Bonded layers - chapter 9

This chapter's experimentation and samples centred around using bonding transfer adhesives (eg Vliesofix, Bondaweb etc the name depending on where you are in the world) and bonding powder to layer up translucent and lacy sheer fabrics in interesting ways.

With my Australian ethnic research of this module in mind I prepared some unconventional 'fabrics' by bonding fibrous scraps to Vliesofix sheets (approx A4 size)

9.1: Scraps of dyed hessian on one layer of web

9.2 Yarn scraps on one layer of web

9.3: Torn used teabags and crushed egg shells between 2 layers of web

9.4: scraps of muslin and raffia strips between 2 layers of web

These were then torn / cut up and bonded onto new backgrounds with further stitching to create samples related to my previous research eg 4.22 and 4.23

9.5: Wide strips cut from 9.1 bonded on to  permanganate dyed cotton background.  Covered with red sheer, bonded, zapped with heat gun, then stitched in black couching cords

9.6: Close up of 9.5

9.7: Lines of stitching made on black sheer covering yellow background then burned back with heat gun.  Squares of 'fabric' (in 9.3) using teabags and eggshells cut and bonded then shape emphasised with surface stitching

9.8: Close up of 9.7

9.9: Torn pieces of webbing 'fabric' from both 9.2 and 9.4 were bonded onto a cotton backing.  Strips of Tyvek which had been rusted  were stitched down and distorted using a heat gun to resemble curling bark

9.10: Close-up of 9.9 above

Plastic bonding - chapter 8

This chapter looked at making material surfaces by bonding plastic together, so I collected various plastic bags in preparation  It has to be said that in Sydney the selection is not great as admirably the stores are cutting back on plastic wastage and often provide paper or "decomposable" plastic bags which don't bond as well I find.  I had to resort to using bags I acquired in the UK recently or decorating grey or white bags.
Various fusing ideas tried using the heat of an iron under baking paper.  These samples are all about A4 page size unless otherwise stated:

8.1: Bonded cut plastic bag pieces

8.2: Trapping strips of white bag plastic with a thin freezer bag, machine stitching randomly then bonding under iron heat, while stretching to create holes

8.3: Knitted strips of freezer bag, threading strips of thicker bag plastic through knitting, then fusing under iron.

8.4: Knitting freezer bag strips as above then threading yarn and fabric strips before fusing

8.5: Torn used teabags wrapped in freezer bag strips, overlapped and then fused (approx A6 size)

8.6: Machine stitching in white on green garden bag, fused lightly, then crushed and refused so that areas of stitching disappear in the folds.  Once fused flat, the stitching looks broken and sporadic 

8.7: Strips cut from 8.6 above and re-fused onto another contrasting plastic collage background.  After fusing further bobbin stitching in white Perle 5 thread.

8.8: Shapes cut from collage fused plastic and fused on to garden plastic background.  Lines of green machine stitching and white bobbin stitching to integrate

8.9: Remaining negative collaged plastic after shapes cut out for 8.8, fused on to a new dark background.
Satin stitched bars sewn in white and yellow after fusing to echo the markings on plastic

8.10: detail of 8.9

 My resolved samples referenced designs made in here in chapter 4.  However I made some changes to those in designs 4.17-4.21 to integrate the applied shapes a little more in to the background:

8.11:  design on recycled black paper with monoprinting and applied torn motifs.  The motifs have been rubbed over with oil pastel to integrate them with the background.

8.12:  the resolved sample from design in 8.11 using fused monoprinted plastic, fused sheers on top and surface bobbin stitching to emphasize the shapes.

I did a second resolved sample (8.14) based on the design in 8.13 below:

8.13: monoprinting on recycled black paper with applied torn motif

8.14: the resolved sample from design in 8.13 using fused monoprinted plastic, fused sheers on top and surface bobbin stitching to emphasize the shapes.

8.15: detail of 8.14 sample above

Although cutting and stitching plastics didn't really appeal to me, I did enjoy the effect created by fusing pieces into one layer, losing edges and creating a new 'cloth'.

Quillwork - chapt 7

When I had briefly glanced at this chapter initially I thought quilling had been done by inserting the flattened porcupine quills under the back stitches first made.  When I came to read up about it I found of course that the quills are sewn in and folded as the back stitches are made.  This allows the zig zag patterning to be closer and overlap.
I had great fun studying various U-tube videos (as you do of course) on quillwork covering the traditional zig zag patterning, edging of stitched leatherwork, and linework, and decided to make some samples by the traditional method of backstitching by hand as the quills are laid.

7.1: Quillwork with various materials

Photo 7.1 shows various strip materials on permanganate dyed cotton -
(top row) discarded cleaning cloths, swimming pool salt bag (like tyvek)
(2nd row) swede leather, embroidered homespun
(3rd row) clear acetate, dried teabag seams
(bottom row) shaped band using swede leather strips

7.2: detail of quillwork samples

References:

NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art www.nativetech.org/quill
Lacota Quillwork - art and legend www.stjo.org/

Beads galore - chapt 6

This chapter looks at making collections of beads - found and created by various means.
I began by 'finding' small items that could be described as beads in that they could be threaded or attached in some way to create or embellish a surface.

6.1: Found items (clockwise spiral from top left) - bread ties, cut negatives, leaf and round sequins, plastic press studs, curtain hooks, collar extenders, small pegs, plastic paperclip, decorative metal paperclips

6.2: Metal found items (l ti r) - washers, key, eyelets, magnetic bag clasp backs

6.3: Vegetation found items (l to r) - gumnuts, bark pods

Paper pulp beads
Made some paper pulp from discarded computer paper printouts using a hand blender and used this to prepare some beads.

6.4: Paper pulp beads

These beads were formed around a knitting needle - round, rods, and some separately -  'gumnut' and flat button shapes.  I tried to emboss the surface of the button shapes using a ridged grip (for opening bottles) and a pasta scoop as shown in 6.5

6.5 Paper pulp buttons detail

I left these to dry then painted them with metallic acrylics, gilding and wrapped some in threads.

6.6 painted pulp beads

6.7 painted pulp beads - detail

Shrink plastic beads
Next, I painted some shrink plastic (3 types - matte translucent, white gloss, and clear) ready for beads.

6.7 Flow acrylics on shrink plastic (from top to bottom) - matte translucent, white gloss, and clear

These pieces are obviously before any shrinking; each piece is about 7cm by 20cm.  I've put a piece of white paper behind the painted clear plastic to illustrate the transparency.  I painted both sides and the reverse side is shown below in 6.8.

6.8 Painted shrink plastic (reverse side shown in 6.7)

 I cut various shapes and sizes from these including the shapes from chapter 4 and here then used a heat gun to shrink them down by about 50%.

6.9 Shapes cut from painted shrink plastic (pre-shrinking)

6.10 Shrink plastic shapes after shrinking

I found that retaining the shape of some that were quite intricately cut was difficult when the heat gun tended to blow them away - maybe use the oven next time.  However I particularly liked the clear plastic motifs (shown on black in 6.11 to highlight the holes precut in them).

6.11 More shrink plastic 'beads' after shrinking

Toggle beads
Some rolled beads were made using various polyester sheer fabrics - 2 layers bonded together with vliesofix webbing.

6.12a Fabric toggle beads

The ends the fabric strips were stuck down using the tip of an iron.  These are about 2 to 2.5cm long.

6.12b fabric togggle beads in detail

Some of these were further decorated by wrapping in embroidered kunin felt and heat gunned (6.13), by burning with a soldering iron tip (6.14) and by wrapping in fine wire, rolling in puff paint, heating and surface painting with metallic acrylics (6.15).

6.13 fabric beads decorated with burnt felt

6.14 soldered fabric beads

6.15 wire wrapped and painted fabric beads

Stitching and Threading
I recycled some wooden beads from an op-shop bag and used them to embellished some jute string crochet in 6.16, photographed on pot permanganate dyed cotton.

6.16 embellished jute crochet

The same beads were threaded with other seed beads to mimic the wave patterns of indigenous painting (6.17).

6.17 threaded beads on raffia lace background

6.18 painted shrink beads attached

6.19: Painted shrink beads in shape off gumnuts thread through jute twine and interlaced with 'leaf lace' background from chapt 2.

Loom Weaving
I used a small commercial bead loom for this part as I'd not had much luck in the past with keeping the warp threads taut enough in my 'homemade' box and string efforts.  I was still not looking forward to it and as expected it took me hours to complete even a small length.  On retrospect, it would have been much easier had I not used cheap beads that were subtly irregular in size - note to self,  false economy!

6.20: bead weaving

6.21 Weaving on loom with design

I used seed beads and drew a pattern up based on my little boomerang shape
So here is my weaving (approx 2cm wide by 13.5cm long) photographed on a couple of related backgrounds.

6.22

6.23