Chapter 10 interchange sample

I forgot to put these photos in the last post here are the prepared backgrounds ready to cut out a third and different star shape, also the shapes used from my black cut shapes.

These shapes were applied to two plain felt squares.

Here's the shape I am going to cut out of both and swap them around. I seem to keep coming back to the same star shape.

Chapter 10 simple countercharge sample 1

Sample 1simple countercharge

Cream felt was decorated with silk,scrim and sheer fabric. The blue felt with bonded snips of silk. A simple cross shape was selected from the coloured paper exercise. 

In sample a I used a fagot insertion stitch around the cross and then used alternating long and short blanket stitching to edge it.

In sample b the cross was stitched using simple antique insertion stitch and then edged with regular blanket stitch.

Sample 2  countercharge

When I was cutting the first triangular shapes out I must have turned the template over as the shapes were not all the same size. So I had to do a bit of cutting to get this sample to work. I am quite pleased with the final result though.

 I used 4 different bonded felt pieces. The brown piece is an oiled scrunched magazine page. The orange piece is bonded with scrim and lace, as is the lighter blue piece. The last piece is fabric snips and sheers which I heated with a hot air gun to create texture,finally acrylic paint was applied. The last piece was quite difficult to stitch through so the stitching was quite uneven.

Sample 3 complex counter sample

Two different shapes were bonded onto commercial felt and then a 3rd star shape was cut out

Sample 1 has been stitched using a herringbone type of insertion stitch, a running stitch was then applied round the inside and outside of the bonded shape.

Sample 2 is stitched using simple insertion stitch.

Chapter 10 module 1 Inlay appliqué

Sample 1

Traditional hand stitched insertion stitched on bonded felt sections.

Sample 2 

I am not sure if this can be really classed as insertion stitching but while browsing on line I came across fabric artist Susan Lenz 

And thought I would try a version of her technique as a sample.

A4 piece of black felt with painted solufix (my local shop didn't have bondaweb in stock). Pieces of polyester fabric an nylon lace applied in squares and rectangles were then fixed onto the background fabric. Crystal organza was then applied to make stitching easier. Machine stitched stars and crosses worked within the squares and rectangles were all linked using straight machine stitching.

 2a.Detail of some stitching.

2b detail of linked shapes

2c,d, e and f. I then used the soldering iron (in a well ventilated room) to "cut away" the excess fabric.

2g the whole piece.

I went off at a bit of a tangent here but thoroughly enjoyed the process.

Preparing for Chapter 10 inlay appliqué on bonded felted background

The instructions for this say that bonding the felt process strengthens the felt and allowing for extra decoration. I decided to make 2 pieces of bonded felt ready to stitch into later.

Sample 1.

As I only had cream felt to hand I needed to add lots of colour to get rid of the cream. Snippets of scrap scrim, silk and machine threads were bonded onto the felt. Organza was bonded on top of the piece and fabric paint applied. The whole piece was blasted with a hot air gun. (In a well ventilated space), a little treasure gold was the applied.

Sample 2.

                                

Strips of fabric bonded onto the felt, silver crystal organza applied to the top. I was going to leave this piece like that but the colours appeared too muted so out came the heat gun again to bring the piece back to life again. Finally fabric paints were applied. These pieces maybe too highly decorated to show the stitching off very well but it was worth experimenting  until I get some felt in more suitable colours.

Chapter 9 reverse applique. Traditional and contemporary methods Molawork

Sample to show reverse appliqué method. I didn't have much fine cotton fabrics left, but thought I would use up the pieces I had rather than go and buy some more, I also realised that i had forgotten to take a photo of the pieces of fabric I had printed, this piece shows 2 of my printed fabrics the bottom layer is stamped with star stamp and then bubble wrap, the top fabric was dyed and then stamped with bleach, using two star stamps I had made from foam.

This was a very time consuming exercise, it also made me realise how much time and skill goes into this type of work. Here is my sample.

Chapter 8 module 1 Complex samples

Sample 1.

Bonded background with bonded silk shape on top (the silk was bonded with some transfer foils).

The top layer is just machine stitching.

Sample 2.

The background fabric is hand dyed orange silk. The next layer is the transfoiled blue silk which I machine stitched and cut away. The middle shape was stuffed from the back. Next I bonded on a machine embroidered star in orange and blue. (The star was stitched onto sheer fabric which was heated with a hot air gun to get rid of the fabric).

Sample 3.

Bottom layer is the turquoise printed fabric to which I bonded a star made from one of the bonded samples from chapter 6. Orange silk was applied and two star shapes machine stitched. I can't remember exactly how I came to get the layers,more luck than anything I think! Once the two shapes had be completed I didn't feel I could see enough of the bonded star so I made a cord and couched this around the shape.

Sample 4.

Bonded background which I covered in sheers and machine stitched into I then added two bonded star shapes which overlapped slightly. These two stars were then stitched and a third silhouetted shape was stitched, I then stuffed the overlapping shapes from the back. Hand stitched chain and crosses added.

Sample 5.

Although this is the simplest sample of the six it is probably my favourite. Both fabrics were hand dyed and then printed. The cross shape was bonded and stitched in place (I only had the sprinkle bonding powder and felt it was not holding in place well enough to withstand stitching and stuffing without some for of stitch). Machine embroidered star worked as the top layer. The space left after machining was then stuffed.

Sample 6

Two layers of fabric,bottom from my stash and the next layer I a piece of nuno felting. Star shape was first machine stitched, hand stitched and then stuffed from the back to create a highly raised star shape. The rest of the felt was cut away and a lace like machine embroidered star bonded on top.

This shot shows the raised surface better. I really enjoyed working through this chapter. Now for some Mola work.

Chapter 7 translating layered designs into embroidery two more samples

After my feedback from Sian I decided to try out her suggestions. I had felt that In my first sample the top shape dominated too much, Sian suggested using long stitches in a contrasting thread to help emphasis the red shape. Here is the result.

The stitching definitely brings the piece together and shows the middle shape more.

Sample 2 I had incorporated scrim as the top layer. Sian suggested trying to use 3. Layers of scrim. I struggled to work with several layers of scrim but was quite pleased with the final sample.

I added  French knots and machine embroidery to help the shapes stand out more.