Archive collection - week 5

My colour swatch
from Royal Armouries museum.

This week, I had a group tutorial, where I got the suggestions of dividing the unit invention project into two parts (Indian archive collection and royal armouries), but I have used paisley pattern in the first part of the project and also, I found the use of paisley patterns in the archive collection of the Royal Armouries museum as well. Therefore I decided to take my visual research of paisley pattern in the second part of the project as well, but I will keep it a separate collection by using a different colour pallet which is shown on the left side of the screen;

Also, I am leaving my background of the samples off-white and white to make it look of simple.

This week, I also had the workshop with Karina Thompson, where I have learned the slashing technique. Her samples were beautiful, but this is not something that I want to practice n this project. I did try to make one sample, by using a variety of fabric. it was fun doing it. I think, for a beautiful outcome I need to get some specific fabrics which are woven and which contrast with each other in colour. An example of my slashing sample is down below;

My slashing sample.

In addition, I have also had an induction of Devore print technique with Teresa. This technique was really interesting and really good to show one layer of fabric. I wanted to develop this technique with silk viscose velvet, to show the light and heavyweight of my drawings into the fabric. An example is shown at the left side of the screen;

In addition, this week I also had the induction on the Jukie machine and I loved that machine because of its fast satin to a zig-zag stitch. I just loved the way it allows me to make petals. It is also good for going over a stitch many times, which allowed me to make my stitches look thicker and poped-out.  I think I learned using this really quickly. I have used this machine in many of my samples. An example is down below;

My sample with Jukie freehand machine embroidery. 

My drawing

Moreover, this week on Monday drawings, I have done some still life drawings (shown at the left side of the screen) as well by looking into different proportions and composition of different objects. To collaborate my Monday drawings with my current project, I have started to use the same colour pallet which I am using for archive collection from the Royal Armouries museum. For me, Monday drawing sessions were fun because it's nice to have still life drawing environment once a week. This helped me to stay in the flow of creating drawings by getting inspired from different things rather than drawing what I like most.

Also, I have started to overlap my drawings from Armories museum and Monday drawings as well to experiment how I can use different objects with my drawings (shown down below.)

My drawing

Archive collection - week 4

For the 2nd part of unit inventions, we have been taken to a trip at the Royal Armouries Museum.

In the museum, I was really fascinated by the naturalistic pattern on some armours, which looked royal and privileged. I have seen most of these designs on the armour in silver and golden colours, which has made the armour piece look worth, also it made me think that these armours might be used by the high approached people in the war e.g. monarchs, troopers, etc

I have taken many photos of the details given on the armours from different sections of the museum. My photographic collection contains French designed guns, Muslim knives, swords, Indian swords and armours and also British armours. An example is given down below:

 Field armour from the Royal Armouries Museum. 

I really like the decoration been produced on these type of armours at the museum. I really loved the movements of patterns in these designs, it's flowy and merged, but exquisite.  I could see some birds, animals and figurative images of a person on them. Therefore, this type of archive collection describes us as a new generation that creativity is all in ones' hand and no matter what we have we can't stop creating beauty through our talent.

My drawing study from the Royal Armouries Museum.

The image at the top (my drawing study...) is been collaged with my drawings and the drawing inspiration. I have started making my drawings in my own way, by rearranging the shapes of the decorative patterns and objects/shapes on the armours.

Also, I was really interested in the combination of heavy-weight red velvety fabric with the metal. I think the red and little goldish shades on the metals makes the metal look more visible and attracting at the same time. Maybe, the colour red might be used to show the war aggression and anger. Therefore, I had decided to use this as my colour theme.

However, I was also attracted by the Indian collection in the Royal Armouries Museum because my first part of this unit was based onto Indian, embroidery patterns. An example of my drawing from the Indian section is shown down below:

My drawing and inspiration photographs from The Royal Armouries museum.

I really loved the way my drawings started to collaborate with colours and patterns from the museum. Therefore, I started to take this drawing style furthermore to make different samples, specifically from the Indian section in the museum.

This week, I also prepared the screen for foil and flock printing. I was inspired by the samples of these techniques in the print room. I had never learned these techniques but with the help of a technician, I learned this technique. I love the way flock printing has turned out. It gives the print a velvety and soft texture. which I had decided to take it furthermore in my sample making. An example is shown below;

Flock printing in black. 

Archive Collection - week 3

Sample making and experimentation

This week I have started sample making. After merging and exaggerating my sketchbook drawings from the summer project in adobe photoshop and illustrator, I have started to work with different fabric pieces.

For this project, I have decided to keep my fabric selection smooth and flawless. I wanted to choose my fabrics which are light weighted and little flurry. The reason I want to use these type of fabrics is to describe the movement of a dress, while a person(who wears it) moves. Therefore I had decided to choose fabrics like velvets and silks.

Also, I found my colour pallet a bit conservative and,  while experimenting with different colours, I found accidental colours more pretty than my actual colour pallet. Therefore, I had decided to go with varieties of colours which are in my sketchbook as well, that is how I would have a range of colours to experiment around.  (colour swatches image to be added)

I had made some sublimation prints because I thought that would be a quick process to get my patterns onto the fabric, but I did not find it challenging for myself and through sublimation prints, I am also losing the crispness of my drawings, therefore I might use industrial machines to hight light the details of my sample in future.

An example is shown down below:

I have printed this onto silk polyester fabric name) fabric because I was looking into Ali Zeeshan's wedding collection and have seen his collections, which was made out of heavyweight and with the combination of light weighted fabrics, which was exquisite. I loved the way he has used simple printed patterns and embroidery pattern with a lot of negative space onto a fabric. Therefore I have started to make my sample by using printing and embroidery techniques.

This sample has a busy background, therefore instead of exaggerating the pattern at the back, I should have a plain and clean background to highlight and attract the main pattern.

In addition, I have made another sample (shown at the right).

For this sample, I have used sublimation print again because I wanted to have an accurate pattern and colour. Then, I have used pfaff machine to do embroidery over it. This is an unsuccessful piece because my embroidery pattern was really intricate for the machine to pick up the small details, therefore I thought of using ethos machine to get all the details beautifully onto the fabric. In addition to this, during my tutorial, I have got some suggestions of maybe using coaching technique to make the stems of the flowers and using fabrics as threads to hand embroidery the tiny flowers. Therefore, for the next time, I will be elaborating my samples more by increasing the use of hand stitches and Juki machine.

Overall, I feel like my samples are not really complimenting the main theme of wedding embroidery, therefore I think I should start using hand embroidery quite or embellishment work more. I might make new samples, but I think I can still develop into these samples to make then richer in colour and texture. I should be using different proportions of the stitches and play around a bit more with rich colours. 

Archive Collection - week 2

Developing my work.

My sketchbook development.

This week I have started to make paper cuts by following the patterns from my visual research. Then, I  started to collage my photographs and paper cuts all together to see how I can experiment new ways to develop into drawings and sample making. 

Also, I started to use photoshop quite a lot because I wanted to develop my summer project drawings furthermore e.g. (image is down below)

My photoshop designs.

The reason I wanted to use Photoshop was that I wanted to experiment with my colour themes and patterns by changing the compositions and proportions. 

However, after my tutorial, I got feedbacks of making my pattern quite simple and I should start to extract the areas from the designs to make a pattern look more visible. 

Therefore I have decided to work with fewer patterns, but than doing experimentation with them by using varieties of machine embroideries.