New sample

I'm pleased that I've finally got on with making some samples. The time it takes to stitch something can be frustrating when you don't feel like you have much time, but it also gives me time to think and reflect and to enjoy the making - why I wanted to be involved in textiles in the first place. Also, one of the reasons I believe Amish quilts are so enduring is the time, and therefore added value, that has gone into making them.

I've been reading 'The Designer's Atlas of Sustainability', by Ann Thorpe, and that has some interesting thoughts about time, she writes:

'We seek quicker and easier routes to well-being and expect our individual needs to be satisfied instantaneously or in the immediate future (next week at the latest).' p.118

Thorpe believes speed and short-termism are major themes in modern life, and unsustainable. Under the heading of 'Culture', she also writes about user involvement in design, giving examples and positive aspects to open-source design and praising more interactive media rather than turning the user into a passive watcher. I believe people get a lot of pleasure out of making things themselves. For these reasons I'm trying to show and explain more clearly what I'm doing and why. Here are some images showing how I've been working on this new textile piece (I'm not sure if this is really involving anyone else - maybe I need to think of some ideas that communicate more clearly and are more informative, not just technical). I forgot to take pictures to show how I built up the print, but I'll take pictures next time and then post them.




Screen grab of patchwork design in Ethos laser cutting sofware, before seam allowance has been added - you can see where I have outlined a few shapes in the bottom left corner with 4mm seam allowance. The shapes don't need to be laser cut but as the fabric is synthetic if it's laser cut it won't fray, saving the need for edge finshing and meaning I can have small hems, and the full fabric can be utilised by working out the best uses of material in the cutting plan.



Screen grab of diamond shapes in Ethos software, showing shape with seam allowance and notches. Some shapes needed to be cut individually to make best use of the printed fabric.



Screen grab of bottom and top shapes

Sublimation printed and laser cut shapes from my old grubby net curtains. I did lay all of the 64 pieces out first and arranged them how I wanted (unique and individual)




I laser cut notches 4mm from the edges going in 2mm so I could line up the shapes more easily




Pinned shapes




Stitching on my domestic machine



Sewn together!





Opened up




Next piece ready to be stitched




Row one stitched together







8 rows, each with 8 pieces, laid out ready to be stitched together

 

The piece stitched together. I'm not sure if it would have been better brighter and with larger shapes, and maybe I should have put similar colours nearer to each other - I like the parts where the shapes belong next to each other so the printer pattern looks distorted. Now I need to decide what to do around the edge - make a binding? And whether to add some stitching to add another layer of interest.