Nature in Disguise - Week Five

This was our last week of this project so I had two final samples to do. I went back and looked at using cutwork to create a scalloped textured edge. I then looked at using this edge as a layered edge and developing this concept using water soluble

We then set up an exhibition for our parents to see a taster of what we have done so far this year. My Mum, Dad, Gran and Uncle all went to see my work. My uncle turned up about an hour early and came whistling in while we were still setting up!

Nomad - Mounting up

The last week of this project involved mounting up our boards. We started with our fashion illustration board. We had to start with this one as this one was being assessed. The others are for our portfolios.

Normally I would put fashion illustrations on the last board but it makes quite a good front page to this project.

I tried to arrange my drawings on the other two boards. While doing this I realised just how little drawing we had actually done in this project. I really could have done with a bit more however I do feel this was a successful project and I really enjoyed working on it.

Bobbi Jean Shields
Quintessential Designs

Nature in Disguise - Week Four

The lecturers wanted us to look at using bias strips and roleau loops to create samples as we have looked at them from a garment construction point of view but not from the perspective of a technique for textiles.

I also started looking at my final samples, combining techniques to create more resolved samples.

Nomad - Fashion Illustrations

For Fashion Illustrations I was one of the few who decided to use Adobe Photoshop.

Our lecturer had decided to give us templates on our moodle so that we could draw around them or to use photoshop to put our designs on them.

It took longer than I thought to create them but I really like the results. I could see my ideas quickly but finding ones that actually worked together was harder than I thought it would be.

To create them I duplicated the background layer and slotted my prints into the gap between the background and duplicate. I then used the magic wand tool to select the inner shape of the garment and deleted it. This made the top layer act like a stencil and was easier to keep my prints at the right scale.

Just for fun I scaled up a few and experimented with blending one print into another. We weren’t really supposed to but I put the results into my sketchbook.

I ended up with more than I was supposed to and had to ask the lecturer to help me to narrow them down.

Bobbi Jean Shields
Quintessential Designs

Nature in Disguise - Week Three

Okay so this week I really got stuck in. I thought about how lace was made up and how you create motifs in the fabric which led me to using bondaweb with cutwork.

I started on a fabric that was tightly woven and cut a motif. I used a sheer fabric for the underneath layer where the weave was looser to create a more lace-like sample.

Our lecturers stopped us to show us how to draw threads. This is where you cut the thread of the material going either up and down or from side to side (warp or weft) in two places and pull the cut section out to make the weave looser in a particular area of the fabric. It reminds me of the laddering in tights.

I think if I had more skill in it I would've liked it better however I didn't really like it.

Next we went on to look at machine and hand embroidery. I used mostly hand embroidery. I sewed some bias tape folded and lengthways together to create a chord which I sewed down into an interesting motif.

For my machine embroidery I mainly used it as an edge to prevent fraying when I cut the fabric.

Nomad - Printing Weeks - Eight - Ten

For the printing weeks I have decide to amalgamate all the posts into one to avoid a whole lot of repetition.

I made up my pigments using pigment binder and coloured dyes. I made up a purple colour and a greeny blue colour.

I started out with just single layer printing with just my images on the screen being placed in differing ways on the fabric.

I figured that after the first week I could then put another layer on top as I would need to wait until these were dry to print on top.

I then started experimenting with using two colours. When putting the pigment on the screen you have to drag it through the screen using a squeegee so I put different coloured pigments at different points along where I was dragging the squeegee to create a blended gradient between the colours or even a straight line through the image where the colour changed from one to the other. 

Once I had done this I took a step back and looked at my prints as a collection and something wasn’t working with it. I asked my lecturer and she suggested that I should introduce the yellow and blue colours that I used with the heat transfer paints. 

Bobbi Jean Shields
Quintessential Designs

Nature in Disguise - Week Two

This week's task was to use the photos we took last week to trace off images for development using tracing paper and fineliner. We also looked at cutting our photos and collaging them with other photos.

This week the lecturer's showed us a technique called devore. This uses devore paste which is put directly onto the fabric and it eats away at the natural fibres in the fabric. This means that you have to use a specialist devore fabric which is a natural/manmade blend.

The finished product is a half sheer half solid and is a beautiful effect.

Nomad - Week Seven

This week was our extra week of preparing grounds as we are ahead in the schedule as most of us finished the Print Design in one week.

This week I got to use the heat press to put the heat transfer paint onto my fabric. For this it is best to use synthetic fabric rather than natural. A poly cotton blend is ideal.

The fabric I used had a shiny side to it and I think it was a poly cotton however I had bought it from the remnants bin of Remnant Kings and those aren't always labelled with what they are but I have kept a small piece to allow me to identify it if I ever want to use it in the future.

I also made another watercolour background. I think I prefer those backgrounds to the ones from the heat transfer as the heat transfer can end up being really bright and bold whereas the watercolours are more subtle than that.

Others in the class started printing this week but next week is the October week and I don't think it would be wise to make up pigment dyes until after the holidays. They should last longer.

Pigment dyes tend to go a stiff lumpy texture when left for a while especially if they have white in them. This tends to be the same for Expantex, metallic dyes and others. This also makes them more likely to clog up the screens after prolonged exposure so generally this means washing the screens out more often in order to keep the image as intact as possible.

Expantex is something which creates a raised surface when heat is applied after printing. It's generally a white, creamy colour.

Bobbi Jean Shields
Quintessential Designs

Nature in Disguise - Week One

We went on a trip to Ayr where we visited the Morton Young and Borland lace mill. It was cool. The college organised a bus to take us there and the mill itself was in a small lane that was filled with factories

We started off in a reception room in the companies samples of lace including their lace wallpaper and lace tiles which I thought were really amazing. Morton Young and Borland have collaborated with Timorous Beasties in the past whom are a Glasgow based interiors company. Incidentally Timorous Beasties also have provided our college with wallpaper which we use for a variety of things: Desk protectors, trialling print samples etc.

We walked across the factory and got to see the hundred year old machines and the cards used to make the patterns. Each card is just one row of stitching. It was fascinating to see the process behind making the lace.

Then we saw the team of mostly women who darn every flaw in the lace. It must take them hours to fix. There were only about 10 women in the darning rooms when we were looking around. One woman looks for the flaws and put red stickers where they see any then the others darn each part of the lace where there are stickers.

We went up to the design room where they showed us examples of Madras lace and Scottish lace. They then showed us how they out the lace onto the computers using photoshop. I would love to have the opportunity to work with Photoshop the way they do. It looks so amazing.

We were given the day off today in order to take photos for our MYB lace project with the theme nature in disguise.

First I went to the River cart and took pictures of a mini waterfall section next to the old mill which serves as a hotel called the Watermill. I made sure not to fall in! but I got right up close to the waterfall itself.

I then went to a neighbours back garden which has overgrown into almost a forest and took pictures there. The neighbour in question is 96 and she planted the trees almost forty year ago. She is such a sweet lady but when she was younger she did some amazing things including building 6 houses. Not bad eh?

In addition I visited the local park and took some photographs there as I was passing by. I seen some interesting plants there and since taking the pictures I keep seeing similar plants everywhere.

I ended up with eight hundred to a thousand photographs and I have to cut it down to ten by Wednesday but I am confident that I will have some good marks that I can take into fabric.