Lately I’ve been experimenting with making a flower quilt. I created rosettes, which I then attached to a quilted piece. I used a pretty basic stitch design for the quilting, but if I ever recreate something like this much larger, I’ll probably do a more interesting pattern that relates a little better with the over all piece.
dyed fabric rosettes on cotton quilted piece.
back
I received my book in the mail this week, and I’m super excited to start using it! I think it’s going to really help me out if I continue with my plans for making rosettes and such. The book covers a ton of different techniques for making 3D manipulations including gathering, pleating, tucking, shirring. This is definitely a book that I will use for my fibers work as well as fun things I do on the side.
these are some of the techniques i want to try for different flower styles
Finished my photo project. I’m actually pretty happy with it all, including the process, except for the display. It doesn’t look quite the way I wanted, but I’m more or less out of time before I have to turn it in tomorrow. After tomorrow I may take it apart and display each photo individually instead of linked up. The flower pigment transfer process was really simple, but added a whole new element that really improved each piece. Some pieces are better than others (I have my favorites), but that happens I guess. Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions and advice on this!
Bathing Suit Modeling
Photograph Sent Home to Dad
Modeling Kimono
Teaching Japanese Children
Relaxing Near Japanese Beach
Letter to Mama and New Shoes
These are all of the silk photographs I’ve been working with. I still need to improve most of them with more flower pigments. Still planning to put these together in an accordion-style book.
All made with dyed cotton organdy, silk, silk organza, and flower pigments.
Free wilted flowers from HyVee!
This is her I'm-gonna-gnaw-your-flowers skulking crouch.
Here’s a little of what I’m working on as an experiment for a possible BFA show idea. Right now I’m making a bunch of fabric flowers to make into a wall piece. My idea for the long term if I were to do this for my show is to make quilts that are covered in these flowers. I would concentrate on color, probably fading from one color to another (like coral to fuchsia) from top to bottom. My main worry is how much time it will really take to actually cover an entire quilt or multiple quilts. In general, I’m most interested in the idea of over abundance/decadence and color saturation. I’ve been looking a lot at Amy Butler’s fabric designs and color choices, and I’m pretty sure that’s what got this idea forming.
dyed cotton strips and hot glue
And lastly, this is just my fun project. I remade my crappy sleeping mask with some of my left over dyed scraps. You learn to value a sleeping mask when you have a street light directly outside your window. I realize that it’s probably disgustingly cute, cut I still love it. :)
silk, cotton, batting, and wonder under
Here’s an update of what I’m working on. Printed photos on fabric with other dyed silks and cotton. Today I’ll be practicing making flower transfers, which I’ll potentially be using as another layer technique.
inkjet printed photographs on silk
dyed silk organza, silk gauze, and cotton organdy (bordeaux, sea foam, and mist grey)
silk and silk organza
laying out pieces
I finished the three wall hangings from my first project. Overall, I feel that I explored some new areas of printing and dyeing, and I learned a few what-not-to-do’s for the future. I’m happy with the finished product, and look forward to doing more of this in the future. As far as what I’m going to do after I graduate, right now I’m interested in some type of surface design or textile design internship/job/whatever. This project help me explore a little bit of that, and to figure out if I would enjoy doing this kind of work long term (which I’m pretty sure I do).
Here are the finished products:
cotton gauze, back-dyed, thermofax and contact paper prints
habotai silk, double-delight dyed, rolled ink trees, and thermofaxed cicada wings (also shibori dyed, with little to no result)
black discharge cotton, rolled discharge resist printing, thermofaxed feathers with resist layering (also dyed, but no result)
Here is what I have done so far. I will finish the wall hangings with sticks on top and bottom, and they’ll measure approximately 45 inches across and about 2 yards long. Tomorrow I will be starting on the third and working with discharging and printing my design on black cotton. I’m considering back dyeing as well. The egg and nest print is finished, and the tree print is currently in a shibori dye bath.
finished egg and nest print
detail
silk habotai: time delay dyed in jungle red, then double delight dyed in charcoal and fushia. rolled ink print with tape resist.
Problem 1:
The first problem I would like to undertake this semester is creating surface designs with more complex printing processes and fabrics I have not worked with before for screen-printing, as well as combining these aspects with dye techniques. This will also allow me to expand my printing and dyeing knowledge for future use, as well as create full finished pieces, not just samples of techniques.
Concept:
I want to create bold, creative surface designs on wall hangings, and explore combinations of abstract design and representational imagery, as well as dyeing techniques with printed design. I would like to create some distinct variety in my approach to each piece so that I may flesh out my printing and dyeing boundaries. One piece may require measured repetition and clean lines, while the other may have a painterly or drippy quality.
Process:
The first wall hanging will be designed in a measured purposefully placed fashion. I want to create semi-ornate frame-like shapes from multiple colors that will repeat in 8 in by 8 in squares, printed on cotton gauze. After I have printed the frames, I will then over-dye the fabric. After over-dyeing I will then print an image of an egg and a nest in each frame. I am waiting to print the imagery after I over-dye because I know the dye will affect the colors slightly of the ink, and I want to be sure to keep the color the same. The second hanging I plan to print on either silk gauze or silk habotai. This piece I plan to create so that the dye will interact with the imagery more apparently. Another process I would like to expand on is discharging black Kona cotton. I will discharge large areas, abstractly or representationaly, dye/print over that, and maybe discharge again. I think working with discharge and black Kona large scale will be very different from my experience with smaller pieces. I want to use complex dyeing processes, as well as investigate painting with dye into wet fabric. In the end I plan to create at least three finished pieces and they will be finished and hung with sticks.
Influences:
My influences for this undertaking are designer duo Val Pillow and Anne Maxfield, Lara Cameron, and Anna Von Mertens. Pillow and Maxfield are textile designers, who create textile designs. Their designs are usually whimsical in nature, but clean and bold, like their Pretty Bird collection. I want my first wall hanging to reflect a similar style. Lara Cameron’s style is similar to this in bold colors, but not nearly as busy, like in her Birch Forests and Raindrops printed fabrics. While I do not relate with Anna Von Mertens’ works conceptually for my project, I do admire the dyeing style and technique she uses. She creates representational dyed and quilted auras of famous figures. Like in her interpretation of “Girl With a Pearl Earring” and portrait of “Frida Kahlo,” I would like to imitate the bleeding qualities she creates with the dye.
Here are the photos of work by other artists mentioned above, as well as sketches and work I’ve completed so far:
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Citations:
Cameron, L. Birch Forest. Retrieved from http://www.laracameron.com/index.php?p=textiles
Cameron L. Raindrops. Retrieved from http://www.laracameron.com/index.php?p=textiles
Chau, D. Hand. Retrieved from http://www.diemchau.com/plates15.html
Deschner, J.W. Thales, self. Retrieved from http://www.janedeschner.com/maxim__Thales_.html
Deschner, J.W. Twain, twirler. Retrieved from http://www.janedeschner.com/maxim__Twain_.html
Holmes, Cas. Hemlock Folding Book. Retrieved from http://www.casholmes.textilearts.net/page112.html
Jakielski, J. Rose Colored. Retrieved from http://janicejakielski.com/works/rose-colored
Pillow, V., & Maxfield, A. Moss Pretty Birds. Retrieved from http://www.pillowandmaxfield.com/blue_pretty_bird/DC4393_moss.htm
Verity, P. Wire Shoes [found at the Red Barn Gallery, Edinburgh]. Retrieved from http://www.polyscene.com/indexwir.htm
Von Mertens, A. Frida Kahlo’s Aura with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird. Retrieved from http://www.annavonmertens.com/portfolio.php?genus=76&specimen=94
Von Mertens, A. Girl With a Pearl Earring, after Johannes Vermeer. Retrieved from http://www.annavonmertens.com/portfolio.php?genus=76&specimen=83
Timeline:
January 25: Finish first hanging.
January 27: Be started on second hanging, sketches done.
February 8: Finish second hanging and start third hanging, sketches done.
February 17: Project #1 complete, all wall hanging finished.
February 22: Sketches ready, start on Project #2 (photographs)
March 1: Necessary fabric dyed, photographs transferred to fabric.
March 15: Sewing, embroidery, printing, painting complete. Pieces almost done and stitched together in book format, if not completely done.
March 17: Project #2 complete, book finished.
March 22: Materials and sketches ready to start Project #3.
March 24: Wire armature complete during class.
March 29: Stitching already begun.
April 7: Project # 3 complete, shoes finished.
most of the applique pinned down, with front and back pieces of quilt sewn together
