Why Won't You Melt ?

This week I spent most of my time creating textiles samples. I wanted to explore with colours and textures with a fine art inspiration. The first sample I created was actually by accident, but I really do love the outcome it looks as if I had laser cut into pastor but it was actually created by intense heat causing the plastic to melt down in certain places. I love the texture it has created and how some colour has transferred. This was an off cut from the my second sample.  

 

I created this sample by making a tie dye like print and placed it into a plastic wallet and added ear blockers to create a little more burst of colour. I do really like this sample however I didn't actually come out how I wanted it to. I wanted the ear blockers to melt so that all the different ranges of colour and mix and merge with each other but that didn't work out. I increased the heat press to more than 200% put it still did not melt down. However the heat only flatten the ear blockers. I think it would of looked much better if it melted down but I do like this outcome.

For my final outcome in thinking of making a quadrivium textile piece and may try and develop this idea. A way in which I can develop this idea is by replacing the ear blockers with something else which will actually melt to down so I'm able to produce what I had inversion. I think this best thing to look for has to be plastic and colourful so the best place the look for this will be in a kids toy section as most kids toys are made from plastic and they are always colourful as that attracts children. 

Grandmas Knitting

After speaking to Sarah just gave me a few ideas on what direction I could go down. With this I got a knitting machine and started experimenting with ideas by creating samples. 

These are my favorite samples the first one is the one where I wove felt into the knit. The reason in which I like this sample the best is not only does it add colour it also added texture, the overall appearance reminds me of faux fur. I think need time I will add more colours in a row to brighten it up. I didn't do this these time since this was more of an experiment to so what I could achieve. Since my work is very colourful and free hand. I think by adding more colours to each row will give an abstract  brush Stoke effect which I have played around with already in my book. 

The second sample on the right is another favorite I like how 'rough' it looks and I also like it because I played around with a lot of techniques. I created a fringe affect my weaving in two types of yarn and I also made another fringe row with a thinner type of yarn which I think I like better. I also tried knitting with two yarns at the same time at the top to create a highlight / double coloured look. My favorite techniques overall was the fringing and the weaving of the felt. 

Designers Block

I decided to start my designing process with drawing initial design ideas. I first played with the idea of looking at a human skeleton so now I wanted to look at the outsized appearance of fatty tissue on the body and the shapes that may form. The actually designing process was not different and easily flowed. As fur as colour scheme I was looking at the bright colours worn in the tribe. 

However after a handful of drawings I was suck and didn't know how to move forward and I suddenly felt less excited about the project. I wasn't quite sure why I felt like this but I knew I felt uninterested. After speaking with my tutor and going through my work she cleared slot of things up for me and was very helpful. 

My issue was that I felt like I HAD to produce a garment when in felt my project was a more textiles and art based. I started of this way which will explain why I enjoyed it so much at first but later lacked the same energy during the designing process. 

I know have a clear pathway, so I'm going to start making samples next week. I'm going to explore looking at different mediums and colours. I'm very interested into wet felting, knitting and printing. I want to be very texture base with fine art influences.