Evaluation of Origins Unit

Origins - Embroidery

From looking through my work, and evaluating what I have done and achieved over the whole unit, I personally don't think I have shown my full potential. I found this project extremely hard to get into and I found it hard for myself to bring out my best qualities in my work.  

Firstly I found it very difficult to work with a black and white pallet. To start i found two block colours hard to expand and develop, however as time went on during the embroidery unit i found using black and white can be a lovely way of working as it develops your use of texture. It also helped me work is a sensitive way using materials and different threads to create new interesting shades and colours of black and white. 

However, whilst i was dissapointed and finding it hard to develop my use of colour, i really enjoyed working on the machines. My favourite new skill being able to use the Taylor Tacking foot. This foot gave a new and exciting way of working, as it created a new element to the samples. I would want to work with this foot again, just to experiment with different colours and create dense and heavily concentrated piles. 

Throughout the project, I was finding it hard to link my embroidery with my 'Journey's' however, I have realised from looking back that there is always links in work, if its just a line or a way of drawing. I realised that in my work, I didn't need a link from start to finish i found that my work showed elements of my journeys project in small ways, for example; the way i used continueous messy line drawings, then they way my samples were messy and hepatic. I have also realised with art and design, things arn't always going to go the way you would like them too, but from this project and experience i have learnt you have to push through the things you dont like and carry on. As some of the things you havent liked previously can come up again for development.

From having my review, and getting my mark for this project it has made me determined to push myself in my next textile world. However I believe i have learnt alot of valuable skills in embroidery, even though I didnt push myself as much as i would have hoped. I am going to use it as a lesson, and i have learnt that the harder you work and the more effort you put in the easy your project will be. 

Embroidery

Hand Embroidery 

For my first Textile world I have chosen to do Embroidery. I chose to do embroidery as I love sewing and working with the machine, I also wanted to develop my hand embroidery skills. Also it gives me a chance to try something very different and learn lots of new skills. 

For the first 3 weeks of embroidery I will be doing Hand embroidery. The sample above was my first try at using Bondaweb. I used the colour scale from my journeys project of Liverpool and created this small sample using multiple fabrics, Bondaweb and subtle hand embroidery. I liked using Bondaweb however I found it fiddly and hard to use for layering, if i was to use it again i would try to use bigger pieces. I think it would also be a useful technique due to the way it can be developed and pushed, for example it can be used in different scales and can always be worked into using different techniques. It is also a handy way of working if things need extra support or need more stability to work with.

The next sample above is my attempts at hand embroidery through 6 different fabrics. I used fabrics ranging from lace to faux fur. I found learning these new techniques easy, however i struggled with the chain stitch. I find hand stitching harder than using a machine. If I was to do this sample again i would have done it larger and done the same stitch over and over in different directions to push myself. As i feel this sample is lazy and could have been alot more exciting if i had pushed myself and done more experimenting.

The next two samples above are samples of French Knots. I really enjoyed making these samples and think the use of black and white makes them stand out well on the fabric. I really love this sample and the way that the french knots look, I would use this stitch again in my work as it creates a beautiful texture, although it is a little fiddly after a while it becomes easier and i found it was somewhat relaxing to do.

Pound shop materials 

For the next part of hand embroidery, we had to go to a pound shop and spending no more than £5 collect multiples of items that we could transform and make into other things. From the pound shop I bought, a Halloween chain and brillo pads. 

From the brillo pad I pulled it appart to reveal the fine fibers. These fibers reminded me straight away of a messy hepatic drawing. It also straight away fitted with my previous work of using continuous line drawings. If i was to have pushed this further I could have used the wire to draw, for example follow the line of my previous drawings with the wire to create one off unique line drawings. 

These halloween chains were hard to develop as they were plastic. So i began by cutting into them and changing there shape and meaning. This was hard to develop as straight away you're in the 3D mind set. I found myself trying hard to create something 3D and life like, that people would understand and that people would be able to link with my work.

However I felt I wasnt developing these in the way I wanted too. I then photo copied the remaining chains and brillo pads, this then helped me think in a way of which i like. Drawing. I used the idea of drawing from the photocopies. Taking the 3D items back to 2D. This being another way of drawing using the photocopier. I loved using the photocopier as straight away you could develop your work in a matter of seconds, changing the contrast and the brightness on the machine, blowing the image larger and smaller. Its a brilliant resource and I plan on using it again.

These are pages from my sketchbook. I wanted to develop these in drawing and maybe involve hand embroidery. 

Homeless Woman

I spotted this Homeless woman whilst I was on my journey to Uni. She had all of her bags with her and a large file full of found objects and scrap pieces of paper. On these pieces of paper she was writing what she had done and where she had been that day. As I studied her longer I realised she had also been drawing and writing on her hands, her wellies and on her bags. Her writing was small and very compacted onto the paper.  She was very intreaging and I wanted to read more into her life. This crazy was of documenting her journey made me think about my current work.. how i could develop my journey by writing everything down? Then I realised I could link it with my current work. I developed my work by using limited amounts of paper and packing everything into a small space, to create this heptic way of documenting. I did this with collaging. 

by using these photocopies I wanted to develop my collaging skills. I used stretched paper and used the photocopies to create this sample. I then began to add small bits of hand embroidery to add to the texture. 

From this I wanted to develop further by drawing. This sample was hard to do as i used tiny collage pieces. However if i was to do it again i would push it further and work on a larger scale. I personally love to work small and in a intricate way. I think I need to push myself out of my comfort zone to get the best I can from my work, and at this moment I cannot develop until i used different scales.

For these drawings I used quink, water, fine liner and bleach.

 I then developed these further by using photoshop to give them different effects and change the way they looked more. Going back to the original brief of changing the appearance of the first object. I loved changing the look of these images. I love the way they look lit and have a new meaning. They develop straight away into work that looks somewhat marine/under the sea like. 

Again this is a drawing of the brillo pads, using ink and bleach. I really like this one and it develops it well and changes the appearance of the brillo pad, and again looks like it has elements of under the sea, like a jelly fish or hints of tropical marine life. This being due to the use of colour and the use of small high lights.

Machine Embroidery 

For the first week in machine embroidery previously in the course we had to make 15, 12x12 squares using sentences, from this we had to develop them by using a simple straight and zig zag on the sewing machine. From these we then had to make 18 more concentrated and careful pieces using a taylor foot on the sewing machine.

The taylor tacking foot is used for creating heavy piles and build ups of thread, its mainly used decrativley. After practicing with this technique we were then set the task of 18 12x12 samples using this and the embelisher. The embelisher for me was my favourite as it was spontaneous there was no planned outcome and i like to work with idea i don't know what will happen.

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As much as I love working on a sewing machine, I found this very very hard. Working with two colours isn't what i am used to, so for me i found it very difficult to come out of my comfort zone. To start with I was sewing in straight lines, and strictly sticking to the 12x12 box, as the samples developed i found myself using texture to create the boxes and small hints of embroidery as detail. I have found a new love for Taylor Tacking, and i strongly believe this will be brought into my future work frequently as it is a lovely stitch to work with and is very diverse. I also believe I will carry forward the use of the embelisher as not is it only quick it is spontaneous  the use of spontaneity is something that is always useful, as i have learnt when you're stuck, it will help you develop and give you ideas which you hadn't thought of. As I looked back and reflected, I could have pushed these samples so much more, for example; I could have gone back and used my favourite technique of drawing, and photocopying and draw elements of the samples. This idea will stay in my mind and maybe i will be able to use it in the future.

I believe i could have excelled more in this area, I believe i haven't showed my true potential. But by doing this and knowing I have more to give it has made me more eager to push myself in my next project.