Using Prompts

Recently, I read an article by Robin Olsen from the sep/oct 2009 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors  I decided to extend her idea, which was to use prompts to direct the construction of a fibre art piece.
I made up 110 cards for my prompts.  I used a list of techniques from my database, where I keep a record of  my reading and the ideas which come from it.  In the past, I have simply been able to scan through the database until I find something I felt like experimenting with, and do it - but now, with the techniques converted to prompts, it gives me random ideas for a piece.
Today, I decided, it was time to put the cards to the test!  Were there too many?  How flexible could it be? Would it work for me?
Let's find out!

I started with a piece of felt.

The prompt said "Add needle felted fabric" - Now, I have only small scraps of fabric left from other projects, not enough to cover this piece, which was about 14-16 inches square!  So here, the flexibility came in.  I decided to just needlefelt onto the felt.  You can see, I already had the machine out above.

Here I am in the final stages of covering the felt with needle felting.  (As usual, I got too engrossed to take pictures!) I used scraps of Fabric from my scrap box which included cottons, organza, satin, plastic, silk, roving scraps, painted nappy liners and face cloths, dyed batting and felt. Any fabrics which were not felting in well were covered in a fine film of roving scraps and re-needled.

 Above are a few close ups of the surface.

Here is the final foundation layer, with a few bits of scrap yarn added.

A close up of the yarn.

My next card said "Use a monoprint"  I was stumped for a while.

There was nothing for it but to get out the fabric I monoprinted a little while ago.  I looked at it.   I looked at it again.....  Finally I thought of cutting some flowers out of it.

So I got some flowery stencils out and moved them around.  The tulip and sunflower looked interesting, but... then I saw this stencil.

Decision made!

I thought the butterfly might look nice placed like this.  But I wanted to be sure.  So I loaded all my pictures into Photoshop.

First I cropped the background.

Then I got rid of most of the background from the butterfly and flowers (only a rough job, really)

and then I pasted them into place.  The contrast between the background and the elements is not wonderful, more is needed, so...

I drew around the butterfly with black to see what black satin stitch would do for it - and I liked that!

So I cut out my butterfly and put it down on the background.  I was still not sure about the flowers, though and just to make up my mind, I drew another card.

 It said "Attach something that isn't fully anchored down / dimensional" and that made up my mind for me.  I would make some dimensional flowers to add.


So that is where I got to today.  Considering I had no idea where I was going this morning and now I have a piece well on it's way, I'd say this method works.  But I'll have to try it a few more times, just to make sure, lol.
When I first started thinking about doing this, I  thought it might be a little too lacking in creativity, but the way I have put it together allows a bit of freedom in interpreting the prompt and the challenge actually seems to stimulate more creativity.  If I hadn't had to look at my monoprints, I wouldnt have looked at the stencils and I probably would never have  seen the butterfly and thought of using it.
Instead of how I thought it would be, it actually helps my creative impulse to not have to wrack my brain thinking of how to do something and instead simply take a random technique and  make it fit.

Try making a list of the techniques you regularly use and/or want to use.  Make them into cards so you can pick randomly, and have a go.  You might be surprised (like I was) at what you create.

Well, that's my story - and I'm sticking to it

Fusing

The other day when I was putting together a leaf collage. I noticed that my fused fabric box was not up to scratch.

It did not have any sheets of fused fabric and most of it was little tiny scraps of colours that I don't use very often.
Also, I was watching Laura Wasilowski and Frieda Anderson on Sewing with Nancy (here) and was inspired to do a few small collages.  My collages can't really be called whimsical like theirs can, but the technique is basically the same, with a few different fabrics and other additions.  I do like to put hand embellishments on, like Laura, and machine embroider, like Frieda, but generally my colour sense is a bit more subdued.  Probably because I am, too.
So, I decided to embark upon a day (and night) fusing fabric to build my stock back up and also to use up a roll of fusible that I hate at the same time (Then I can buy a nicer roll to replace it!)

First, I chose my fabrics, a lot of textures and solids, not too many prints, which is also different from LW and FA.

Here is a first batch of greens, ready to fuse on the sheet below them.  I fuse about a metre square at a time.

And the greens all laid out ready to fuse.  I tack the pieces down lightly with the tip of the iron, and deal with any creases first.

Then I cover with release paper and iron more fully. (In the case of this terrible fusible batch, this means a fair bit of ironing to fuse it)

When cool, (I usually leave it overnight), I peel back the whole sheet.  The longer you leave it before peeling, the less likely it is for it to stick to itself.

After I am done, which in this case was ten and a half metres later, I am left with lots of large release sheets to use.  This is only half of them, since the rest are still curing underneath.  If I need small pieces for release paper, I use Silicone coated baking paper from the supermarket (in Australia), rather than cutting up the big sheets, which are very useful.

Of course, the main reason for doing this is to end up with lots and lots of fused fabric, like this.

And to fill up my fused fabric box, of course.  It looks much more healthy now!
Perfect for me to get into and cut up into pieces for new collages, lol.

Sometimes, to be creative requires a bit of preparation

Belated Blog

As I said, Saturday is Stitchin' time, however, I spent a lot of time trying to video my stitches.... and failed.  So here is my blog for yesterday in picture form, instead.
I really love free motion embroidery (FME) in all it's forms and have been studying all the ways to stitch using it.  There are a lot of books and a lot of artists and they all use similar stitches and techniques and some have names and some have several names, but what I observed when I looked at it all is that there is an heirarchy (like a tree diagram) to the stitches, so I will show you that - but later, let's get down to the stitches!
Obviously, most people starting FME start with either straight stitch or Zig zag.  I am going to start with straight stitch, even though in some ways zigzag is easier to start with.
I am not going to look at the technical set-up stuff, because there are plenty of excellent sites with this information: sewing machines for beginners, beginners tute, technical stuff, excellent article from new mexico uni, beginners guide from isew.

Straight stitch techniques in FME
One look at a quilting catalogue, or leah day's project will show you that straight stitch is extremely versatile and can form a zillion different patterns.  This is because it is basically a line and lines make drawings, so anything you can draw, you can FME.  And let's not forget drawing.  Before you start at the machine it is a good idea to draw out what you intend to sew.  Not only will this help you remember where to move, it will make the result better.
The first thing you will probably do and this is a good idea, is just scribble.  Below are a few examples of just that.

 Try a variety of shapes and even some stick figures or leaves and trees,  Keep it interesting, because practice is the key.
Some patterns you could try:

wiggly lines

zigzag lines

pointy scribble

curvy scribble or stippling

curvy lines that touch

practice the alphabet

write your name

These are not special, perfect examples I made up to show you.  They are just my everyday practice.  If I don't practice nearly everyday, I get a bit rusty.
Don't look for perfection in your lines,

• firstly because most applications of these lines in FME will not require perfection 
• secondly, because if it is not fun to do, you are not likely to persist and striving for perfection can be a little boring.
• lastly because my philosphy is that creativity and perfection are opposing forces.  Think about your purpose.  Is your purpose to create a perfect carbon copy that is cold and lifeless, or is it to create something alive and beautiful that expresses your inner self?  

Now let's look at the three main ways to use straight stitch in FME
Granite stitch

Granite stitch is just scribble, the first thing we do as children learning to draw, which is why I chose it to start. Leah day calls it cat hairball, it is also known when done like in the picture above, as encroaching circles in The encyclopedia of Machine Embroidery, or granite stitch by carol shinn, or spiralling straight stitch by Alison holt and probably as many other names as there are FME artists.
Basically, this stitch is used to fill in large areas and shade by overlapping  or to make trees in the distance as in my itty bitty landscape, here is a close up of  that stitching.

The main thing with granite stitch, is that the circles need to overlap, and if it doesn't look right to you (remember to stand back, no-one looks at art with their nose to it to enjoy it,  only critics do that!), then go over it again, or ask someone else, because you will always be over critical of your own work. 

This has been an overlong blog... and I still had two more stitches!  But we will go on to those next week, and I will work out how to post my stitch chart or tree diagram as a PDF for you.

On Monday, I will be posting a tutorial for a zipped cover for a sketchbook, that uses circular straight stitch on a large scale, so tune in for that, and later today I will post my sketchbook for this week.