Module 1 – Health and Safety Notes

Tools

Sharp Tools (scissors, blades, pokey-tools, rotary cutter, stitch-unpick etc):

• Use sharp tools with full focus to reduce the opportunity for accidents
• Make sure tools are as sharp as they should be – using a blunt blade, for example, means applying more pressure etc and overzealous action can be dangerous
• Stating the obvious – keep fingers (and other items of the body!) away from the sharp edges
• When using a poking tool make sure pressure is applied away from the body to avoid being accidentally stabbed
• Use a cutting mat, or similar protective surface, to avoid damage to furniture and ensure cutting takes place on a firm flat surface

Hot tools:

• When ironing use a suitable surface underneath.  I use an ironing board with a cover that is only used for creative purposes as it’s covered in dye, wonderweb and so forth.  I wouldn’t want any of that on my clothes!
• Take care when using a soldering iron for slashing/burning – use on a protective surface and place the iron carefully when not in use so that it doesn’t roll onto the floor and, say, melt your carpet
• Visually inspect the wires on electrical items for damage, starting from where the wire enters the equipment and working right through to the plug.  Inspect the plug also.
• Visually inspect the socket that the item is being plugged into for damage – do not attempt to fix any electrical sockets/items unless you are properly qualified to do so
• Ensure there are no trailing wires when using electrical equipment to avoid trip hazards
• Use the right temperature for the fabric to prevent singeing or a possible fire event
• When burning fabric deliberately do so in a well ventilated area and avoid breathing in the smoke – especially when using manmade fibres.

Mediums

When using paints/inks:

• Ensure that surfaces are protected (I used a lot of scrap paper on a dedicated desk that I don’t mind getting covered in paint splatters)
• If using your hands to directly apply the point make sure that non-toxic paint is used
• Wash hands thoroughly after use
• Protect clothing from accidental stains (I have an old top that I use for this)
• Take care to keep mediums away from pets (I do not have any pets) – they could be poisonous or the animal could just cause spillage chaos!
• When using paints with a fume, including spray paints, do so in a well ventilated area – lots of windows open or outside is preferable.  Use a face mask when necessary

Glue

• As with other mediums protect your surfaces
• Check the instructions on the glue and follow implicitly
• Only use a glue if it’s suitable for the purpose – test a small sample if necessary to avoid any major gluing disaster
• When using adhesive with a fume ensure the area is well ventilated – use a face mask where necessary
• Keep all glues away from the mouth, nose, ears and especially the eyes

 Sewing

• Do not put pins or needles in the mouth.  My late grandmother once swallowed a pin and had to go to hospital so it does happen!
• Use the right needle for the job to make things easier
• Use a thimble if necessary (although I, personally, cannot get on with thimbles) and when pushing a needle through a thick layer using force do this over a surface so you don’t stab yourself in the leg
• When using a sewing machine it may be an idea to tie long hair back to avoid it getting caught in moving parts of the machine
• It can be useful to have a magnet handy in the case of dropped pins and needles – depending on the metal the magnet can sometimes pick these up quickly and easily

Storage

• Keep all items stored safely away from children and pets.  I have neither so I don’t have to worry about that!
• When storing paints etc ensure that the surface they are housed on is flat and level so that nothing falls on the floor and spills
• Store lose sequins, beads and buttons in pots/jars to avoid any accidental spillage (and choking hazards if you have children or pets)

Resolved Design

I started my resolved piece by making a base piece of blue fabric scraps stitched together.

Image 1 – Blue base

Then I layered up yellow fabric scraps holding them down with pins (the fabric is on a piece of corrugated cardboard so that I could stab the pins into it) .

Image 2:

Image 3:

After putting down a few layers of yellow scraps I then placed six 8x8cm squares of fabric on top…

Image 4:

…and then covered the entire piece with gold organza and tacked it all into place.

Image 5:

I traced my chosen pattern onto tissue paper, tacked this onto the piece and stitched with my sewing machine (small running stitch).

Image 6:

After all the lines were stitched I carefully removed the tissue paper.

Image 7:

With all the preparation done I started slashing! 

And then stopped. 

I decided halfway through that I didn’t like what I was doing.  I left it a while and returned to it today in a far better mood about it!  So I carried on slashing!

Image 8 – The resolved piece:

Image 9 – The bottom left part of the piece which is very textured and the shapes are difficult to see clearly:

Image 10 – The top right corner where the layers are cut away to show clear distinction in shape:

Working on a Resolved Design

I started to work on the resolved design for the module about a week ago.  I feel stuck.  I have ideas of what I want to do but I can’t find a way to translate them onto paper.  I think in my head I’m trying to go backwards.  The idea is to create a paper design and work from that but, well, I know that I want to – or at least the technique I want to use - and I’m trying to force the paper design into what I’m thinking about.  But I’m not completely clear on what I’m thinking of so I’ve got myself into a little pickle!  Well here’s what I’ve come up with so far.  I’m going to ask Sian for some guidance.

Image 1 – I was playing with my favourite star/cross shape when I noticed the void created:

Image 2 – My first play with papers.  I wanted to look at the voids I’d spotted in the previous drawing:

Image 3 – I used the same cut squares but this time really concentrated on the voids with them being more filled in at the centre:

Image 4 – Close up of the middle set of voids.  I’ve filled them in but feathered the edges so there aren’t solid blocks:

Image 5 – Close up

Image 6 – This was just me playing with different cutting of the shapes:

Image 7 – Close up of one of the cut shapes.  I really like the spiral effect of the shape:

Image 8 – A play on the ‘windmills’ from earlier in the chapter but this time I turned them upside down:

Image 9 – More ‘windmills’!

Image 10 – I had some left over cut pieces from the earlier designs so I used them.  I like the shapes formed where the two middle pieces cross:

Image 11 – Close up of the middle:

Making Fabric Disintegrate or Grow 3

Making a shape using multiples of the same shape.

Image 1 – First I cut out shapes from my decorative fabrics:

Image 2 – I cut squares of gold organza and pinned them to a yellow backing fabric, sandwiching in some yellow netting.  I sewed each organza square individually:

Image 3 – The finished backing:

Image 4 – Close up of the backing fabric:

Image 5 – Next I added the cut shapes and free embroidered them:

Image 6 – Stitching the final shape:

Image 7 – The finished piece. I really like the shapes of the voids produced:

Image 8 – Close up:

Making Fabric Disintegrate or Grow 2

Here I’m using stitch to grow or disintegrate a shape.

Image 1 – My desk while I was working.  What a mess!

Image 2 – Making a shape ‘disappear’ by using stitching of the same colour as the background.  The more stitching the more the shape vanishes:

Image 3 – Close up of sewing the parallel lines on the machine:

Image 4 – Close up of square: 

Image 5 – Cutting away the shape:

Image 6 – More stitch lines and cutting away a smaller section of fabric:

Image 7 – Yet more stitching and even less fabric cut away:

Image 8 – close up of cut away area:

Image 9 – Hiding a shape using bondaweb and thread waste:

Image 10 – Hiding a shape using different coloured threads:

Image 11 – Close up: