Machine Embroidery

I experimented most with the Tailor Tacking foot in my machine embroidery workshop as I found that this could create marks that linked in with my drawings and translated particular features really well. The colours selected for my technical samples were based on the colour workshop from the very start of the project giving me an initial colour pallet to work with.

When thinking about creating more directed and refined samples I realised my colour ways had to change to give a stronger link to my visual research.

However after a tutorial with Nigel where we discussed what direction we were taking our samples in, what was working successfully and what we wanted to push forward, it was suggested to me that because my work was primarily about mark making, perhaps I could think about simply using a black and white colour pallet. Before this suggection I was finding it really difficult to be happy with my samples particularly within the element of colour. I began to be more selective and purposeful with my choice of fabric, experimenting with opaque, delicate materials such as silk crepeline. The nature of this material allowed me to create really original samples that were in strong context with my drawings.

Had I have had more time to continue experimenting within this workshop I would have definitely stuck to the monochrome pallet. I wanted to explore working with white thread on to black material giving a subtle contrast to samples I had already achieved.

After being reminded of bonderweb, I went back to a technique I learnt in my BTEC art and design course. This particular drawing of lace really reminded me of the effect giiven by painting onto bonderweb and then ironing it on to fabric. I thought about how this could give an initial surface to work into with some of the emroidery techniques and perhaps if colour had have been more important to me for this workshop at this stage, this would have been an alternative way to bring it across my samples.