ATV Assignment two – Surface and Stitch – Page 2

I appear to have a(nother!) technical hitch and my last post is shorter than when I left it! I’m hoping the content will turn up again so decided to continue in a new post…

I made this blind drawing in the park, on a rainy day using carbon paper inside a plastic bag! I particularly like the paper clip shaped bark marks and the underneath texture of the tree ‘eye’

I used the thin packaging paper that I textured in the same park , using a mallet to imprint a gravel texture. The smudge marks were represented by using ordinary sewing thread and a single strand of DMC rayon. I used simple running stitch with a long stitch visible and just a short stitch under the paper. the lines are of an uneven length and parallel but of varying distances apart.

The larger bark marks reminded me of paper clip shapes. I used a thicker thread which in hindsight looks a bit to dark, I started by doing a sort of chain stitch with a bit of couching, I then found the three tiny running stitches could be woven into in a spiral shape – this was easier and looked more effective.

The tree eye I stitched using a grey darning wool, I used an open, uneven chain stitch underneath and couched down a spiral for the center and top. This bit of the paper was quite textured by the mallet and ripped quite easily. I like the texturing and natural flecks in the paper, it could be strengthened with bond-a-web and then the center of the eye could be more detailed.

Whilst I was sorting out threads for this exercise, I wondered what would happen if I ripped a piece of gauzy ribbon, this! I thought that it would be interesting to use as a heavy line with a soft edge, graphite stick in this case was the drawn mark. I also chose a mix of threads in the needle again, fluffy and sharp, but this time thinner.

The marks worked well. The substrate is unfolded tea bags on packing paper. It was not quite strong enough for such heavy thread so I stopped at this point

I love my home made thread and will definitely experiment more to create interesting line types.

Back to the Akha Jacket. I used the folded paper to give me a guide for the rectangular weave marks and to utilise the light and shadows that the folds give.

I enjoyed mixing different colours and textures of threads in the needle for the binding. It gives a good sense of wear and the light and shadows I think. The rectangularish shapes could be interesting as a continuous line using a sewing machine – something to try and it will be interesting to compare, side by side.

I really like the way the reverse tells the story of the path of the needle, It kind of tracks my thought process as I stitched.

The aim of this project is to explore and produce a range of substrates to stitch into.I got stuck deciding which drawings to move on with so I started manipulating paper with no specific ideas for stitching in mind but an awareness that antique fabric, bark and leaves were probable. Creating surfaces is so much fun ! I could play with paper for weeks – but it’s more important that I play catch up!

I started by creasing and folding, inspired a little by a visit to Aahus museum in the summer.

6 reliefs by Paul Gernes in 1962, made in an unidentified metal, I love the creases left by folding and unfolding, they are very representative of woven fabric I think.

Sick bags from the ferry! paper on one side, foil on the other. The creases held really well, I made quite chunky folds, I think that this would also work with smaller folds. Many snacks come in foil lined bags so probably quite a colour range to choose from.

Different shaped folds, I like the way the shadows form, top left is tracing paper, the translucent quality is lovely.

Kadi paper is made from 100% cotton rag, this is 320gsm so quite thick. It looks fabulous while pleated, bending the paper backwards and forwards while pleated generated a lovely wrinkle when flattened out. I used a hammer while folded to see what the indents would look like. The bottom image is the same paper folded backwards and forwards a bit haphazardly then unfolded turned 90 degrees and repeating the process. I really like this effect and it brings to mind bark and cloth- useful!

Crumpling – splendid word, crumple crumple crumple.People crumple when discarding things which is sad, but also associated with present opening – way more joyful! A quick and effective way of testing the properties of a paper, grey tissue paper, very soft and fragile.Tracing paper, not observable in the photo but there are delightful white dots at the apex of creases, its very brittle though – it needs laminating with something else.

I amused the neighbourhood by taking paper and mallet to the local park where I thought the ground texture might give interesting marks. I tested different thickness’s of paper and observed the back and front. the thin paper after a lot of perseverance became slightly pierced by the gravel. The Kadi paper retained the shapes of the gravel really well, I prefer it on the indented side, the bumpy surface is very like wood chip wallpaper, way less defined.

Mallet and nails are a far more controlled way of making holes. Hole size can be controlled by pressure or nail size and patterns easily achieved.

Weaving! I ripped the two sheets of paper and kept the strips in order so that when woven they were uneven but tightly joined, clearly it would be easy to make a more open surface.