Transformation

Transformation is a contemporary art and textiles exhibition held at The Cornerstone Church, Milton Keynes from 24th September until 30th October 2016. 

My textiles piece 'Butterfly Release' is on display during the exhibition and is a quadriptych showing four butterfly designs that signify the changing seasons through the variety of colours, patterns and textures of fabric. The piece incorporates machine embroidery, reverse applique, foiling and beadwork techniques.

Here are some examples of other work at the exhibition - a beautiful display of colour and texture through a wide variety of techniques - well worth a visit!

 

Machine embroidery over foils, velvets and organza

Working with velvets and foils this week was definitely a first. A totally new technique which has steps you should follow in the right order, otherwise you foil the base of your iron - big oops!

Foiled butterfly 'eyes'

I decided to foil the 'eyes' on my butterfly wings, which once drawn out onto Bondaweb looked rather like easter eggs! Each set of foiled eyes followed a different colour scheme and once the foil had been applied, we added a top layer of organza and embroidered patterns over the top. 

I used these to test out my pretty variegated embroidery thread, and also practice flowing patterns from the previous week.

Doodle Embroidery

The idea of doodling with the machine sounds easy, although practising on paper first was worth doing first, to plan the route the machine should take. 

Unlike when you draw a picture, the needle would not be lifted during creation of a pattern, so all lines are joined up and all patterns flow. 

After some practice on paper, I  created circular patterns and plant shapes using the machine. Some look more like scribbles than doodles, so I'll definitely need more practice to master the art of machine doodling!

Test sample using coloured embroidery thread

Machine embroidery - reverse applique techniques

Back at the machine embroidery course today and this week we covered applique techniques.

I also encountered 'reverse' applique for the first time - embroidery is used over layers of fabric. then shaped sections are then cut away to reveal the background fabrics. The background fabrics can be layers of different colours and textures, which when cut away enhance the design. 

The fun bit is remembering where each colour is - bit like a treasure hunt! The process is quite addictive :)

Pink machine embroidery sample

   

Green, yellow and blue samples to complete the set

For my finished piece, I'm going to incorporate four simple large squares, each containing a butterfly shape. The background will be filled with patterns to give a wonderful texture, layered fabrics will bring a range of colours and the sections of applique will provide depth.

The first butterfly has a pink dyed cotton on the top and have planned a green, yellow and blue version for the top colour of the other samples.