Pattern Design For Artists

The students have spent the past couple of weeks learning how to make repeating patterns, developing their own designs then using them to create different patterns.

Connie cuts a quick, inexpensive corrugated cardboard stamp to trial a design.

Elisha created a design based on a building then translated it into foam stamps, one the mirror of the other so she could make a greater variety of patterns.

She chose one of 17 different patterns she could make with this stamp to print on a heavier weight cotton.

Charlotte is developing designs based on the pineapple.

Sarah is exploring pattern making with a design based on lines found on rocks.

She made quick foam stamps of the design in the positive and negative and the mirrors of both. These 4 stamps allow her to create a vast number of different patterns.  

Connie's humming bird wing design is proving to be most successful.

She has produced many pleasing and promising patterns with it.

Natural Dyeing a Wool Blanket

This wool blanket is  special. It was produced in the UK sometime between 1941 and 1952 when the government set strict standards for UK produced products, to aid the war economy. 

The Price Control Mark label specifies this blanket, NPC 880, was guaranteed to contain 2 pounds of wool and had a set price of 25/8 shillings.

With such a history I must admit I did hesitate before plunging it into the alum bath.

The wrinkled label testifies to the abuse the blanket has been put through over its 60 or 70 years. It has been unevenly and probably unintentionally, fulled. 

Now it needs to be made beautiful again - with fungi and lichen dyes.

Fairy Ring mushrooms sound as though they will produce something magical.

Mushrooms plus lichens laid out on the blanket. 

Plus a few lichen covered twigs and scraps of bark

All rolled up tightly then squeezed into a bucket of acidic pond water and ammonia.

The bucket will now rest beside the boiler for a month or so, or until I can no longer wait to open it.

Fungi and Mushroom Dyeing

For a while I have been thinking about dyeing with fungi and lichens.

 When the fairy rings appeared in the lawn I took it as a sign.

Fairy Ring Mushroom (Marasmius oreacles)

My mushroom book says they are edible but doesn't mention anything about their dye potential.

I scraped a variety of lichens off the old alder trees.

Dead branches from the Big Leaf Maple host colonies of lichens that I added to my collection.

I also have a bag of windfall lichens, mosses and fungi collected on my morning walks.

Now, how do I go about dyeing with them?

Next step is to do some Internet research.

Down to the Bog

I am trying some more dyeing in the environment. 

First I pre-mordanted a wool blanket in alum and cream of tarter but I'm not sure I had to do that.

Then I headed outside, negotiated the right distance to walk around this family without being attacked, and went on into the forest...

...down to the bog.

 I dropped the blanket into the water...

...and stomped on it.

The idea is to leave it for up to a year with occasional liftings to oxidise what is going on.

It is an old Scandinavian technique for getting shades of black on wool.

How to sit correctly in front of the computer

The Bridesmaid and the Bead

There will be a family wedding this summer. Older daughter is the bride and younger daughter is a bridesmaid. We found the bridesmaid dress. It has a beautiful  hand beaded, flowing design all over it.

But there is a problem - I counted 71 places where the beads have come off.

 The bridesmaid pointed out the problem to the cashier and got a further discount on the price then confidently said her mother could fix it. 

I looked at the little pack of extra beads attached to the dress's tag. 

Hmmm, not enough for the repairs.

There are 4 different beads in the mix. 

I went into my bead stash. No matches. 

I didn't realise my bead stash was so inadequate.

I spied this beaded place mat under a plant pot and found 2 of the beads in it. The dress has priority. The place mat will just be a little smaller when I have finished. 

Oh dear, now I have to go to a bead store to find the 2 missing beads. 

The things I will do for my children! 

Pattern Design: Linear Patterns

In the 2nd lesson of 'Pattern Design for Artists' we begin exploring linear repeating patterns.

After making a quick stamp to trial a design we used it to make 1 dimensional patterns.

The above image shows the set up for printing as I was taught by Eleanor Hannan  www.eleanorhannan.com. It is such an efficient way to stamp, paint-wise and time-wise. Thank you Eleanor for so generously sharing your knowledge. 

Elisha is developing designs based on the geometric shapes of buildings.

Sarah is working with natural patterns on rocks.

Connie is developing hummingbird based designs.

The assignment was to produce 20 different repeating patterns with their 1st design.

Teaching at Victoria College of Art

I spent 2 days getting the Victoria College of Art's Lower Studio ready for teaching in this spring term.

This is the before shot.

Day 2 my well-trained assistant set up the print tables.

All ready for "Pattern Design for Artists"

I enjoy teaching this course because there are always great discoveries to be made.

Auction House Lot- Finland Arabia, Russian plate, textiles

There was a collection of other things in the box I won at the auction.

A large printed table cloth and 2 plates....

One is a rather lovely painted, wooden plate from Russia (I'm guessing) and a Finnish Arabia plate, produced between 1971 and 1975.

...and this odd assortment.

These crocheted kitchen items were made using interesting techniques.

There was a collection of airline cutlery, most of the airlines now defunct. The previous owner appears to have had plans to polish all of the 'silver.' Yah for plastic airline cutlery, unless one likes 'polishing the silver.'

And that is it - all for $5!

Auction house Treasures cont.

The 3rd treasure I spied in the box at the auction was this neatly worked Russia icon-like embroidery on a cloth hemmed at one end and torn at the other.

(detail)

The 4th treasure was this Chinese silk jacket which is reversible.

It has lots of lovely details like these hand-made frog closures.

It needed a gentle wash before it could be worn so it was lowered into a warm bath with Orvus paste.

I was a little concerned the colours might run so I added a couple of Colour Catcher sheets to the bath.

Wouldn't you know it - the red was the fugitive, but surprisingly little excess dye came out.

The jacket is now lying on a towel in the boiler room drying. 

It sounds as though this jacket is at a spa.

I'll show you pictures of its new owner wearing it, once I have delivered it

Auction House Treasures

I had a successful bid at Kilshaw's auction house this week.

In a cardboard box I had my eye on 4 textiles in particular - this NW Indian shisha embroidery.

It is not as fine as one I already have in my collection but it is in very good condition and I like that the pieces haven't been cut out for the garment yet.

The 2nd textile is this large linen pillow case. The linen is fine but still surprisingly heavy.

It doesn't look much at the present but once it is laundered and ironed it will look beautiful.

There is pulled thread work around the edge and in each corner with a satin stitch floral motif.

I'll show it again once it is laundered.

Synesthesia #7 Aqua Green

I collected up the fabric and made a decision on the value range.

The layers of fabric were stacked lightest to darkest and the energy lines of this colour sewn on the back of the ground.

Then the cutting started.

Several hours later.

It is coming along quite nicely but there is still a lot of cutting back to do.

Cut back applique is one of my favourite techniques because it always has surprises, and some 'oops.'