Working with stitch is very satisfying, however, being able to work in fully a 3-dimensional environment, using both stitch and fabric manipulation to make new structures is stretching and gives many new possibilities.
Do you feel pleased with the shapes and movements that you have created in both applique and fabric manipulation? What would you want to change or try again in a different way?
A number of the samples were successful - I really liked the undersea piece (purples and blues with net overlay). The layering captured the feeling I was looking for - looking into the depths of the ocean. Likewise, although the free-machine coral was a small piece, the result was pleasing and I felt captured the key features of the coral. Free-machining is very satisfying!
Using different fabrics in the appliqued "deserted house" was fun. I can see the scope for extending this into lots of different projects.
I particularly liked the woven green/yellow fabric using devore to create the weaving grid. The devore could have been replaced with a sharp knife as it wasn't particularly effective but the seersucker of the fabric combined with the stripes and the interaction of the rough edges and weave made it interesting and tactile.
The work with the silk velvet wasn't particularly successful but I learned a lot about the technique and will be experimenting further to perfect this technique. The interaction of the texture of the velvet, the rich colours of the dye and the relief effects created by the devore are very satisfying and there is lots of scope for further development.
How did the pieces work in relation to your drawings? Did the fabric manipulation technique take over and dictate the final result?
Interpreting drawings into collages was a good exercise. It was suprising how, when viewed from a distance, the correct balance and positioning of colours and captured the essence of the drawings.
Was it helpful to work from the drawings in the applique exercise? Would you have preferred to play directly with cut shapes and materials?
I felt that the quilted piece based on the earring was a logical and structured interpretation of the sketch, even if the finished result bore little resemblance to it! It was very interesting to look back and see the development of the final piece.
I would have been equally happy to work from cut shapes and can see the benefits of both approaches. Sometimes inspiration comes simply from play with no prior assumptions. It can be harder to break away from replicating an image and think freely when you have a given starting point.
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 enjoy working with stitch but I like to combine it with other techniques such as print and surface texture. Working with textile products such as Fiber-etch and moulding pastes extends the range of possibilities for really sculptural and imaginative textile art. Stitch can be time-consuming so effects that I would like to create such as using stitch as paint/french knots etc. are sometimes sidelined in favour of a more dramatic, speedier result. This can be particularly important when considerations of commissions and pricing etc. are in point.
Final Piece
Can you see a continuous thread of development from your original drawings and samples to the final designs?
Based on my selection of photographs, many of which came from visits to science museums so I could see cutaways of the workings of machinery, and the research from Steampunk sites and magazines, I am pleased with the progress of this design. The starting point was the small sketch I produced in Assignment 2. It was taken from an image in a catalogue for an Art Deco exhibition that I attended at the V&A in 2003.
Do you feel you made the right decisions at each stage of the design process? If not, can you say what changes you would make?
There are aspects to this design that I would perhaps change. Firstly, the design is too open. Steampunk is a very busy, intense style with masses of interest, dense texture and detail. A Steampunk object should keep you engaged for a long time, seeing different things each time you look at it. This was my first large-scale interpretation of this theme and next time I would be more confident in incorporating lots more detail, in particular textural content, small "objets" and more metallic items (from keys to gaskets to wire etc.).
Were you able to interpret your ideas well within the techniques and materials you chose to work with?
The finished piece looks too modern. In a future piece I would consider using metallic sprays and metallic paints (possibly car paint spray or textured metallic paint such as Hammerite?) and investigating how to distress the components to give an old, reconstructed feel.
How successful is your final design in terms of being inventive within the medium and coherent as a whole?
I feel that the finished piece has a balanced composition and shows a range of materials and techniques. Unusual components (coins, cds etc.) have been used creatively and combined with more familiar materials such as fabrics.
Did you enjoy working the piece? Is it a good intepretation of your idea, and do you like it?
Yes, I very much enjoyed making it. I doubt it would make the grade as far as true Steampunk artists and enthusiasts are concerned but I do like the finished piece. It was challenging and exciting working out how to incorporate diverse, non-traditional materials into a textile-based project. For a first piece, I think it was a good start and something I'd like to do more of. I can see much collecting of rusty nuts, keys and bolts in my future!
Overall, it had some good components (found objets, leather, metal, etc.) but just needed more - more detail, more texture and more grunge!
For lots more images, see my Picasa album here
