CHAPTER 11: FURTHER DESIGN EXERCISES LEADING TO FABRIC SAMPLES

A. PAPER SAMPLES

I decided to make photocopies of my dyed and painted fabrics, then cut these into paper strips for these exercises, so that I could start thinking about designs which would suit my fabric samples. I found this was a good approach and it has also helped me to start generating ideas for the assessment piece at the end of the module.


Sample 1: This sample used a design based on the Fibonnacci series. Two sets of strips were prepared, each containing four different patterned strips of equal width. These were then cut into bands in the proportions of the Fibonnacci series and arranged in an alternating manner, but not necessarily with strips of the same width next to each other. I liked the final result for this sample and noted that the strong contrasts provided by the inclusion of white and black bands, as well as the bold black and white pattern, in the composite strips was very effective.

Sample 2: To start this design, 2 bands were prepared, each with 3 patterned strips of equal width. One band had strips with similar tonal value and the other had strips with stronger contrast. Each band was cut into a square shape, then cut diagonally twice to end up with four triangular shapes from each square. These were then rearranged in an alternating manner to give the final configuration. After doing this I decided that the design would be improved with a bit more contrast, so I pasted the triangles onto a black background to give the impression that the segments were outlined with black strips. I was pleased with this design when it was finished.

Samples 3 & 4: The starting point for these samples was one band of 3 strips and one band of 5 strips, using variable strip widths in each so that the final effects would be more uneven, with a mixture of larger and smaller segments. In sample 3 the bands were cut diagonally into new strips and then assembled in an alternating manner.I thought this achieved a nice result because the bands with the white strips gave a good balance to the bands with the strips that were closer in tonal value. In sample 4, each of the final strips used in sample 3 was cut across one of its colour segments to give some smaller segments, and then one end was turned around, and rejoined at the angled edge. I thought that the smaller coloured pieces reduced the impact of the contrasting white bands, and the result was less pleasing than sample 3.

Samples 5 & 6: Each of these samples started with 2 bands of 5 strips. One band had strips of equal width and the other had strips of the different widths, but the outer strips were kept the same width as in the first band and chosen to be of similar tonal value. In sample 5 each band was cut into 2 sections of different widths (5:3 ratio) and then the 2 bands were alternated in the final design. In sample 6, one band was cut into 4, two pieces were used for the ends, then the rest rotated 90 degrees and used for the middle, alternating with bands of the second strip. Overall I did not like these samples as much as the earlier ones. Sample 5 became rather "muddy"in the middle because of the final position of the bands, with the rows of darker tones on the edges dominating. However Sample 6 was more successful because the arrangement of the light and dark areas gave a better overall contrast.

Sample 7: In this sample I decided to experiment with curved segments rather than straight lines. I started off by taking a rectangular shape and drawing lines to give 5 curved segments which I used as templates. I then used the templates to cut pieces of 5 patterned papers to form 2 rectangles. I used the same papers for each rectangle, but reversed the order of the patterns (i.e. middle strip matched and the others were reversed). I tried to achieve moderate contrast in the patterns selected. Each assembled rectangle was cut diagonally and the pieces swapped to give the new, final design. I was pleased with the final rsults here because the curves were interesting and the tonal and pattern combinations worked well together.

Samples 8 & 9: This shows two samples produced by the "stack and whack" method. Squares of 4 different pattered papers were cut identically (in each example here they were cut into 3 pieces) and then reassembled into a strip. I liked the effects that could be generated with this method, as it was simple yet very effective. Both designs were interesting. I had a slight preference for the one on the right, so decided to try this as a fabric sample as well.

B. FABRIC SAMPLES
Six fabric samples were generated by taking and extending the earlier paper designs, using the dyed fabrics produced in Chapter 6. I was having withdrawal symptoms because I hadn't been doing any hand stitching since the first part of this module, so I took the opportunity to use a mixture of hand and machine stitching to embellish the fabrics before they were cut and stitched. I found it was possible to combine both in the finished pieces to achieve some different and interesting effects.


Sample 10: This was a design based on the Fibonacci series as in paper Sample 1. I embellished the white strips with a simple blackwork design and mixed this with a simple dark coloured monoprinted fabric because I thought that extra stitching on this strip would be too fussy. The alternating bands incorporated running stitch in hexagonal shapes on the paler strips and a fairly bold machined pattern with greater contrast (to complement the blackwork) on the darker strips. Overall I think this design was quite successful and I rather liked the impact of the blackwork.

Sample 11: This sample was produced in a similar way to paper sample 2. One of the fabrics I selected was a monoprinted tiger head pattern printed onto calico. I added hand stitching to this (chain and cross stitch. However when it was cut into strips a lot of the handstitching effects were lost because the segments were quite small. Nevertheless you can still see a bit of chain stitch and some crosses in this and later samples. The machine stitching was a mixture of plain stitching, zig-zag, a circular pattern, and whip stitch. The effect I liked the best was the circular pattern in mixed colours on the blotchy paint-printed background (best seen top right). I think this design has possibilities but would have been better if the starting squares were bigger to end up with less black and more of the decorated fabrics.

Samples 12 & 13: These samples are based on paper exercises 3 and 4, where two bands of multiple strips were prepared and then cut diagonally and joined in an alternating sequence. The starting points were one band with 3 strips and one with 4. Some of the fabrics were used "wrong side up" and the seams were facing to the front, which gave some interesting effects. Most strips were decorated with machine stitching, often using cable or whip stitch and a variety of threads, except for one fabric which was the reverse side of the tiger head fabric I described in sample 11.The bottom sample in the picture shows the effect of adding some decorative frayed fabric to selected seams. This effect was achieved by adding three layers of a discharge dyed cheesecloth to each seam and then fraying the loosely woven cloth after it had been stitched in place. The cheesecloth had a blotchy pattern from adding pegs before discharging with the bleach, so this gave the fringe a multicoloured look which blended nicely with the background fabrics.

Sample 14: This sample is based on paper exercise 7 and uses curved segments rather than straight cut ones. Again two rectangular series were constructed first, using the same patterned fabrics, but reversing the order in the second one. The rectangles were hand pieced because this seemed easier with the fairly small curves. It could have been done on the machine if the segments were larger. The rectangles were then cut diagonally and then pieces swapped as described earlier. At the end I added a border to give the sample a more finshed look and also to get an idea of what it wuld look like if incorporated into a larger piece. The individual fabrics were decorated with various threads using cable stitch. However the central contrasting fabric with the shibori dyed "squares" was hand stitched with running stitch because this seemed to suit the fabric better. I was pleased with the decorative stitching in this sample and also the curved effect, and I thought the fabrics worked well together.

Sample 15: This sample was based on one of the paper pieces produced by the "stack and whack" method (no. 9. I used 2 squares made from single decorated fabrics and 2 squares made from the remnants of bands of strips from earlier samples. Most of the decoration was machine stitching (mix of straight stitching, zig zag, whip stitch and cable stitch with mixed threads), but some of the hand embellished tiger head pattern was used in one band. Each square was cut into 3 triangles and then they were mixed and sewn back together. A band was added around the edges for the same reasons as the previous sample. The final effect was good and has possibilities for future application. The main problem was that this method does not make allowances for seams and so you lose part of the shape when you sew the pieces together. However it did not really seem to matter in the end.

Sample 16: Sample Based on THE CHALLENGE
This piece, an extension of the challenge in chapter 10, was started with four decorated fabrics pieced together in a square (extract at top). These fabrics were embellished with machine stitching (mix of straight stitching, zig zag, whip stitch and cable stitch with mixed threads and colours). Then the fabrics were sliced over and over again and re-pieced. Compared with the piece I did in chapter 10, this time I used cuts on an angle as well as straight. The effect after a few steps is shown on the left, and the effect after 7 steps on the right. I prefer the left hand stage because the segments are slightly larger and the stitching effects contribute to the overall impact of the design. This effect lessens as the work is cut and re-sewn more and more. At the end, the back of the piece was also very interesting (see photo at right below) but the impact of the embellishment was lost, so it would not be worth doing anything very elaborate if you were aiming to use the back side of the work as the main feature of your work.

CHAPTER 10: PIECING - A METHOD OF CUTTING AND SEAMING

A. PAPER EXERCISES
The exercise started with a strip of black paper and a strip of white (each 5cm X 30 cm), which were glued side by side and then cut into sections and rearranged to give a range of patterns. This was repeated several times varying the types of cuts and recombining the pieces in different ways. The first sheet shows steps A, B and C in this series, where each rectangle was cut horizontally and alternated to give the next. The second sheet shows another progression by taking a section of step B and making diagonal cuts to form step D. This was then cut horizontally into 4 strips which were rearranged to give step E.














The next sheet shows more patterns derived by diagonally cutting and recombining sections of steps B and D in different ways. The jagged zigzag patterns reminded me of crocodiles. A very different effect is shown in the patterns derived from step C. The central pattern on the first sheet was made by cutting strips of different widths, and the bottom one was formed by cutting the top off each rectangle with a diagonal slice. Both of these were quite pleasing. The second sheet shows some other possibilities using combinations of angled and straight cuts of step C. I rather liked the bottom one because it gave a more irregular effect due to the variety of shapes that resulted.











The final example also started with step C. However some pieces were cut diagonally to obtain a collection of triangular pieces. These were then arranged to give a circular pattern. The inner circle was composed entirely of triangles and the outer circle was made with rectangular pieces alternating with the triangular ones. This gave quite a "psychadelic" effect.













B. FABRIC EXERCISES
These exercises show various effects which can be achieved by starting with strips of black and white fabric, then joining and recutting them multiple times.

The first picture (yellow tab at top) shows a simple and orderly series of pieces seamed with right sides together and cut to create strips of alternating black and white rectangles of different sizes. The bottom picture in the first panel (pink tab) shows another sample where the orderly pattern has been broken up by making diagonal cuts and also piecing the seams with wrong sides together and then pressing the seams open. The seams have then been frayed to create a feature.

The second picture shows two samples, with pieces joined to show various stages of a multi-step process. The pink tabbed sample on the right started with a larger rectangle (top) then progressed first with horizontal cuts (middle), then diagonal cuts (bottom). The yellow tabbed sample on the left started with smaller squares (middle) then two variations were produced - the one at the top pieced with right sides together and the one at the bottom where larger segments were preserved, but some were machined with wrong sides together and the seams either pressed one way or pressed flat and frayed to make a feature.


The third picture (green tab) shows a different approach where the fabrics have been seamed right sides together, then cut diagonally on the vertical and rejoined, then finally at an angle a little off horizontal and rejoined. Decorative folded triangles and frayed triangles have been added between the final seams to add more interest. This gave a pleasing effect.

The fourth picture shows (yellow tab) a sample formed by vertical and diagonal cuts,with the direction of some pieces reversed for additional effect. The final sample below (orange tab) shows the result of "The Challenge", where a piece of the first sample in the series (first photo, yellow tab) was continually cut and seamed until it could not take any more. The final picture (orange tab) shows the back of this same sample, which had a very interesting texture.

Although this exercise produced some interesting samples, I did not like the results as much as some of the earlier ones (patchwork and seminole) and later ones (next chapter) that I completed in this module. I think it was because the best paper patterns were quite complex but were hard to reproduce in fabric becuase they required a lot of seaming and it was hard to control the final size.....something to think about for the future. I think I prefer clearer designs, such as the one with the sawtooth effect (third picture).

CHAPTER 9: THE FIBONNACCI SEQUENCE

1.Basic Fibonnacci Sequence
The Fibonnacci series is based on ratios which are found in nature (e.g.arrangements of petals, leaves, seed heads) and named after the medieval scholar who first described them. It is a series of numbers starting with 1, created by adding the two previous numbers in the series e.g. 0+1=1, 1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=5 etc. When colours or tones are used in these proportions they usually give a pleasing effect. The first sample shows A) a tonal column of patterned papers arranged in the proportions of the standard Fibonnacci series i.e. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13; B) a tonal band with the papers arranged in a modification called the reduced Fibonnacci sequence, where the digits of numbers above 10 are added together to form a single digit (for example 13 becomes 4, 21 becomes 3) and thus the series becomes 1,1,2,3,5,8,4,3,7 etc; C) another arrangement of the standard sequence using 2 series of stripes, one black and one patterned. The order of the black strips is the opposite of the patterned strips. The second photo shows some similar exercises completed with patterned gift paper.




B. More Complex Patterns Using the Fibonnacci Series
Some ideas for this section were gained from the reference book "Strip Patchwork", by Valerie Campbell-Harding, pp 19-22. The next sample (D, sheet 2) was created by preparing a wide tonal columm using patterned paper strips arranged in the widths of the(standard) Fibonnacci series. This large sheet was then cut into separate strips, with widths in ascending order of the Fibonnacci series. The direction of every second strip was then reversed before the paper strips were glued in place. In the next sample (Sheet 3) the size of the pieces increased in the Fibonnacci series in 2 directions, i.e. down and across the page. The position of the black square was moved down one spot in each tonal column as the width of the strips increased across the page.



Sheet 4 shows another variation using strips of the same width but varying the composition of the strips. The basic pattern is shown in the top row, as well as rows 3, and 5. This consisted of patterned pieces the width of the Fibonnacci series spreading out from centre to left and centre to right. Then the design of the alternate rows (2,4,and 6) was offset by a shift of two squares from the centre to the left. This created an interesting pattern with a cluster of dark squares around the centre, rather than a solid band. Another variation could have been formed by varying the width of the strips as well.

Sheet 5 shows the effect obtained by arranging patterned strips (composed of lengths of different papers in proportions of the Fibonnacci series) around a central square, inspired by Cambell-Harding's design on page 21. It looks a bit too busy, mainly because the strips around the edges did not have enough contrast, even though I had tried introducing some black and white areas to assist with this.




The final sheet shows two designs done by alternating a patterned gift paper and black strips. Both vary the design in two directions, as well as alternating the position of the black areas. The design on the right of the sheet has been made more complex by reversing the order of the black sections compared with the patterned ones. Both results are quite pleasing but the one on the right would be quite complicated to make.







C. Golden Section Exercise
The Golden Section began with the theory that the most pleasing way to divide a line is in a ratio of about one third to two thirds. This goes back to the time of Euclid in 300BC, who called it the Divine Proportion. The term Golden Section has been used since the nineteenth century. One starts with two identical squares side by side (e.g. 1 cm by 1cm, to give a rectangle 2 cm by 1cm)) then by adding another square matching the long side (i.e. 2cm by 2cm) you get a block 2 cm by 3 cm. Keep adding squares to the longest side each time (i.e. 3cm by 3cm, then 5cm by 5cm). If an arc is drawn from one corner of each square to the opposite one, you can build up a spiral pattern. Such spiral patterns are common in nature and were observed by Fibonnacci, who particularly studied arrangements in pinecones and chrysanthemums. Further examples and geometric drawings may be found in the book by Richard Box, Colour and Design for Embroidery, pages 101 to 103 (B T Batsford, 2000.

If blocks of colour (or patterns) are added in the proportions of the Golden Section, a pleasing arrangement can be obtained, with a good balance of colours and shapes. This is shown in the example with paper squares below.

CHAPTER 8: NOT WHAT IT SEAMS

1. Decorative Seams
In this section various techniques for embellishing seams were explored. Again I elected to use my purchased fabrics for this chapter in order to conserve my dyed samples.


Sheet 1: Sample A- A fringed border inserted between layers of cotton fabric. This fringe was created by cutting and rolling strips of a stretch fabric and knotting the ends; Sample B- A cheesecloth type fabric was machined with a scalloped pattern on a tear away backing. A few black beads were added to the outer edge for emphasis. I decided I preferred the effect on the wrong side of the patterned fabric, so added some machine and hand stitching to create a bit of balance, and a gentle reminder of blackwork; Sample C- A row of chain stitch was worked on a piece of even weave linen, which was then fringed, plaited and tied off. The fringing was then inserted between two pieces of patterned fabric.
Sheet 2: Sample D -Variegated threads were looped around and then the seam was machined. As this looked a bit bland I then looped some pieces of plaited and twisted wool through the thread loops to add further decoration; Sample E - 4 fabric strips were cut and joined with wide seams. The seamed fabric was then cut into 4 and joined again. All the seams were frayed for decoration. This worked quite well with the striped fabric, due to the bands of colour in the frayed ends.

Sheet 3:Sample F- this seam is more complex than it first appears and builds on sample E. An extra wide piece of black fabric was machined into the seam of the striped fabric and then frayed as well as the stripes. Bundles of the longer black threads were knotted at various intervals to break up the grey/white threads of the striped fabric. This added further contrast and drama to the seam compared to sample E; Sample G - A decorative black net fabric with cream contrast threads was sewn into the seam and then cut irregularly into a rough fringe whch was bent at various angles.

2. Ribbons
Sample H- Examples of decorative stitching on narrow strips of fabric. The upper bundle shows experiments with various machine stitches done in multiple rows or overlapped. The lower bundle shows experiments with mixtures of black and white threads, mostly with one colour in the bobbin and the other in the top spool. Sample I- Layered strips of fabric, stitched together with multiple rows of black and white threads in an irregular manner.




3. Cords
Sheet 1 shows simple cords made by twisting and machinging narrow strips of fabric.
Sheet 2 shows more complex samples which could be used as handles or straps. Sample K - plaited wool was twisted around a fabric strip and machined in place. Each end was finished with a knot and simple tassel. Sample L- a fabric strip was twisted and knotted at short intervals, then black wool twisted around it to add more strength and drama. Sample M- wide strips of fabric were twisted and knotted to make a robust handle.















4. Toggles and closures
Various methods for joining two layers of fabric or closing a flap were explored.
Sheet 1: Sample N - a toggle was made by cutting and rolling a narrow strip of fabric. This was bound with wool and joined to one piece of fabric as a toggle. A plaited woollen loop which could be placed over the toggle to join the two pieces of fabric was added to the second piece of spotted fabric. Sample O - shows a wider strip of fabric rolled and bound with a woollen twisted cord. However this did not seem as useful as the narrower, fatter toggle. Sample P - a toggle or button was created by knotting plaited wool into a ball. A black fabric loop was created as a fastener for the second piece of fabric.
Sheet 2: Sample Q- combination of a large fabric toggle with threads and wool wound around it, plus a large knotted fabric loop. This was more decorative than functional. Sample R - This shows a narrow machined fabric strip with variegated tassells added to each end. This could be used as a decorative tie, either around a roll of fabric as shown here or to join two pieces of fabric by cutting the strip in half and joining the ends to two pieces of material.

CHAPTER 7: TRADITIONAL PIECING METHODS

Stage 1: Log Cabin Designs from Paper
For these designs I started using my own decorated papers and later added photocopies of my purchased black and white fabrics. As I had not done any of this log cabin patchwork before, I taught myself how the patterns were constructed by studying some designs from a reference book on log cabin patchwork(Wien, CA: The Log Cabin Quilt Book, Westbridge Books, USA, 1985). I soon discovered that my own papers did not have enough tonal variation, so after that I preferred to mainly use photocopies of actual fabrics. It took me a while to get a good feel for the handling of the tonal effects, but I thought the later samples were better than the first couple.
Sample 1: Basic log cabin
Sample 2: Court house steps
Sample 3: Pineapple pattern without overlapping corners
Sample 4: Pineapple pattern with overlapping corners
Sample 5: Diamond shape
Sample 6: Chevron pattern on the top and then sides added to make a block pattern

Stage 2: Log Cabin Designs in Fabric
These designs were done with my purchased fabrics. I decided not to use my dyed fabrics for this chapter of the work as I wanted to save them for later chapters. Log cabin deisgns are done by starting with a central shape and adding strips one by one, to get the desired effect.
Log Cabin Sheet 1:A-Basic log cabin block; B-Block called White House steps or court house steps
Log Cabin Sheet 2: C-Chevron block; D-Pineapple block with strips of increasing width. The black strips are added on the diagonal to the patterned strips; E-Diamond shape with inner strips very narrow and outer strips much wider.














Stage 3: Seminole Method
In the Seminole method, strips are pieced and then cut, rearranged and joined together again to create the finished effect. The best finished effects were achieved when there was quite a lot of contrast between the adjacent strips.
Seminole Sheet 1:F-2 joined fabric strips cut and rejoined after turning every second strip. Sample on left side used strips of the same width and sample on right side started with two strips of different widths; G-3 joined fabric strips of equal width cut and rejoined after turning every second strip; H- 4 joined fabric strips of equal width were cut, turning every second strip, and rejoined after inserting a strip of one of the end fabrics bewteen the multi-fabric strips; I- 3 patterned fabrics joined, then ends cut at 45 degrees and rejoined to give the slanted look. Panel finished with a border to neaten.
Seminole Sheet 2:In this technique, the starting strips were joined by machine, then Vliesofix applied to the back. They were then cut into the desired shapes and ironed to stick the cut strips to the background fabric. After that the raw edges were neatened with machine satin stitch.Sample J- 3 strips joined and then cut at 45 degrees and rejoined after turning. Sample K- Used rectangular cut and pieced shapes with ends cut at 45 degrees and applied to the background to give fish-like final shapes.















Stage 4: Patterns Based On Folded Strips
In these methods the fabric strips are cut into small rectangles or squares and folded into triangular shapes before joining them together.
Sample L- Prairie points with folded triangles inserted into a seam(could also be used as an edging). Sample M- Folded star: fabric folded into triangles,arranged into a star shape with overlapping layers, and attached to a background fabric (using small stitches at each point). Final square finished with a border. This technique is also known as Somerset patchwork. (Reference: Patchwork stars by Jane Chiodini, http://www.craftcreations.co.uk/pages/magazines/issues/pdf/issue2/patchworkstar.pdf).

CHAPTER 6: PATTERNING FABRICS USING DYES AND FABRIC PAINTS

A: PATTERNED FABRICS
These two photos show a range of patterned fabrics, some especially based on animal patterns, that have been collected for use in later parts of this module.












B: PATTERNS BY DYEING
As I was getting ready to start this section I had the opportunity to attend a Shibori workshop conducted for ATASDA (Australian Textile and Surface Design Association) by Sylvia Riley an Australian textile artist. This workshop covered the basic Shibori styles, mainly using silks. Hence I have expanded the scope of the work for this section because my interest was stimulated by the workshop. Thus some of the samples I have included here are done with silk (which I must say I love). Sylvia also introduced me to Drimarene K fibre reactive dyes for cotton, including 3 different blacks with various bases (to give brown, blue and green undertones), so I also experimented with these as well as the cold water dyes, because I thought they might be interesting for the animal patterns. I also learnt about discharging and liked some of the effects that could be created by doing this.














The first image in this section (blue tab) shows effects achieved by binding portions of cloth with string or some other means to give white squarish resist shapes(ignore the very top left done with pegs, not relevant here). Sometimes a roundish object can be placed inside the cloth before binding to define the area better. From top left, going clockwise, you can see effects produced by:glass pebble with cable ties on silk, marbles with rubber bands on silk, marbles with string on silk, small pinches of fabric bound with cotton on cotton(this is known as ne-maki shibori), soy beans bound with rubber bands on cotton. In several samples I pre-marked the positions for each bundle to try to achieve all over patterns and more even effects.

The second and third images in this section show effects which can be produced by using stitching to create the resist (general term is tritik shibori). There are many traditional stitching patterns used in Japanese shibori. I have tried some of them here and also tried to design some of my own. The image with the green tab shows two traditional styles on habotai silk (left) and raw silk (right). The wood grain pattern is called mokume, and is one of my favourites. The undulating line is called ori-nui. It reminds me of the bands on the necks of budgerigars. The photo with the yellow tab shows samples on cotton; from top left going clockwise: circular traditional pattern(karamatsu, rounded hexagon (my design, based on lizard) with blue-black dye, rounded hexagon worked on black/brown dyed fabric and discharged using domestic bleach, series of arcs (my design, based on budgerigar) worked on black/brown dyed fabric and discharged using domestic bleach, hexagonal design (my design, based on lizard) worked on black/brown dyed fabric and discharged using domestic bleach, and worked on white fabric and then dyed.













The next series of photos shows results with three other techniques. The image with the orange tab shows effects produced by folding and clamping.From top left going anticlockwise: pegging white cotton fabric and dyeing; then below, starting with a black fabric, pegging and then discharging with domestic bleach; folding white fabric in a triangular pattern, clamping with bulldog clips and dyeing; similar folding starting with a black cloth and discharging with domestic bleach; bottom right is discharged black dyed silk after stitching in woodgrain pattern (a thiourea discharge agent not bleach is used for silk); above this is the effect of clamping coins onto black dyed silk before discharging; finally effect of clamping wooden shapes on folded white silk before dyeing. The photo with the red tab shows the effect of folding and tyeing off the fabric with string in bands before dyeing. The bottom left shows a calico which was not pre-washed and was bound quite tightly. It did not take up the dye very well. The blue-black ones show experiments with pre-washed calico bound more (bottom) or less firmly. The picture with the green and yellow tabs shows two experiments where the fabric was wound and rouched on a cylinder (plastic pipe). The left was a pre-washed calico and the right a silk organza. This traditional shibori technique is called arashi.

3. PATTERNS BY MONOPRINTING ONTO FABRIC








Various techniques were tried to find ways to "manage" the shape that would be printed. These included soft plastic templates, adhesive plastic film and lacy fabrics. Although adhesive plastic film was used extensively by Ruth Issett, I found it tended to sag and dislodge after a couple of uses and the soft plastic templates were more durable and easier to work with. I also got some good results using paint applied to various textured and lacy fabrics. It was easier and gave better results if I applied the paint to the fabric and pressed it down, rather than trying to print from the glass plate.

The picture with the orange and yellow tabs shows: top & bottom left, prints using a soft plastic template with cut out hexagonal shapes as a skeleton to mask the area, first print on top and second on the bottom; top right - area masked by cut out plastic hexagons so the skeleton shows up with paint; bottom right- combination of mesh and lace shapes was painted and pressed onto the background fabric.

The picture with the blue and orange tabs shows various effects achieved with the tiger mark template: top- plastic cut out shape used to mask the area and paint printed over the top; bottom left - paint applied to the negative space left by the tiger mark cut out; bottom right - plastic shapes reworked as outline templates, then printed over with paint.


The picture with the blue and green tabs shows effects obtained by soaking various braids, lacy fabrics and the bottom of an egg carton(bottom row,centre) in domestic bleach and then applying them to the fabrics to discharge the black dye. The final photo shows an imprint of a lace curtain painted with black paint and applied to a black (green undertones) dyed fabric. I liked this one so much I am planning to use it as a base for an embroidered piece in the next few months.