Paper manipulation library

Drawing with stitch onto paper

Developed and composed samples

Stitching placed and spaced

Written reflection

My approach to the first two projects was to draw on the skills  I already had and to try out new ideas. I found it hard to be loose and free in my mark making and I plan to keep working on this.

 I was apprehensive about the paper manipulation but found this part really exciting. Parts of the  drawings I had done could be isolated and these proved to be very inspiring when creating surfaces and stitching. I found it easier to work with paper than fabric as it retains its form and shape, and I particularly loved the delicacy of the fine papers when crumpled and softened to achieve drape and movement. There was a lot of satisfaction in stitching heavily into the fine papers without tearing them.

I feel my strengths are in composition, particularly in the two paper pieces which resulted in two very different exciting developed and composed samples.

 I spent so much time on the paper studies and composed paper pieces that I did not leave enough time to sample my fabric pieces in the same way. I chose different drawings to work from for the three stitched textile pieces as I liked the composition of the drawings and felt there was an opportunity to create different surfaces with fabrics and stitch, however in hindsight it would have been better to work from the body of paper samples and pieces that I already had from exercise 2.4 rather than starting again from new drawings. I also think this would have enabled me to move away from the original composition and to concentrate on shapes, surface,  marks and lines. I did however find that the drawings I chose for the textile pieces allowed me to demonstrate repetition, scale and a placement design successfully.

My study of the work of Cas Holmes inspired me to cut up the third piece and stitch it back together before adding further embellishment.

I now know that I need to allow more time to plan and try things out before jumping straight in.