Chapter 2: Stitching in the air

This chapter looks at creating 'suspended' features or motifs using a variety of techniques and backing materials.  My samples bear design reference to the historical study in chapter 1 (reticella and punto in aria lace designs) and to my overall personal study (trees and vegetation).  Generally the samples are worked in traditional white/cream lace but occasionally I work in greens/browns as the colour reference to vegetation.

Samples began by revisiting the use of removable grounds to create lace effects.

Since I'd looked at Reticella lace in the last chapter, I initially formed a variety of geometric grids using drawn and pulled threadwork.
The gridwork in 2.1 uses a strip of cotton builder's scrim

2.1

Through the hessian 'lace' in 2.2, I've woven and stitched overlocked ribbons of sheer and muslin.

2.2

2.3 shows how 2.2 might be used coloured appropriately to represent undergrowth (with a bit more work!)

2.3

In 2.4 the gaps are larger and I've reworked into these spaces with stitching over a watersoluble backing, and rewoven some of the drawn threads made into cords.

2.4

More classical lace scroll motifs were worked on Soluweb (watersoluble vilene) in a hoop (2.5).  The motif on the left has cording couched around the shape.

2.5

Vanishing muslin was used to create the motif in 2.6 and 2.7

2.6

2.7

These motifs came from the punto in aria designs eg. in 2.8 below:

2.8

Watersoluble paper formed the backing for the motif in 2.10, modelled on a reticella lace design in 2.9.

2.9

2.10

I made a looser lacy mesh with watersoluble paper in 2.11 using stitch and some puffpaint as resist before dissolving parts and "mushing up" areas with a paintbrush for texture.

2.11

Once painted this could be a useful ground for further stitching into or weaving into.

2.12

I have frequently posted in the past about creating lacework motifs in sheers and chiffons, soldering them out then setting them within free machined lace using solvy as the removable base structure, so this time I created lace motifs on fine bridal net.

2.13

I attempted to melt out the net using a heat gun but the result was less dramatic than I expected.

2.14

2.15 close up

In 2.16 I sandwiched one of my unused lace portrait photocopies between 2 layers of net, having cut out motifs.  Several motif shapes were stitched and a couple cut out using a soldering iron this time.

2.16

I did not have a glue gun to hand as suggested, but I went for translucent liquid polymer (Sculpy) to produce a similar mesh.

2.17

This polymer once heat set takes paint well, in this case green acrylic (2.18) with further cord weavings in a sample I did previously for teaching a workshop.

2.18

The final part of this chapter suggested creating a loose 'weave' of stitch linked paper pieces.
2.19 shows a simple grid of pieces from one of my photocopy portraits with some perle cording couched on for stability.

2.19

In 2.20, I made a more haphazard arrangement using pieces of laminated lace trimming and couched yarn.
Photographed against a black background the spaces are more visible between the plastic sections.

2.19

2.20 close up