Part 3 Research point Furnishing fabric

Furnishing fabric

I took the advice of my course notes and visited a local lady who who makes soft furnishings.  I  asked if she had any remnants and she simply said "How big?"  I had the time of my life and the photos show what I managed to accumulate before my husband nearly died laughing.  Never mind I can soon go back alone.  This is certainly the best way I've found of gathering beautiful fabrics in small quantities at a very reasonable cost.

The fibre content isn't always stated because some of the pieces are offcuts. 

Most of what I bought is cotton and chosen simply because I liked it.  Many pieces come from pattern books and have the paper strip along the side.  How to get it off I wonder?

I don't actually like the dark red plush very much but it has the air of being something that might be useful.  It is a bonded fabric with a wavy pattern in the pile.

Most of my fabrics have some sort of pattern and lend themselves to being cut for a variety of effects.  For instance the embroidered spots on this peach fabric might be used in isolation.

These natural colours vary from a very light voile to curtain lining fabric  The pink on the voile is vibrant.

There's another voile here but in a green colour way.  The plain fabric is synthetic.

Judging by what was in the remnant boxes and talking to the shop owner floral fabrics are top of the soft furnishing list.  At the moment she is selling lots of fabric that could loosely be said to have a Japanese theme (see the red cherry blossom above) and styles are spare, often just plain Roman blinds.

I love stripes and it seems so do many others because they sell well too. Of all my new fabrics I think my favourites are the voiles.  The woven stripe has such a lovely texture.

My biggest difficulty is having the courage to use them; I don't want to waste them on something that doesn't work out.  Is it reasonable to get so excited about bits of material?

Part 3 Research point Fabric (re) collection

Fabric  (re)collection

It’s a fact that our sense of smell  and memory are powerfully linked.  While I have been considering this piece of work I have been thinking of the fabrics of my childhood this has proved remarkably true.  One of my most vivid childhood memories is of the cloakroom smell at school on wet days.  I think it must have been damp gabardine macs and mouldering wellingtons which were standard garb at the time.  The smell of a pac a mac lives with me as well especially if it had been rolled up when it was wet.  This led me to thinking about the changes I have witnessed in fabrics over my lifetime

I was a child in the 1950’s and I can remember my mothers’ delight when she bought me a school skirt in Terylene where the pleats stayed in even through washing in the new twin tub.

LONDON, November 12 1950.— Imperial Chemical Industries have announced that its new chemical plant in Yorkshire will produce each year 11,000.0001bs of terv Icno, a new synthetic textile...... the fibre is made from oil and its makers claim it is twice as strong as cotton, unshrinkable, moth  proof and it looks like silk, dries overnight, and creases in trousers will keep for months. Ter-lcnc. a British discovery, is also being made in the United States under licence.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/63181175

My sister had an Orlon cardigan which was lovely and soft.  It too went into the washer and came out quite unwearable.  I think the wash was too hot just like my Mum’s temper that day.

In 1941 DuPont were trying to improve rayon and discovered a method of spinning acrylic polymer.  Initially it was hoped that the resulting fibre would replace wool but Orlon didn’t take off until a bulky yarn composed of short fibres was introduced. http://www2.dupont.com/Phoenix_Heritage/en_US/1941_detail.html

It’s hard to think that Crimplene ever had any cache but it did.  It was introduced in the 50’s and popular because it was tough and washed and dried easily. I have a memory of my Mum trying to iron a Crimplene dress and the ensuing smell was appalling. In the early 1960’s I made “A” line shift dresses in Crimplene.  As lighter weight synthetic fabrics and trendy designers came onto the market it became less popular.

Typical 60’s Crimplene

                                                                

Designers like Mary Quant who popularised the mini skirt (and of necessity tights) were my idols but the originals were too expensive for me to buy so had to use Quant patterns from Butterwick.   I did run to a Quant poncho that I still have (it manages not to smell of pac a mac plastic).  Quant used denim and PVC in new ways and created a "mod" culture. My parents were highly resistant to the styles I loved.

 A Mary Quant design

                                                                  

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/f/fashion-drawing-and-illustration-1960s/

Nowadays I need to be able to wash everything I buy with no shrinkage.  I expect it to be comfortable, have good colour retention and long wearability.  I don’t think the wardrobe of my childhood could have offered all these advantages.

Part 3 Research point Doddington Hall

Doddington Hall

Doddington Hall near Lincoln is owned by Claire and James Birch.  Claire’s mother Victoria Jarvis called it “a little big house or a big little house”.  The house was built in 1598 by Thomas Tailor who made his money in the Elizabethan property boom.  The architect is almost certainly Robert Smythson who also designed Longleat, Hardwick Hall and Wollaton Hall.

In the 1760’s the Hall was modernised and the interior we see today is the Georgian renovation.      Because the house has been in the hands of the same family throughout its life and never been sold the collections have accumulated and remained in situ.  Furniture particularly has come into the house and not left.

The Tiger Bedroom

There are two wonderful beds in the Hall.  The four poster in the Tiger Bedroom came from Seaton Delaval in Northumberland in 1804.  The bed hangings are from this period and in the late 1970’s were restored.  Fine net has been ironed onto the back of the fabric to prevent further deterioration.

Hangings in the Tiger Bedroom

In the same room there is a patchwork quilt that covers a table.  The quilt was found in a drawer by Victoria Jarvis and she completed it.  The quilt was started around 1900 and the fabrics all date from this period.  There are pockets on the quilt that were used as secret hiding places for maids to pass messages on to footmen.

The Holly Bedroom

In the Holly Bedroom the bed, another four poster, dates from the 1680’s and it has its original embroidered crewel work hangings.  The bedspread and cushion with the lace border is 18C and was made in Portugal at Castello Branco who made furnishings and clothes for the Royal family.

Hangings in the Holly Bedroom

Notice the tapestries on the wall behind the bed.  These were put on the wall in the manner of wallpaper in 1762.  The tapestries are Flemish and date from around 1670.  They are woven in silk and wool and show scenes of rural pursuits, a cobbler, a gamekeeper and a gentleman in ornate dress. 

The tapestries were nailed directly onto the wall and cut ruthlessly if they didn’t fit.  By the time the photograph above was taken they were in a sorry state.  They were covered in dust, dirt and the corrosive soot from the fires of hundreds of years. 

Tapestry prior to cleaning

In 2009 the tapestries were passed to the Doddington Hall Conservation Charity which secured the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other local donors to begin their restoration.  The tapestries were documented panel by panel by a team of students from Lincoln University and then they had the job of taking them down extracting hundreds of nails. 

Typical damage to a tapestry

As much dirt as possible was removed with specialist vacuum cleaners before they were parcelled up and sent to Belgium’s De Wit Manufacture Royale, Europe’s leading textile restoration specialists.  In controlled conditions, they were laid flat while water was gently forced through the wool and silk.  Gradually the vivid blues and golds began to emerge.

A cleaned tapestry

The tapestries are now back at Doddington but are awaiting further work.  They are extremely fragile and need nails holes and worn patches repairing.  There is a plan to install a loom in the Holly Bedroom so the public can see this work being undertaken.  Once this work is complete the tapestries should be in a stable enough condition to rehang them.  It is hoped that the Heritage Lottery Fund will help once again.

The Tent Room

Every surface of the room is covered in an elaborate applique Egyptian tent.  It was given to Doddington Hall by Harry, later Viscount Crookshank, who was MP for Gainsborough for over 30 years.  During the summers of 1930’s Harry Crookshank rented Doddington from his friend Colonel Jarvis who summered in France.  Crookshank pitched the tent on the lawn to entertain his constituents.  Crookshank was born in Cairo and the tent was made there at the turn of the 20C.  Each of the panels, whilst basically the same shape, has a different design. Such tents are still made today.

For 70 years the tent was tucked mouldering away but was restored in India in the 1990’s.

The Applique Tent

Throughout the house there are chairs with hand woven seat coverings, brocade covered settees, samplers and embroidered panels.  There are also a number of precious family textiles that are not on public display because they are so fragile.

This is a wonderful house to visit not least because it is so obviously a family home with beautiful gardens.

Assignment 2

Assignment two

Reflective commentary

Part two of the course has been very varied and has taken me on a whistle stop tour of colour and design and then straight into the application of the theory.

In Project 3 it was hard to see what I was supposed to but found it made more sense when I was involved in the practical elements.  I have learned more about the Impressionists and have a better acquaintance with some modern artists who are painting in a style I knew I liked but didn't know about the techniques they use.

The drawing I’ve done has benefited from learning to look properly; I’m more inquiring and less ready to accept things at face value. This was so particularly in Stage 6 when I drew a small jar I was familiar with but had never really seen.

I have begun to enjoy using the computer and whilst my skill is quite limited it has enabled me to look at things in new ways.  I have yet to find a way to represent texture – computer generation always looks pretty flat although I know Hockney can do it!

I have been surprised that my drawings can be used as the basis of so much new work.  I have sometimes found myself jumping the gun because I’ve followed a pathway that the course opens up to me later on.  Stencilling my Fijian print is a case in point.

I have tried many new things; dying, silk painting, printing and stencilling.  I have learned to appreciate the effect of negative space and tied myself in knots doing it.  I have been lucky enough to travel quite widely and always been interested in the local textiles.   Now have a completely different appreciation of the skill involved in making beautiful cloth with limited resources.

In Project 5 I had difficulties with creating an image to print with and got muddled with positive and negative shapes.  I found myself slowly grinding to a halt and I became dissatisfied with what I was doing; my hard won confidence plummeted.  I became worried that I would become demotivated so I stopped Stage three and four and looked at what I might do for my large sample.  I did some work on this and then felt able to return to what I had been struggling with. 

I am pleased with my large sample and enjoyed doing it.  I like the knowledge I have developed my work in several ways and that there’s only one like it in the world.

I have found Part two lengthy.  As a beginner it has seemed a long time since tutor feedback and I think my dip at the end is partly due to this.

In my list of hopes for the course I said I wanted to find the creative me.  I think she might be showing her face but not in any way I anticipated.  I thought my work would be pretty and pastel but somehow it manages to be bold and vigorous. This is totally unexpected. 

Assignment 2 Reflection

Assessment criteria points

Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills

I am seeing more and differently.  I am looking with my eyes not my head as I have been encouraged to do.  That is directly attributable to the early exercises in Part 2.

I've tried lots of techniques new to me and been out of my comfort zone.  I have met with varying measures of success.

My expectation exceeds my skill and this was so with both stencilling and silk painting.  

I'm finding it hard to be a good judge of my own work; I'm often not sure if something has worked or not.

Quality of Outcome

I'm often carried away with an idea and forget to use my new learning.  I just hope that somewhere it comes through in my work

Presentation is important to me and I have tried to be organised about it.  I'm finding the storage of practical samples difficult as the bulk of my work is on the blog.

I am learning to make creative judgements and experiment with materials to get the best result

I recognise that I have come a long way in a little time

I have sometimes not used the best starting points

Demonstration of Creativity

I have been able to take an idea and develop it and repeat the process again and again.

I am prepared to experiment and am getting used to not getting it right first time.

I am finding sometimes the mistakes create new opportunities

I am surprised at the boldness of some of my work and the colours I have been using

Context

I have reflected on both the positive and negative and learnt a lot 

I have sometimes been sidetracked by a particular interest although it has always been sparked by the course (eg mingling)

My workbook and my log are becoming things I refer to often

I am feeling less exposed in my blog and it is therefore becoming more comfortable

I have realised that "drawing" is not just pencil sketching but almost everything I do

Project 5 Review

Project 5 Review

Project 5 has given me some challenges.  I've found myself getting tired and worried about integrating my learning into my work.

My review of my fabrics was surprising because I hadn't realised how many I had.  I rarely see them all together because they are in colour boxes.  I am concerned that I generally go for the bland, safe background.  On the occasions I haven't I've been disappointed with the result.

Creating stencils was something I found tricky.  One difficulty was with the differentiation of positive and negative space but I learned a lot from this and was able to use my learning in my large sample.

In my interpretation of my blurred image I know now that I was trying to copy and when I repeated the exercise and just let it happen it worked much better.  That's a big lesson.

Whilst I think my starting choices were OK sometimes the methods and materials left something to be desired.  The acrylic felt and Markal sticks is a case in point.  I still like the idea but the colours were all wrong for the feel I wanted.

The final purple piece was disappointing.  At least I'm learning the limits both of myself and my materials. 

The final large sample in Stage 4 did something to make me feel a little better.  I managed to create both a repeated and stand alone design from the one image.  I was able to think simple after my difficulties with stencils and masking and this gave a much better result.  I enjoyed the evolutionary way the Stage developed.  The simplicity of the finished piece belies the amount of work involved in the learning process.

Geoffrey Grant

Geoffrey Grant

Whilst I was in Buxton I visited the Museum because there were some exhibitions.  The one that caught my eye was called Visions and Dreams by Geoffrey Grant.

My somewhat creased catalogue

The paintings are held in a rigid formal shape like a window frame and that shape provides what Grant calls the "atmospheric window".  All of the painting I saw were created using acrylics.

Grant recognises that "our feelings, reactions and moods can be intensely affected by colours and their interaction".  He likes to create a feeling of peace in his paintings and so usually chooses a restricted palette with blue, green and mauve as favourites.  A good example of this is "Blue Sands" which I particularly liked.

Grant's work is especially relevant because I could relate this exhibition to the  Pointillist technique I looked at earlier in Part 2.

I was unable to take photographs and I can't find one online so I've tried to re-create a bit of what I saw.

My Grant interpretation

...and in close up

Although I tried hard this looks nowhere near the predominantly blue picture I saw - far too much pink.  Still, it's a good reminder of a super exhibition.

I think it might be the tall, thin shape but I'm wondering what the more muted colours would look like if applied to the designs I like by Chant Avedissian.  I've chosen the central image below to try.

Chant Avedissian
Hand dyed cotton

My version of the central image
(somewhat shortened)

I enjoyed doing this but I had imagined the colours softer than this.  I needed more colours than in the piece above in order to keep some connection with the original work.  I'm not sure I got it spot on particularly the blue and purple at the lower end but the soft greens  are good with the orange.

Avedissian C, 2009, Patterns, Costumes and Stencils, SAQI London

Geoffrey Grant, Visions and Dreams Exhibition Catalogue

www.geoffgrant.co.uk