Chapter 12 - part 2

For the assessment piece for module 2 I have to design and make a three dimensional item. The first phase, after thinking up a few potential ideas for items, is to make some small mock-up 3D forms - see below:



The yellow shape on the left is a cylinder with a base. My easing in around the circle was a little tight, but if you turn it on its head it has the makings of a chef's hat...


The one on the right is a rectangular vase shape.

On the left a semi-circle and this time easing in the curve has turned out more evenly. On the right is a simple pointed hat shape made of three segments.

Next is simple hat made from four pieces.

Lastly two variations on a simple bag shape.

Chapter 11 - stage A

I have made three fabric samples based on the paper patterns (see earlier posting entitled Chapter 11).










I decided the first one above had turned out a bit tame so I tried adding a few more forward facing seams - see next two pictures.




























Things still seemed a little ordinary so I went the whole hog and made every seam forward facing.

Chapter 12

I've made a start with some sketches of 3-d shapes and possible items that I could make.

BIG POSTERS

While I'm on a posting roll and before it flies out of my mind, I also thought I'd share this one with you. Its called Block Posters (http://www.blockposters.com/step1.aspx) and its a free site that enables you to upload any picture and transform it into a truly MASSIVE poster. You end up printing out a series of normal sized sheets from your printer that you can put together and use as a large version. I think you have to really want the particular picture as it'll use up a lot of ink but it might come in useful. There's a gallery so you can see some examples which are not that inspiring of themselves, but it could have some interesting uses for Distant Stitchers, apart from the perfectly normal and acceptable use of "pure playing". You could make a huge version of a picture of your work to put up on a wall to contemplate it. You could select just one sheet out of a big picture. You could probably do lots of things, but I'll leave it to you to have a look for yourself. Go play!

Craftzine

In my many wanderings around the internet I stumbled across the following and thought it looked quite interesting, and so I wanted to share it with you. It's an American magazine called "Craft:transforming traditional crafts" that seems to be a great big smorgasbord of crafts. I'm quite taken with the look of issue 8, especially as it features weaving, so I might treat myself to a copy soon and see if it lives up to its promise. If or when I do (who am I trying to kid??) I could write a quick review to let you know if it's all its cracked up to be. I've seen some honourable mentions out there on 'crafty' blogs so the rumblings are positive.

I have launched another blog, a very different blog to the Wrinkle in the Calico!

I decided to try my hand at a second blog. I've named it Comfort Blanket and it is about finding small doses of healthy escapism from the credit crunch and all the other nasty things out there. Do go have a look and see what you think. I am aiming to post blogs 2 or 3 times a week so it will be interesting to see if I can keep that up. Its probably a bit ambitious but we will see how it goes.

http://comfortblanket.typepad.com/comfort_blanket/

Its all about texture...

These pictures all come in pairs - front then back

I got a bit obsessed with textures ...

1 and 2 - this is still a work in progress. The larger threads are 3 step cable stitch, with various stitch lengthes of whip stitch going diagonally.



















3 and 4 - this thread is too thick and bobbly to go through the bobbin so it is couched on with random loops added. These could be left or cut and left as loose thread ends



















5 and 6 - lots of whip stitch of various lengthes and widths in zig zag stitch



















7 and 8 - layers and layers of zig zag whip stitch, varying lengths, varying combinations of top and bottom threads



















9 and 10 - this is another work in progress. The spaces become raised so I want to work on this a bit more and modify the tone



















11 and 12 - pure texture no added colour. Thick thread is couched onto the reverse creating a subtle black surface


















13 and 14 - lines of straight stitch, with the bobbin tension set very loose. The white threads are building up a sort of ikat type pattern. The black raised sections between add texture. I also really like the subtle effect on the reverse of the looped black threads so may develop this in another sample




















15 and 16 - truly crazy, lots of tight circles with the bobbin tension very loose - its actually even more textured than the picture seems to show



















17 and 18 - simple black circles on black cloth, with a very loose bobbin tension



















19 - a very restrained one in comparison!