Sample Project 2013–April

So here are we are, a third of the year gone – or 17 weekly samples. I’m still hanging on in there…
I’m quite pleased with how little these textile bits resemble the photos in my John Muir Trust Wild Nature Diary!

 Week 14: Cross bedding
(Photo of Millstone Grit outcrop in Derbys.)
I used a typical cross bedding pattern as found in Millstone Grit, from a geology text book.
Free machined on Aquasol, in moorland colours over a white supporting grid (which wasn’t supposed to show up against a white background!). Tedious. 




Week 15: Adder markings
(Photo of adders)
Knitted (!) in tapestry wool then embellished onto black felt.
Makes a change but I think I’ll stick to embroidery.


Week 16: Dandelion
(Photo of dandelion seed head)
Decided to do an Angie Lewin style dandelion. I see a lot of AL rip-offs, not always credited, but I think I can be excused for a fun sample.
Bondawebbed applique and free machining on cotton. Fun! Maybe I should try using actual permanent fabric more often.


Week 17: Heron feathers
(Photo of heron)
Based on the rather straggly looking feathers on a heron’s wing.
Long straight stitches in a subtly shaded Stef Francis mercerised cotton thread, on a double layer of hand dyed cotton fabric.

Sample Project 2012 – November

So near the end now, but it’s been a struggle to get through this five sample month. For any new readers (hi!), each week I’m choosing one of the seven photos for that week in  “Underwater Eden – 365 Days” by Jeffrey L. Rotman as the starting point for some kind of textiley doodle. It’d make more sense if you could see the photos, but it wouldn’t be fair to rip them off -you’ll just have to get hold of the (really gorgeous) book!   

Here we go then…

 

Week 44: Tail of an Ornate Surgeonfish

Commercial felt blended and textured using the Embellisher machine.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 45: Tail of a Stoplight Parrotfish

Gathered/pleated fabrics.

 

 

Week 46: Gorgonian Coral

Zigzag stitch over thick wool and fine wire on Aquasol. Polyps made separately by free machining on Kunin felt then “cutting” out with a soldering iron.

 

 

 

Week 47: Colony of Sea Urchins

Machine embroidery using Flower Stitch attachment.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 48: Pelagic Octopus

Free machine embroidery with shaded thread on black felt.

 

 

 

Only four more weeks to go! So now the question is, should I do another weekly sample project in 2013, or would it maybe be more of an achievement to resist? After 6 years, perhaps it’s just a tad too obsessive? What do you think?

Sample Project 2012 – July

All sorts of techniques this month. I’m just sorry I can’t show you the wonderful photos in “Underwater Eden – 365 Days” that inspired them.

 

Week 27: Northern Sea Stars

French knots on a background of embellished felt.

 

 

Week 28: Candy Cane Starfish

Red synthetic sheer fabric free machined over calico in spotty pattern, then burned away with soldering iron to reveal cream calico below.

 

 

 

Week 29: Queen Triggerfish

Loose knitting with crewel/embroidery threads. Embellished onto felt while distorting.

 

 

Week 30: Hawksbill Turtle

Pale mottled Kunin felt over black wool felt, free machined polygons, zapped with heat gun.

Happy New Year!

(Oil rig, Qatar; Iraqi tank graveyard; trees amongst karst pillars in Madagascar.)

As another year ends, so does another sample diary. This is something I’ve done for four years now – I get a large diary with a picture per week and then each week I make a little textile sample inspired by the picture and stick it in. They don’t all work, but it makes a lovely bulgy book to look back through.

(Indian marble quarry; boats in Nile clogged with water hyacinths.)

I started with a cheap leftover Rothko diary – quite a challenge. The following year it was Van Gogh – more variety. Painters worked well, plus I must surely have learned a bit about their art along the way? Then I did an Earth From the Air diary of aerial photos, which was much more difficult at first, but in the end I loved it so much I went on to do another one this year.

I don’t do this for anyone else to see, but I’ve scanned a few examples here just to show what I’m on about. And maybe spread the idea?

(Shadows of camel caravan, Niger desert; the Eye of the Maldives.)

I don’t want to copy the pictures – all I aim for is a little sample inspired or suggested by the picture (or sometimes the accompanying words), using whatever I’ve got to hand. For me it’s a valuable exercise in quickly responding, completing and moving on – not endlessly reworking in search of perfection. But it could work with any rules or none, depending on what you need or want to achieve.

It’s also a great chance to have fun with techniques and materials I don’t use much in my everyday work. So as well as machine embroidery, there’s hand stitching, embellisher, appliqué, etc.

(Autumn trees, Quebec; Sao Paulo apartment windows; dugout canoes in Mali.)

The big problem now is, I can’t find any diary that appeals for 2011. But I can't stop, this is addictive. Going to have to do something radical. I’ve decided to take a picture from the newspaper each week instead… hmm, could be a challenge too far?!