Chiodi's Textiles Blog

11th May 2021

Fabric Manipulation

I have had fun using fabric manipulation to transform one of my designs. It is a classic way to add a 3D element to your work.

For this design I drew a square grid of the back of the fabric. I then marked in diagonals where I wanted to sew. I then sewed across the squares in diagonals which created the form on the other side.

It was rather simple to do however the closer you became to finishing the harder it got as the fabric was shrinking in size and being transformed.

This is the final result. I feel that it turn out really well and has an interesting form to it.

11th May 2021

Exposure Reflective Statement

Over the course of this project, I feel that I have really developed my own style and grown as a designer. I have found a way of working that really interests me, I plan on carrying this through into the future. This project has taught me a lot as I have done extensive research into new topics and have experimented with new processes in the workshop. I have enjoyed being experimental and not really knowing the outcomes, it makes the process exciting and different.

‘What you hear is what you see’ is the title of my Final Major Project. The title has been inspired by the quote Frank Stella once said, ‘what you see is what you see’. I chose to name my project this as I felt it summarised my project as whole. In reflection to my brief, I used all my research to guide me on my journey through this project. The research that I collected influenced each step as I was constantly reminding myself of the powerful quotes I had found, reading up on colour and emotions, and making new connections each day that would link music, colour, emotions, line, shape and form together.

Due to having an emotional connection to this project as it was all about how I felt as a designer, I sometimes found myself lost in creating what felt was right for the music, emotion and time but also trying to make my collection commercial so it would be appealing for the interiors market. I believe if I had more time to develop my ideation then I would have created more designs as a whole that could work throughout multiple rooms in the house.

The colour palettes for each of the sub collections were carefully crafted through how the music made me feel, along with what shapes and textures were used. This way of working left so much scope for me to experiment and be free with my marks and motifs. However, this also hindered me when making repeat patterns as some sections of mark making I would love and could see in an interiors setting where as other marks I wanted to take out as the colour, shape, or placement wouldn’t be appropriate.

I continued being experimental in the workshop where I have been trying out new processes. A technique that I have used a lot in my samples is painting with procion manutex mix onto fabric. This new way of creating allows me to make marks straight onto the fabric, it has worked perfectly with my project as it has allowed me to be expressive. I loved how freeing it is. I felt that I was not limited to what I was doing as I could use this process in multiple ways. Another process that I have spent time trying out is devore. I have had fun with this process trying to create in an exciting way and mix light with it for interesting outcomes. One of my final outcomes was a lampshade that shows uses of fabric that I have devored, the final look of the light was different. The light shines brighter through the devore areas.

I have found a new love for hand embroidery as I used it a lot throughout my samples. I have found it very therapeutic to sit and stitch into my samples. It has allowed me to have time to reflect on my work and think about new ideas for my project. My favourite hand embroidery technique is French knots, they are a classic way of adding a 3D element to my work. I plan on furthering my knowledge in this area, discovering new ways of stitching, and trying out different combinations of threads. I also used machine stitch for some of my samples. I spent a lot of time trying out new ways of creating a raised effect using the fringing foot. I was limited in some respects when doing this as my machine only has a certain amount of stitch settings that would work using the fringing foot attachment. However, the final outcome is one that I am proud of, I spent a lot of time sewing the hoops carefully to ensure the pattern was perfect.

When looking back on my project I am happy with my final outcomes and samples and feel they best represent what I have been focusing on. If I had more time, I would have made more patterns as I have so much mark making that could be translated into beautiful patterns. This project has opened my eyes to the interiors market, making my own lampshades and seeing my designs and ideas come to life has been rewarding. I have realised that this is something I would like to take forward into my future career. My pattern collections show a fluid transition from mark making into repeat pattern designs and placement designs. I am happy with my execution and feel that the hand embroidery really adds a unique flare to my work. It ties the four sub collections together well as they are all different in their own way. If I had more time, I would have liked to explore making more products and styling them for my lookbook. Overall, I feel that I have achieved what I set out to do in my brief and created a cohesive collection that could be seen in an interior setting. I have enjoyed the freedom of writing my own brief and having a self-directed project, this has set me up for being able to create independent projects in the future.

11th May 2021

Professional Practice Reflective Statement

My three years of study at Cardiff Met has opened a door of opportunities for me. My journey has been no smooth ride with wanting to leave in first year, the pandemic in second and third year. However, I have grown as an individual and over come my own problems to allow me to further my education and complete my BA Hons degree in Textiles, which I could not be more proud of.

Over the course of three years, I feel that I have not only learnt physical skills in the workshops but also personal skills such as time keeping and learning to be flexible. These skills are valuable when moving into industry jobs as you need to be able to work well in a team and be able to communicate your ideas confidently. Through presenting my work to the cohort formally I have grown in confidence when speaking publicly and now feel that I am at a stage where I could nominate myself to present as I would not be so shy and nervous like I was in first year. This is a skill that I value as it will help me in future employment. A skill that I am still working on is being confident in my own work and decision making. I feel that sometimes I second guess myself with colour and what I think looks right. However, I have had to make a lot of decisions in my recent project by myself as we have not had as much social contact with others on the course and course leaders. I am hoping that my decisions were the right ones. I am learning to trust my instincts as nobody knows your project better than yourself.

I am most proud of finding my identity as an artist. I believe that the turning point for me was in the first lockdown in my second year when I began taking time to really think about my patterns and not feeling like I had to rush everything. Having some alone time to create and not compare myself to others on my course gave me confidence. I started to build my skills on photoshop where I realised that I could create in new ways and do so much more. I was no longer limiting my abilities and I was open to trying out new processes and techniques. I continued this new journey into my third year where a found a love for expressionism and being abstract. I feel that being messy with my marks and not so illustrative and perfect really suited my style. This is where my interests lie, and I plan to carry on expressing myself in this way.

My future aspirations are to set up my own studio where I can continue to create in an abstract manner. I would also like to then set up a business selling my work. However, I feel that it is important to understand business and industry before starting off on my own so would like to get a job that will allow me to learn how the industry works. I would love to travel whether it be for a company that I am working for or on my own to gain inspiration. I feel that learning new cultures and seeing new places is important and of value to me. These experiences could spark connections with potential partnerships and inspiration for new projects. I love the idea of my work being made in a sustainable way. This is something that I researched for my dissertation but have not yet fully put into practice within my work. One of the next steps for me would be to extend my knowledge on this area and start creating in a way that I felt was sustainable and represents me and my brand in the best way.

My experience as a whole at Cardiff Met has been thoroughly enjoyable. My degree will aid me in so many ways in the future and help me achieve the career that I envision myself having. I have learnt so much that I will keep forever and put into use in my future career.

9th May 2021

Fringing Foot

The fringing foot is an attachment onto a sewing machine. You can use it to create multiple different affects. In my example i have made hoops to add texture to my fabric.

The fringing foot works by using a zig zag stitch or something similar on your machine. The needle jumps over a little metal piece which then creates a hoop.

I have attached a file which shows a video of how I am using it and my final outcome.

fringing-foot Download

9th May 2021

French Knot

The French knot is a stitch which is great for adding raised texture. You can change the size of the knots depending on your thread and how many times you loop it round the needle to add variation into your work.

The French knot is quite simple to do but can be a little bit fiddley. To start with you pull the needle up through the fabric. You the go to point your needle to go back through the fabric close to where you just pulled it up through. Before you push it back down you wrap the thread around the tip of the needle twice. Then hold the thread to one side and push the needle through the fabric. The thread should knot creating a French Knot.

Here is an example where I used this stitch.

9th May 2021

Whipped Back Stitch and Back Stitch

I have used the whipped back stitch in a couple of my fabric samples. I feel this technique is is simple and effective.

To do this stitch all you need is a needle, embroidery thread and an embroidery hoop.

To start with you need to use a simple back stitch to create your line. A back stitch is when you bring the needle up through the fabric and stitch it back onto itself. This creates a smooth line with no gaps.

Once you have done this you then get some more tread and loop it around the back stitch you have just created. This second step isn’t stitched into the fabric it is just looped around the first stitch.

Here are some examples where I have used the whipped back stitch.

9th May 2021

Devore

I love using Devore as a process in the print workshop. I love how the fabrics get transformed and that you can see through them. It is by far one of my favourite techniques to use.

The process is pretty simple you just use the Devore paste the same as you would any other screenprinting binder however there are some things that you need to remember.

1 – always wear gloves when using it

2 – Always wear eye protection such as googles

3 – Have your hair tied out the way

4- Wear a lab coat or old clothes so you do not get it on you

5 – If for some reason it gets on your skin wash it off straight away

6 – Make sure you pull the paste through the screen 6 – 10 times

7- For the devore to work you must use a fabric that is a combination of natural fibres and synthetic fibres.

Once you have printed using the devore you need to let it air dry. Devore does not really work well when you dry it with a hair dryer. This can take up to an hour to dry so you must me patient. Once it is fully dry you can press it in the heatpress. This part can vary depending on what fabric you chose to use. The heat press should be set to 180 degrees and I would start off by putting your fabric in for around 15 seconds. You are looking for the devore areas to turn a coffee brown colour. When it is this colour you know it is ready to come out of the heatpress. If the fabric doesn’t turn this colour straight away keep pressing it for 10seconds at a time until it reaches this stage. You do not want your fabric to burn this is why you go up 10 seconds at a time.

Now your fabric has been pressed, wash it in the sink with warm water scrubbing the devore areas. You should see the fibres being washed away and your pattern coming to life. Leave to dry and then it is done.

Here are some images of my fabrics.

9th May 2021

Procion Manutex Mix

Procion Manutex Mix is a process that you can apply in different ways. In my case I used this process to paint onto fabric with brushes so I could keep the texture of the brush strokes. The paste is a thick consistency when being painted on to the fabric. After you have created your desired design whether you painted it on by hand or pulled it through a screen you must wait for it to dry fully before the next step. I then used the heat press set to a temperature of 120 degrees to heatpress the fabric for 10 minutes. This then sets the dye into the fabric. After you have done that you need to rinse the fabric in cold water for 2-5 minutes making sure the excess dye is washes away. You then leave the fabric to soak in warm water for 10 minutes. After that rinse the fabric again in cold water making sure the water runs clear before you stop. You can then leave your fabric to dry and it is ready for you to do whatever you like with it.

I found this way of creating really fun as I did not need to coat up a screen with a design I was free to just paint what I wanted straight onto the fabric. The colours turn out very similar to how they look when you paint them on so you have a better idea of what it will look like when it is finished.

The only downside to this process is that the procion manutex mix is at its best for roughly 4/6 hours. This means the pigment is at its strongest then. As time goes on the pigment gets weaker so the colours are less strong and some of the lighter brush marks may get washed out.

The pictures show below are of my hand painted silks. You can see that the fabric really picks up on every brush mark and grey areas.

This picture shows a sample that i made using an exposed screen. I pulled the procion manutex through the screen just like you would with any other paste.

9th May 20219th May 2021

Heat Press Dyes

I have been using the heat press dyes to create samples for my Female Vocalist Collection.

Heat press dyes are very easy to use and you can do so many different things with them. To use you literally just paint onto plan paper using the dyes. The dyes are a liquid so you can mix them together to make new colours or water them down to make them less vibrant. This part is a bit tricky as the dyes do not look like the colours they will be when they have been transferred onto the fabric. This means you have to do many test samples to check the colours. The colours can also vary depending on what fabric you use. Once you have painted your design onto the paper you then wait for the paper to be fully dry. You can use a hair dryer to do this. However if your paper is very wet the ink may spread when drying it with a hair dryer. Once it is fully dry you can then place your fabric onto of the paper and put into the heatpress for about 15/30 seconds. When you take you fabric out of the heatpress your design should be beautifully transferred onto the fabric.

When using the heatpress dyes you can cut up the painted up paper and collage your design onto the fabric. You can also print onto of the first transfer as many times as you like, building up layers of colour and pattern onto the fabric. Another option you can use is you can paint up objects such as leaves and feathers and press the in the heatpress. This gives you really interesting outcomes.

The heatpress dyes also resist black printer ink. If you print a design on to paper in full black and white when you paint up the paper the dyes will not cover the black ink parts. When you the press your design in the heatpress everything that was black will be resisted. I used this technique a few times in my work. The second picture shows an example of this. Something to be aware of when using this method is that the black ink can sometime stain the fabric so you need to press it once on a scrap piece of fabric first. Then go and press it on your final sample second to get the best results. I have attached a photo to show what this can look like.

Here are a few examples of what I have created using this technique.

26th Apr 2021

Week 16 – Third Term

Wow what a busy Easter it has been!

Over Easter break i have managed to – receive all fabrics and embellish them, create a lookbook, create a technical file lookbook and put together my professional practice presentation.

It was a long 3 weeks of sewing but it felt rewarding when looking back at all my fabric samples. I have used a range of techniques such the whipped back stitch, French knots and also the fringing foot on a sewing machine. By adding stitch it has allowed me to add another detail and layer to the patterns.

Due to having so many fabric samples with lots of small details I decided to make a Lookbook that explains my processes and what I have used to create them. I felt like this was the best way to showcase all of the details in my fabrics and for the views to full understand each process.

As part of my project I created some lampshades and styled them in my room. I had so much fun doing this and definitely want to carry on making lampshades in the future.

Creating my Design Lookbook was an enjoyable experience. I love making CADs and seeing my designs being used in there environments. I have also used flat range plans for two my collections to add something different to my Lookbook. I wanted it to tell a fluid story of my design process.

Professional Practice was difficult to get right. I found that I was unsure on what content was needed. When making my business card I had fun deciding on what I felt would best represent me and look commercial. I wanted to make sure that it is appealing to as many people as possible. My CV was difficult to get right, it took a lot of different layout before i found one that I was happy with.

As part of my Professional Practice I signed up to be part of the H.Art organisation. On there website I have my own profile which show cases my work and has a description about me and my practice. I felt that this is a good way to get my name out there but to also connect with others in Herefordshire that have similar interests. I am hoping to show case my work if there art week goes ahead. This could lead to me making useful contacts and network so i can keep growing as an artist.

https://www.h-art.org.uk/explore/artist/chiodi-burton#details

The next few weeks before my deadline are going to be jam packed with refining everything and creating my digital sketch book.