Chapter 5: Quilting, padding and stuffing

I began this chapter by making a series of samples of traditional quilting. These were all stitched on the machine with a medium weight calico backing, 100% cotton quilt batting and curtain lining as a top layer. I used the walking foot on my machine to ensure sharp lines were achieved.

Fig. 5:1 - Straight, equidistant lines

 

Fig. 5:2 - Spiral

 This one (Fig. 5:2) is a little like the traditional log-cabin block design

Fig. 5:3

Narrow blocks, again mimicking a traditional rail-fence quilting block design.

Fig. 5:4 - Diagonal lines

Fig. 5:5- Diagonal lines in both directions

Fig. 5:6

Fig. 5:6 is two diagonal boxes - slightly 'wonky'

Fig. 5:7

Fig. 5:7 reminds me of a Mondrian painting and this is the pattern that I took forward into some more of my samples.

Fig. 5:8

Moving on into wadded quilting samples, Fig. 5:8 is fashioned from two layers of lightweight curtain lining with a layer of thick polyester wadding sandwiched between. The shapes were machine stitched, again using the walking foot and then a vermicelli set stitch was worked in two of the smaller squares.

Fig. 5:9

The sample in Fig. 5:9 has a backing of the lightweight curtain lining, and the thick polyester wadding again, but this time with a top layer of muslin. I hand stitched this sample using several lines of running stitch to separate the sections and then worked seed stitch in the centre square. I really like the way that the extra layers of stitch and the thick wadding make the shapes stand out and create some lovely shadows.

Fig. 5:10

This sample (Fig. 5:10) has a backing of calico, thick polyester wadding and a top layer of silk/cotton mix fabric. I worked a running stitch border to neaten the edges and then worked single cross stitches in a grid pattern across the piece.

Fig. 5:11

Shaped quilting was next and a variety of household items suddenly took on a new life. Sample 5:11 has felt and cork furniture floor protectors trapped between 2 layers of the lightweight curtain lining fabric. I stitched around and between the shapes with rows of running stitch using 2 strands of stranded cotton. I love the effect this gives ... and the way that the centre, which is unpadded, has raised up with the stitching.

Fig. 5:12

I like sample 5:12 even more!! and will definitely be using these ideas again (though probably not whilst interpreting my tree bark). A variety of metal washers are trapped between curtain lining (backing) and habotai silk. I worked long stitches across the washers to hold them in place before working tiny back stitches very close to the inner and outer edges of each washer to define the shapes. The undulating silk has a lovely texture with lots of interesting shadows.

Fig. 5:13

Fig. 5:13 shows a series of foam board rectangles trapped between silk cotton (on top) and curtain lining backing. Each piece of 'board' is outlined with running stitch and the shapes between filled with rows of running stitch.

Fig. 5:14

Padded quilting was next and Fig. 5:14 has a backing of calico and a piece of organza on top to allow the padding to be seen. The padding in this sample is threads withdrawn from linen fabric in an earlier chapter. The shapes have been outlined with running stitch.

Fig. 5:15

The same fabrics and outlining method were used in Fig. 5:15 but this time the padding is a variety of natural coloured fleece - intended for felting. This is very reminiscent of a dry stone wall with the different shades of brown and grey.

Fig. 5:16

Corded quilting. I have only done one sample for this at the moment though may return to do more at a later stage. This did give me ideas for how the technique might be used to interpret some of my bark patterns. I machine stitched channels then threaded woollen yarn through from behind. Again, organza was used on top of calico to allow the yarn to be visible.

Lots of these techniques will prove useful when I begin to interpret my tree patterns into fabric and I have thoroughly enjoyed working through this chapter.

Chapter 4: Fabric investigation

For this chapter we had to make a collection of all the neutral coloured fabrics in our possession and to make a thorough investigation of their various properties. The vast majority of the fabrics that I own are made from natural fibres.

Fig. 4:1

Fig. 4:1 shows cotton fabrics as follows:

C1 - A1447 Natural cotton fabric from Whaleys - soft, quite thick, clear weave

C2 - Osnaburg, a soft, thin cotton fabric with a slubby even weave which looks a little like linen (bought from Doughtys)

C3 - Curtain lining from IKEA - 100% cotton which is thin, soft and has a close weave. From previous experience this takes dye particularly well and has the added bonus of costing only £2 per metre.

C4 - Patchwork weight 100% cotton fabric is soft, easy to sew and has a close weave

C5 - Cotton muslin is soft and thin with an open weave.

C6 - Cotton scrim bought from Whaleys is thin, soft and has a very open weave.

C7 - Denim - just a small sample of this from Natural Fibres so it is 100% organic cotton, thick, firm with a diagonal twill and dense weave.

C8 - Organic cotton flannel, again from Natural Fibres. This is thin, very soft with a close weave and a brushed surface on one side.

C9 - Organic cotton twill, again from Natural Fibres. This is thin and densely woven with a diagonal twill.

Fig. 4:2

Fig. 2 shows a mixture of fabrics as follows:

J1 - Jute hessian from Whaleys is a coarse fabric with an distinct quite open weave

J2 - Jute scrim again from Whaleys is again a coarse fabric with a very open weave

M1 - Nylon organza bought several years ago from a floristry supplier - soft and transparent with a close weave and a distinct sheen

M2 - Velour picked up from an oddments bin - very soft with a plush pile and a shiny surface. I think possibly viscose

M3 - Nylon lace from my stash so no idea of provenance - soft with shiny areas of pattern woven onto an open background

M4 - Poly-cotton quilt batting - very soft with a brushed surface

 

Fig. 4:3

L1 - Linen scrim in natural, bought from Whaleys and L2 is exactly the same fabric in white. Both have a medium weave though the bleaching process has made the white version softer to handle.

Fig. 4:4

Fig. 4:4 shows my silk collection:

S1 - Silk organza bought from Stef Francis - soft and translucent with a close weave.

S2 - Silk cotton bought from The Silk Route - soft with a slight sheen and close weave

S3 - Silk dupion again from The Silk Route - crisp feel and a close weave

S4 - Silk tussah again from The Silk Route - soft with a slubbed pattern and close weave

S5 - Heavyweight silk tussah from The Silk Route - very soft with thick threads and an even weave 

S6 - More silk tussah described only as JB830 on the texture silk pack from The Silk Route - a firm handle with open double weave

S7 - Another piece of silk tussah from the same texture pack (JB829), this time with an uneven slubbed weave but very soft handle.

S8 - A final piece from the same pack as above (JB848), this is firm with a fine slubbed weave

B1 - Bamboo/silk satin bought from Art Van Go - very soft, with a fine weave and a sheen on the right side of the fabric.

 

 Fig. 4:5

Fig. 4:5 shows the results of the fraying tests on a selection of fabrics.

Fig. 4:6

And 4:6 shows the results of attempts to melt the same fabrics. My findings are shown in the table below (Fig. 4:7).

 

Fig. 4:7

 

 

Finally in this chapter we were asked to produce a series of decorative strips with interesting edges.

  Fig. 4:8

1. Evenweave frayed on both sides
2. Evenweave frayed in the same way and then cut into different patterns
3. Curtain lining frayed and rolled
4. Organza slashed on each side with v-shaped cuts
5. Organza slashed on alternate edges and pulled before being fixed in place
   

Fig. 4:9

 6. Muslin cut with pinking shears

7. Linen fabric frayed down the centre then folded to make a looped fringe

8. Nylon organza torn then knotted (some with a double knot to make them more pronounced

9. Nylon organza strip slashed on both long edges then twisted and frayed

10. Linen fabric with bands of threads removed from the warp then the edges frayed

 

 

Chapter 3: Paper texture and relief

Firstly, an omission from my last post relating to the paper investigation in Chapter 2:

Paper investigation results:

• Copy paper is thin, tears easily, creases well, though is a little more difficult to crumple. Benefits from scrunching repeatedly to break down the fibres first.
• Newsprint is even thinner than copy paper, tears and creases easily and crumples easily (even easier after repeated scrunching).
• Lining paper - mine is a heavy weight which tears and pleats easily but needs extensive scrunching in order to crumple successfully. After this treatment it becomes quite soft and almost fabric-like.
• Card tears and creases easily but I could not persuade it to crumple successfully.
• Wrapping paper tore, creased and crumpled quite easily.
• Kitchen paper is very soft, tears easily but the pleats needed gluing in place to hold them. It crumples very easily but again required gluing to hold it in place.
• Rag paper tears with a lovely soft edge, pleats well but needs repeated scrunching to break down the fibres sufficiently to crumple well.
• Tissue paper tears, pleats and crumples very easily.
• Hand-made tissue - mine has definite fibres which are more evident when it is torn. It pleats and crumples easily though it is quite springy so needed glue to persuade the pleats to stay in place.
• Silk paper was difficult to tear though gave a lovely raggedy edge when torn. It needed glue to hold the pleats in place but crumpled well as it is beautifully soft - it also has a lovely sheen.
• Lokta tissue is again very soft but tears with a very soft edge, needs glue to hold the pleats and crumples well.
• tracing paper tears easily, holds pleats very well and crumples easily. I like its translucency, and especially the effect when glued.

Chapter 3: Texture and relief in paper
 I chose five textures from my tree bark images to interpret in paper:

 Fig. 3:1

I used strips of torn newsprint paper stitched together then torn across and crumpled to replicate this bark, which already looks like crumpled scraps of paper. 

Fig. 3:2

Winter tree branches depicted with scrunched tissue paper which has been glued down to form random pleats and gathers to echo the lines of the branches.

 

Fig.3:3

Kitchen paper glued down with PVA to form deep pleats and bumps to mimic the deep grooves and curving lines of this ancient tree's bark.

Fig. 3:4

The 'platelets' on this bark are replicated with pieces of lining paper torn and layered.

 

Fig. 3:5

Torn strips of newsprint and stitched (without thread) tracing paper have been curled with scissors and glued in place to mimic the curls of this tree bark.

 

 

Chapter 5:2 Paper investigation

For this chapter we were asked to do several experiments with as many different types of paper as we could find. We were to tear, fold, crease and crumple each in turn to see what effects resulted.

 Fig. 2.1

 Fig. 2.2

 Fig. 2.3

Fig. 2.4

The labels on these scrunched up papers are hidden so reading left to right:

Top row: card; newsprint; lining paper

Centre: wrapping paper; kitchen roll; tissue

Bottom row: hand-made tissue; silk paper; architects tracing paper

 Fig. 2.5

Sample 1: Tissue paper hole punched with an oblong punch, then torn and layered

 

Fig. 2.6

Sample 2: Tracing paper strips cut with scallop edged scissors and overlapped 

 Fig. 2.7

Sample 3: Tracing paper cut with different scrapbooking scissors, patches and strips overlapped

 Fig. 2.8

Sample 4: Tracing paper run through the sewing machine without thread then torn into strips and overlapped

 Fig. 2.9

Sample 5: Pleated tissue paper strips and patches

Fig. 2.10

Sample 6: Tissue paper pleated in two directions

 

 Fig. 2.11

Sample 7: Scrunched tissue paper glued down to retain rough folds.

Fig. 2.12

Sample 8: Rolled and twisted strips of tissue paper

 

 Fig. 2.13

Sample 9: Tissue paper strips rolled and knotted

Fig. 2.14

Sample 10: Strip of tissue paper machine gathered along one edge and formed into a rough circle

 

 Fig. 2.15

Sample 11: Long strips of tissue paper machine gathered roughly down the centre and glued in place

Fig. 2.16

Sample 12: A large piece of tissue paper with four rows of machine stitch to gather up before gluing in place.

Some of these initial samples I think are already suggesting the textures on my trees but I'll play with them more in the next chapter.

Module 5: Texture in Landscape

Maybe I should have called this post 'My Love Affair with Trees'! I've loved trees for as long as I can remember ... vague memories of my hippie 'tree hugging' phase as a teenager. Established in our 'forever home' with a garden far too small to have a real life tree (the flowering cherry tree that was there had to go after much heart searching as it was causing cracks in the house wall), we set about creating our very own bonsai arboretum. I have oak trees which are no more than 10" tall grown from acorns which we planted ourselves, a crab apple tree 8" tall and 35 years old which is smothered in blossom every spring and produces tiny crab apples every autumn, a tiny quince which is the first to bloom each year with beautiful red flowers, a gingko, a selection of maples... well, you get the idea.

 Maple bonsai

Crab apple bonsai

Everywhere I go I take photographs of trees so when I saw the topic for Module 5 - Texture in the Landscape - I immediately knew what my subject would be! So tree bark it is.

Fig. 1.1

 

Fig. 1.2

Fig. 1.3

Fig. 1.4

Fig. 1.5

Fig. 1.6

My first job was to narrow down the images that I would use as inspiration for my work and tried to pick out some of the trees with the most interesting textures. We were asked to zoom in on the particular area of interest and to manipulate the images in some way so as to emphasise the texture. It was then that I hit my first obstacle ... the last update of Windows 10 had rendered my copy of Photoshop Elements unusable! I found a couple of free photo editing programs online but they weren't really doing what I wanted. I waited to see if Santa would bring me an up-to-date copy of Photoshop and he didn't let me down.

 Fig. 1.7

 Fig. 1.8

 Fig. 1.9

 Fig. 1.10

 Fig. 1.11

 Fig. 1.12

 Fig. 1.13

Fig. 1.14