Match Samples

Over the last couple of days I've been dyeing and sewing samples based on my match book theme.  I'm still undecided as to whether to pursue the simple match shape with single straight lines and stitches or base my designs on the match books and boxes themselves, more square in design and potentially more scope for 3D.  Need to make a decision as although we are formally on Easter Holidays, there's not that much time left before we hand all the samples for this term in, so I'm trying to at least nail down the final design.  Current favourite are my little pillows, these are intended to  resemble a very large scale match heads, and are approximately 10cm square, so I am currently considering shades of blue and green merging horizontally into each other made up with slightly smaller 8cm squares.

Memorabilia - Match Books

The third brief has sent us on an exploration of memories: belongings, reminiscence, recollections, emotions, glances, memories, keepsakes, gifts, ephemera - collectible items that were originally designed to be short-lived, a memento from a place or time, previous memories. 

I've decided to dig out a jar of old match books that I have collected over the years.  Having gone through the jar there are lots of memories as well as loads of rich colours and simple rectangular form in  match books and matches themselves.  Having had a good look, I'm not quite sure how to turn these into a textile art piece!

Chain Mail

Now we are moving onto our third travel brief, I thought I'd upload some of the knit samples, to bring this section to a close.  The theme of the new brief is Design Crafts: Innovating with materials and processes, 'Memorabilia: memories and nostalgia of a journey'.  I think I may revert to some of the imagery from the first brief based on the vintage sewing kit I have, or alternatively I could start afresh with my own box of collected items, or my book of old post cards I found in the loft last week!

Contextualisation

I've been continuing my textural knitting by both hand and on the machine, in-particular concentrating on the chain mail from the brass rubbing of Sir Blount. I've created a whole piece using the hold technique and then attached over 100 brass rings of each of the loops created (hurt my fingers a lot). I have also been playing with yards of knitted cord attaching the cord to a second knitted piece to create loopy loops. Biggest challenge has been the application of the knitted pieces into Adobe Photoshop, as this is a fashion brief the knitted pieces need to presented in-situ. I found a rather accommodating Derhy model and for these samples I used the disperse dye knitted samples:

Disperse Dyeing and Knit

I've chosen the Knit / Manipulation option for this stage of my journey.  I've taken imagery from my family relics including crosses, chain mail and details from our coat of arms, as well as the family motto "lux tua via mea" (Thy light is my way).  Today I've been experimenting and printing onto my machine knit pieces creating some interesting shapes and patterns with disperse dyes.  I need to work more with the dyes as these tones and mixes are too dark for my chosen colour palette, but going in the right direction.  Most surprisingly was when these small experiments were pinned on the mannequin, I was really pleased with the initial results and were far more successful than I had anticipated.

'Experiences of a Journey

The theme of my brief is 'Experiences of a Journey: the place and the beauty of imperfection or damage'. We taken our little road trip this week to Mamble, ancestral home of my Blount family line. Visited Sodington Hall and the Blount Mortuary Chapel at Mamble Church in search of inspiration -  meet some of the family....

Nutcracker Samples

These are a couple of my final fabric manipulation and construction samples.  When I looked at the nutcracker on a large scale I found myself exploring the repeating lines of the nutcracker head, initially I looked to create this effect using fabric pleating, but found un-flattened pleats to be far more rewarding!  Although I worked with the big scale nutcracker components I also chose to utilise and repeat the simple oval shape too, through out all the pieces of work.