Claire Smyth AAD010 Introducing Studio Practice : Mixed Media Weaving and Hand Stitching / Sewing (Creating various examples of both experimental mixed media hand weaving and hand stitching / sewing in responses to the contained theme and colour palette of the previous TADF mood boards)
During / throughout the ends of the second week of the TADF (textiles) workshops and as a result of our contained mood boards and chosen colour palettes etc, to further finalise the contained two weeks of tasks through looking at, analysing and familiarising ourselves with two of the most practical techniques / elements used / implemented within subject are / industry textiles to bond / attach the likes of specific materials together etc, we were in which instructed and given the brief to create a series of different / varied mixed media hand weaving pieces responding to the selected colours within my mood board considering aspects such as scale, compositions, repeat patterns and different types of weaving (angular shapes / designs), as well as experimenting with aspects of hand stitching embroidery through creating multiple samples mainly focusing upon the sewing technique of the running stitch ,along with other basics well known / utilised stitches such as the likes of blanket stitch, boro / seeding, gathering, rushing, folding, cross stitch and experimenting with patch work etc.
After being explained and fully aware of this contained brief, through collating a range of mixed media materials in correlation to my / the set colours of my mood board and as a result of looking through Pinterest for inspiration and examples of ideas for hand weaving, I then constructed a range / numerous examples of hand weaving techniques through various materials, in which along with the general paper weaving techniques, I had also created an array of other weaving pieces containing different weaves, materials, mediums, scales, angles, compositions and colour contrasts etc that in which included the likes of basket weaving (2×2 basket weaving), quilt weaving, weaving with wool and interlocking materials through weaving them up and over aligned pieces of wool etc, with the contained mixed media materials of coloured paper / card, tracing paper, thread, scrap paper, old black and white primary source images / photographs on photo paper of my mum, the punk / rock band of The Clash and an old water tank that has eroded, as well as carboard, different coloured wool, yarn, string, torn out pages of a telephone book and white graph paper / sketchbooks etc. To correlate with the other contained hand sewing / stitching exercises / pieces of work and to further develop my work through experimenting with different techniques, I decided to incorporate aspects of sewing within a few of my weaving pieces such as the running stitch holing / weaving strips of paper / an image together, as well as using red embroidery thread to create a contained, neat and precise blanket stitch around the surrounding boarder of my mixed media hand weaving examples / imagery.
In regards to the particular handing stitching workshop / task after completing / constructing multiple hand weaving examples, I then began to complete an array of experimental and mixed media hand sewing / stitching samples and compositions on various materials (scrap bits of fabrics that collated from a local upholsterers etc) correlating and in great relevance to the contained colours and themes of my previous textiles mood bard, through collating and executing a range of sewing techniques and stitches, through also considering the contained placement of my stitches, to where in which from considering a great array of types of stiches (planning my samples out etc) and incorporating may types of threads, materials and fabrics I completed various types of hand sewing examples / stiches, such as the likes of running stitch (containing both long and small lines), boro, blanket stitch, cross stitch and folding / gathering / pleating material etc.
Using an A4 sheet of tracing paper and black thread, I started to create a stitching boarder around the edges of the paper through implementing a blanket stitch to in which by further experimenting with and practicing different stiches, I had then sewn numerous types of running stitches throughout the tracing paper, considering aspects of lines (continuous / sporadic), scale, proximity, angles, overlapping stitches and creating dashes (utilising the sewing technique of boro), as well as using a strips of newspaper to attach and execute the sewing technique of attaching patchwork to a piece of material. Within my other contained hand stitches and examples of sewing techniques, I executed various other stiches such as the cross stitch, as well as folding and gathering cut out bits of martial / fabric, in which especially within both tasks I feel that I have executed it to the best of my abilities, especially as I was able to practice, experience, develop and play around / experiment with a wide range of techniques commonly used within textiles that I have not used / constructed before as seen from my contained images below.
Mixed media hand weaving:
Mixed media hand sewing / stitching:
