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