Chapter 4 More Stitched Samples

Sian winced at this one at summer school. I have removed the most offending bits. I t was an idea for a before and after image - a glitzy night-time fairground and the morning after rubbish-strewn tawdry scene. Ah well!

This is over-dyed commercial fabric seamed in strips, free-machined with whipstitch making a very textured surface - its more textured than it looks here.

Samples using combined hand and machine stitching.  This is the reverse of the 'roll' below.

This sample was made with circles of my monoprinted fabrics stacked and machined with a wrapped washer.  The machining makes it into a little dome - though this does not show in the photo.  It is about 6 inches in diameter.

I tried a 3d sample using the technique learned in summer school of stitching on solufleece and shaping over a former leaving some of the 'sticky' in to maintain the shape.  I used lots of spiral stitching and cut out shapes from painted vilene to make the four shapes and then stitched them to a base I made from trapping threads under chiffon and free maching spirals in several tones on the top.  The central motif is a washer wrapped in a dyed shiny cord with triangular sequins and a bead spiral.

Chapter 5 Cords

These are the first simple cords made by machining over yarn and fabric, making simple twisted cords and finger knitting cords from two loops.

The tubes of cords and separate pictures are variations on simple cords - weaving fabric through a twisted cord, twisting two simple cords together, knotting two strips of tissue, making uneven cords with holes and bits hanging off, dip-dyeing machined cords so colour varies along the length, machining fleece randomly and part machining groups of threads.  I used a wide variety of yarns from smooth and firm  to soft and very furry.  I tried out 4 strand round braids and a 7 strand round braid, knotted cords using single and double half hitches, cords with little tatted knots on and cords made on a lucet.

The Turk's head knots are made with some of the firmer simple cords.

Chapter 6 Tassels

This is a tassel tree  with a 'trunk' made from a heavy cardboard tube painted with weighted small tubes in a spiral at the bottom for balance.  The 'branches' are wire bent into spirals at the end.  The tasssels had to be carefully placed to maintain balance.