colour; I have textured yarns - but not in all colours; I have a limited quantity of different finishes in the yarns I own - this may be where I start to make yarns from fabrics etc to fill in this gap.

This is my finished yarn wrap:

Yarn Wrap

This is the yarn wrap 'in situ' - next to the source material

Yarn wrap next to the image

Studying the finished wrap next to the paint swatches and image, I can see that some parts worked well, and other parts may need some work.

• the yarns are too similar in thickness - although I did manage to find some thicker yarns and some finer yarns to break it up.
• The shades of greens are limited - green yarn is not something I have a lot of, but it was amazing how 'brown' some of the greens were.
• The textured yarns I have are mostly soft and fluffy, having a range of textures would have been better - some raffia would have worked well. I did find some really nice coarse, thick twine to add in though.
• I was able to find a yellow yarn with a shiny finish to it - It would have been nice if I had more of this type of yarn - the shine on the yarn brought it forward to the eye.
• The reds in the image were almost a browny orange in colour - the only yarns that I had that worked colourwise, was a Kidsilk Haze, this was very fine; or the hand-dyed Noro yarn, a thicker yarn. All the other red yarns I had were too 'red'

I know that there will always be issues when trying to match yarn to paint - one has a naturally textured finish, the yarn; the other is flatter and can be made up of layers of colour, the paint.
This exercise really makes you think about how a piece is constructed, how the colours work together and in what kind of proportion.

I hope that the more I practice this the better my colour choices and design planning will become.

I have repeated the exercise with another Kurt Jackson image from the same book (link earlier in the post)
This image is "Who's Watching Who?" by Kurt Jackson 2001

Kurt Jackson: Who's Watching Who? 2001

This is an image with beautiful colours. It seems so peaceful, yet has an ominous sky hovering above the foxgloves.

I skipped the painting part of this exercise and just pulled out balls and balls of yarn.
Having narrowed my choices down I made a yarn wrap, again looking at colour, texture and finish.
The finished yarn wrap:

yarn wrap

The yarn wrap next to the image it was inspired by:

Yarn wrap next to the image

Again I am happy(ish) with the finished result:

• I like the shades of greens/yellows that I had in my collection - but feel a little more texture in the yarns towards the bottom would have been good, they would have 'come forward' more.
• There is quite a lot of light on the photo which makes the pinks/purples seem more lilac in the image above - if you go back to the scanned image (the first one for this picture) above you can see the oranges and pinks that I chose for this yarn wrap. Here the colours at the bottom seem almost too strong - maybe a slightly paler shade of some of the colours might have been better.
• The colours of the sky match well - but some more texture towards the top would help with the perspective conveyed in the painting.
• Looking at my yarn wrap now I am wondering how 'proportionate' my yarns are in comparison to the picture, I may have got carried away with the wrapping towards the end - I do like the fluffy yarns though.

I will try to introduce this technique to my sketchbook work - it really makes you start to examine your work closely.

Part Four: Project 8 - Understanding the Textile World

Investigating the work of the textile artist.

Textile art emerged into my life when I lived in Winchester in the mid 1990's.
I was aware of craft and textiles as items to be treasured, to be held and to be loved.
Yet I was still unaware that they could be an art form in their own right.

It was while I was creating an embroidery, one that I had started before my daughter was born, I met another lady who was interested in embroidery and textiles - she changed my preconceptions and my interests in art.

I had been invited to bring my embroidery because she would really like to see it, and we would have tea, the children were the same age, they could play - it was a nice afternoon and one that would open my eyes to the possibilities of textiles.

I was so pleased with my work, it was based on a piece of fabric that I owned. I had matched the colours, blended and mixed them and worked for hours.
It was originally intended to be a cushion; I have had it framed and it still hangs on my wall.

My Bargello embroidery

The lovely lady was Alice Kettle.
I felt like hiding my piece once I had seen the work that featured on the walls of her house - her pieces of embroidery - I wasn't allowed to hide my work, she looked at it, appreciated it and gave me so much encouragement.

I think I fell in love with textile art at that point.
                                                  ----------------------------------------

Textile art emerged onto the art scene in the 1960's with the help of some of these textile pioneers.

Constance Howard, MBE (1910 - 2000), set up the Department of Embroidery at Goldsmith's College, London in 1948. It is said that she:

'helped to raise embroidery from the status of genteel hobby to that of an art form.'

In 1962, Jennifer Grey, Alison Erridge and Joy Clucas became founder members of the 62 Group. Jennifer Grey stated:

'We wanted to make a difference in people's attitude to embroidery and share our excitement with fabrics, stitching, textiles and colour.'

The question they asked themselves was:

'How do we get contemporary embroidery and textile art exhibited and recognised as a serious art form so it can take its rightful place alongside the fine arts?'

The 62 Group has just celebrated its 50th birthday.
In the past five decades they have held over 85 exhibitions across the UK and abroad.

Also in 1962, The International Biennale of Tapestry in Lausanne was established. This was a:

'showcase for experimentation in textile art'.

The Bienniales would enable tapestry to be seen by the public and to create an awareness of the changes that were going on in contemporary tapestry art.
The exhibitions became major events and the tapestries became known not just as decorative textiles, but as art forms in their own right.

In the 1960's the gap between fine arts and crafts was huge, galleries would not give wall space to contemporary embroidery and innovative textile art.
Today the gap is smaller, galleries and museums are more aware of the demand for high quality, innovative textile exhibitions.

Although the gap is less, I still believe it exists.
There are still people who see anything that is textile as 'craft'.

The difference between textile artists and designers, designer-makers or craftspeople is that there is now:

'a distinct move away from a focus on technique towards the use of stitch and other techniques as a medium for personal expression. Idea and intention take precedence; only once these are established does the practitioner select the medium and technique in which to carry them out.'
Jennifer Harris  - Deputy Director and Curator (Textiles), The Whitworth Art Gallery.

For me this means that a textile artist is primarily an artist who use textiles as their means of expression, rather than the crafts person whose prime concern is the execution of textile pieces.

The two internationally known artists that I am going to feature are Alice Kettle and Michael Brennand-Wood.

Alice Kettle
Born in Winchester, Hampshire, in 1961.

"My work occupies a relaxed middle-ground between fine and applied art. When I made the change from painting to embroidery I was aware that the two activities are closely related, but embroidery was a medium which helped me to express my individuality. We have grown up together."  Alice Kettle "The Eye of the Needle" p.24

Alice Kettle at work on "Looking Forwards to the Past"

Alice Kettle works with machine embroidery, but this description of her work does not do justice to the scale, colour and textures of her pieces and the stories they tell.

Some of her pieces are huge, the one featured in the picture above measured 16.5m x 3m at it's completion.
This work "Looking Forwards to the Past" now hangs in the Winchester Discovery Centre.
It took over a year to make, nine large panels were joined together (with other smaller panels) to create the final work.

For inspiration, Alice looked at different themes from Winchester's history; the past, the present and the future. She explains:

"I am aware that this is a piece that has to have a life into the future. It has got to outlive me and my children, so it can't be rooted stylistically anywhere in particular. I wanted it to have a contemporary feel, but something that would also have a sense of moving forward. That is why I let colour lead me because colour is something that transcends time."  "Alice Kettle at the Winchester Discovery Centre", p.2

This is a powerful and beautiful piece of work.
There is such a variety of threads used, over 21, some are thick, some are thin, there are metallic threads and there are threads with a matt finish; this use of threads and the amount of stitching used on the cloth creates so much texture on the surface of the cloth.
It has been hung in an area where there is a lot of natural light, it 'shimmers with the changing light and gives the piece a sense of rhythm and movement.'

Alice works on cloth, her sewing machine has the foot removed and all dials are set to zero. The fabric is moved under the needle to create the stitching line. Although she will work on top of the fabric, sometimes using 2 or more threads through the needle, once the threads she has chosen are too thick, they will be wound onto the spool and the fabric is worked on from the back.

Working from the back of the cloth, and the sheer scale of the work, means that looking and reviewing the work constantly is impractical.
However, Alice will take out the work to study it, she will, if necessary, cut out certain areas and add in new cloth.
It is a great way of working, you cannot tell in advance how much the cloth and the design will contract once you have stitched the area heavily, by being able to cut out and add in new fabric means that she never has to abandon a work entirely.

I was in Winchester over the summer and had the pleasure of sitting next to this artwork while I was in the Discovery Centre.
It is incredible to see when viewed from outside, and the close-up view lets you see the work, the texture, the colour, the movement in the piece. (Link to the images here)

"Looking Forwards to the Past"

Having completed a degree in Fine Art at Reading University, 1979-1984, Alice went on to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Textile Art at Goldsmiths' College, 1985-1986.

Machine stitching is Alice's choice of 'painting tool', not only does it allow her to mix colour in a similar way to painting, but by re-stitching and re-working an area it allows her to create three dimensional surfaces, ripples and shadows on the surface.
She has always worked with an intuitive approach, often drawing straight on to the fabric.

Her influences are painters such as Boticelli, for his depictions of graceful, feminine figures; Howard Hodgekin, who uses colour to convey emotion; Matisse whose paper cut-outs continue to resonate:

"I can see parallels between embroidery and the cut-outs. In embroidery you are putting two threads together, you can only place them next to each other. It's exactly what Matisse was doing with the paper cut-outs, using scissors to create gesture. And, as with embroidery, you can read them as purely decorative, but there's so much more to them than that." Alice Kettle, "Eye of the Needle" p.17

Michael Brennand-Wood
Born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1952.

Michael Brennand-Wood works with embroidery, pattern, lace and floral imagery.
His interest in textiles came from his Grandmother, he learned to sew and knit before the age of ten.
His interest in wood came from his Grandfather who was an engineer and keen wood worker.
Both of these people became major influences in Michael's career as a textile artist.

Michael Brennand-Wood's work first came to my attention through glossy adverts that were running in the textile magazines to advertise his new exhibition "Field of Centres"
The work was colourful, pretty, eye-catching, I loved it.
I then saw the work up close when I was on a residential course at Chichester (possibly 2005) and Michael was running one of the summer school courses (I was on one with Gwen Hedley) there.
I realised there was so much more to the work than I had assumed.

The pieces that I saw ranged in size, from 40cm square to a metre square.
Here is Michael Brennand Wood's Crystallized Movements 2004 (link to the photo's is here)

Crystallized Movements

Initially pretty, colourful and flowery, once you get closer you see what is going on in the layers beneath.

'Stars Underfoot' was a series of photographs taken by photographer James Austin in 2001-2, these were images of real flowers that had been arranged, by Michael Brennand-Wood, in geometric patterns.
These photographs were the basis for the exhibition 'Field of Centres'

'Crystallized Movements' (image above) was one of the first pieces to be developed from this work.
The real flowers in the original photographs were replaced by computerised embroidered flower heads.

Drawings of the flower heads were scanned, then using computerised software and specialised sewing machines each flower was constructed using different threads and colour combinations.
Each flower head was unique, the ones with stripes represent his fathers World War II medal ribbons.
Other materials used in this piece are: cloth, fabric, collage, thread, wire, glass, plastic, paint and flower heads on piano wire.

From a distance the flowers sit on a white background - close-up you discover the white background is made up of a thousand toy soldiers trapped in white acrylic paint.

"Between the blossoms are channels, in a chalky white colour, of another more chaotic pattern in which something disturbing is hidden - thousands of toy soldiers trapped, frozen in space and time, glued to the wood, drenched in paint......... Dead or alive these little figures are trapped in a terrifying sarcophagus-like hell"

Pricked by a needle, Joseph McBrinn 2009 article in "Pretty Deadly" - new work by Michael Brennand-Wood

Flowers have always been closely associated with war, Michael Brennand-Wood states that the inspiration for this piece was events such as the Gulf War.
In the First World War the poem "In Flanders Fields" uses the poppy as a powerful image.
The poppy is sold every year for remembrance day - so that 'we will never forget'.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row.
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

by John McCrae, May 1915

What could be seen as patterning in the placement of the flowers within Crystallized Movements is also the depiction of a flag. Brennand-Wood makes use of the visual iconography of the flag throughout the pieces that make up Field of Centres.

Brennand-Wood states:

the direct use of pretty elements to seduce the viewer is quite deliberate and in my mind analgous to the use of beautiful flowers to render death, palatable an less offensive.

In the notes next to this quote in the essay "Pricked by a Needle by Joseph McBrinn in Michael Brennand-Woods book - Pretty Deadly, Joseph McBrinn mentions that:

Michael Brennand-Wood would, without question, make an original, intriguing and challenging, choice as an Official War Artist.

                                                       --------------------

I don't think that either Alice Kettle or Michael Brennand-Wood could be described as simply textile artists or embroiderers, the ideas they use are almost 'too big' the work has too many layers all of which convey a deeper meaning.
They both create beautiful pieces of work but the imagery they use is there to tell a bigger story.


References:

Constance Howard
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1349752/Constance-Howard.html
http://www.gold.ac.uk/constance-howard/constance/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2000/jul/20/guardianobituaries1 

62 Group
62 Red: Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 62 group of Textile Artists

http://www.62group.org.uk/
http://alicekettle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ak348.jpg


International Biennale of Tapestry
http://www.bienale.lt/2011/?p=391&lang=en 

Alice Kettle
Eye of the Needle: The Textile Art of Alice Kettle
Mythscapes: Alice Kettle
Mechanical Drawing: The Schiffli Project
Alice Kettle at the Discovery Centre ISBN: 1900756471

Selvedge Magazine: Issue 23. p58-60. "Mechanical Data: Jump threads and tension in the Schiffli Project" by Beth Smith.
Selvedge Magazine: Issue 44. p46-47. "Strong Influence" by June Hill.

http://alicekettle.co.uk/
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/wdc/alice-kettle.htm
http://www.artzu.co.uk/homepage/multi-column/embroidery-fine-art-manchester/

Michael Brennand-Wood
Michael Brennand-Wood: Field of Centres
Michael Brennand-Wood: You Are Here
Pretty Deadly: New Work by Michael Brennand-Wood

Selvedge Magazine: Issue 45. p56-59. "Readymade Redux" by Joseph McBrinn

http://www.brennand-wood.com/index.html
http://www.themaking.org.uk/content/makers/2011/02/michael_brennand_wood.html
http://www.clothandculturenow.com/Michael_Brennand-Wood.html
http://www.westdean.org.uk/Tapestry/News/TransformerTapestryforCollect.aspx
http://www.lostinlace.org.uk/artists/michael-brennand-wood
http://www.transitionandinfluence.com/gallery/main.html

Part Four: An Introduction

Textile Structures
In the previous projects we have drawn, printed or stitched onto an existing surface, paper or fabric.
The emphasis on the next two projects, 8 and 9, is to explore the creation of fabric - to construct the surface.

This time our visual ideas, previously expressed through the development of imagery, will be expressed by combining fibres, colours and textures - creating simple structures with a tactile surface.

The exploration of constructing textiles will start with the process of interlacing, this includes:

• weaving
• plaiting
• knotting

Using these processes we will be able to convert 'line', (materials), into 'area', (fabric).
Line: this represents materials such as: knitting wool, ribbon, strips of fabric, dried grass, animal hair, strips of wood, wire etc.
These will then be made into 'constructions' that will hold together and form flat 2D fabrics, or 3D structures.

I am looking forward to the projects in this assignment as I have always wanted to try some of the techniques.
I bought two small looms and have some basic equipment to make braids with.

I am also armed with these indispensable guides from Reader's Digest:

One of my 'go to' guides

Another 'old' favourite

Although these books are from another era, the advice and techniques haven't changed... macrame pot holder anyone?

Part Four: Pausing between assignments 3 & 4

Having managed to work to the deadline set for Assignment 3, I am now able to start Assignment 4.

I have two months to complete the next two projects - I am hoping that my new pace of working will stay with me throughout the entire degree course.

I have enjoyed working to a deadline - although the stress this induces is indescribable.
Some of the positive effects of working to the given deadline have been:

• I can remember which piece I am working on and can continue to develop the work easily.
• Writing up the projects as you go is easier than having to remember your thought processes from memory.  

I have received good feedback from my tutor for Assignment Three, so I know that I am 'going in the right direction' and continuing to improve my work practices. She also gave me some very constructive advice regarding my work.

Some of the very positive comments have been in relation to using 'primary source material' - my own drawings and photography.
Also, on my 'work being backed up by thought, objective reflection and extensive referencing of contemporary artists and designers'

Using primary source material has come naturally to me, but putting my thoughts down, reflecting and including referencing has taken some time to develop.
But, I think my work is better for it.

For the Stage 3 sample the comment 'your sample seemed a bit 'flat' was noted.
I really liked my composition, I could relate it to a design that could be used on clothing, it had worked.
When I showed the two finished samples to friends and colleagues - they loved the sample that I made for stage 4, and skipped over the stage 3 sample.
It was a 'bit flat'.

Sample for Stage 3

Sample for Stage 4

What is great is to have the feedback so that I will not make the same mistakes again.
Lots of suggestions were given to me so that I can improve the piece, also the suggestion to 'mix media'.

I think sometimes we read the outline for the project, and stick to it rigidly, whether the piece could do with more development or not.
Possibly, because I already know how to applique made me less creative with it?

This will be put to the test with the next assignment which is based around weaving - I have not done any weaving before, maybe this will be me at my most creative.

My theme of 'discarded' was described as a good choice and my tutor added 'don't worry if this idea takes you into areas which seem to be a long way from the starting point'.
I am still excited by the theme, but also just a little terrified of the final project.
However, I have been collecting some interesting materials which may be used in the finished piece

Empty, used, 'discarded' tea bags

Suggested reading was:

• Pharmacopoeia by Susie Freeman, and
• In Good Repair by Dorothy Cauldwell.

Having thought initially that I hadn't heard of either of these artists, I was surprised to see that I 'knew' at least one of them.

I was in the UK in May and went to the British Museum where I saw the Pharmacopoeia exhibition, I took photographs and notes at the time - so will endeavor to write this up.
Dorothy Caudwell was new to me and the work is interesting and exciting.

Another note for improvement was regarding sketchbooks - to include 'scans of working notebooks' in the blog, this would 'include any primary source material which may relate to the course work'.
The 'keeping a sketchbook' part of the course is still hard, I may be over-thinking what a sketchbook is.

Any background information regarding a piece of work is good information - all those thoughts and ideas I have should be noted down....in among the photo's, sketches and articles.
It's just a case of organising the information in a way that the assessors can find it all easily.

My aim for the next assignment is to keep working to a deadline.
To include all my thoughts, ideas and reflections on my progress.

Also to keep working on my theme book in preparation for the final assignment.