Stitch

Stitch was the one technical block I have been dreading the most. I've never really used a sewing machine before and the idea of just sewing seemed super mundane. These preconceptions were proved false by the end of the first day as I realised Stitch was inappropriately named-multimedia would describe it best. 
I don't think I've ever felt more out of place than I felt during my first fabric shop hunt, I had no idea what I was looking for and felt completely out of my depth. Buying chiffon/plastic/PVC/Lycra and basic polyester I was ready to go. 
My inspiration came from a drawing I did of one of the surfaces in Kew Gardens;

I used this image to create my "technique" (essentially weaving merino wool used for felting through PVC) I coloured the PVC using heat transfer paper, I really liked the effect 2 different colours had on one another and i feel it brought the PVC to life and gave my samples a new dimension. I used a sewing machine to sew grids and create grooves in my fabric, then cut slits and weaved the wool through in order to create very geometrical patterns, finally sewing accross in order to stabilise and distort the wool.
My final samples

I am really proud of my samples.  
I actually really enjoyed doing Stitch, there is a great emphasis on establishing a technique or developing an idea that is original and unique, you can potentially do stitch without even using a sewing machine. I really enjoyed the process and definitely could see myself specialising in Stitch despite being the ultimate novice.

Print

My two weeks of print was split up over the Christmas break.. In my first week we were taught basic digital print skills on Photoshop and Illustrator. Having previously done a Digital Print Course it served as a recap. I went to Kew Gardens to gather research and inspiration for my print collection, focussing on the surfaces and textures of the plants.

Below are a few of my favourite shots.

The colours I found within the plants were very natural and served as inspiration for my colour palette. 
My final 4 digital prints.

After the Christmas break we were printing using newprint stencils (I made templates based on the surfaces plants in Kew Gardens) and acid dyes on silk. I liked the process of making the acid dyes from the powder as it reminded me of my A-level chemistry.
We used a mixture of silkscreen and mono printing to create our final 6 prints, Each stencil only lasted about 3 prints. It was a very stressful day in the print room to finish all 6 samples.

This is my favourite print from the collection

Upon reflection I found it quite amusing that my prints have an African quality about them, as I had just returned from South Africa. I really like the way they work as a collection but are all very different yet have the same almost tribal undertone.

I enjoyed printing I could definitely see myself specialising in print or digital print, as the technique feels very natural.

Reflective Statement

A  conclusion to our first Unit -"Introduction to Study in Higher Education" which included creating a blog to record our responses to tasks set in lectures and our Rough Guide Project. 

After starting this course I feel I managed my time well and efficiently. I approached each blog task with focus and my conclusions to each task have been honest and highlight my personal views towards the subjects appropriately. I have sourced the material for the blog tasks to the best of my ability, highlighting points and objects that have caught interest during my research. Thus I have acquired allot of knowledge regarding subjects I previously wouldn't have looked into. The African Masks from the Mining the Museum task I found particularly interesting and I really engaged with the craftsmanship and meanings that each of the different masks represented. However, I feel that in some cases I could have made more of an effort to research deeper into the subjects required such as the pathology of collecting and thus broadening my understanding beyond the needs for the blog tasks.

My visual research for the rough guide project was very focussed, I knew what I was looking for and was able to acquire and expand on it quickly and easily. I like the approach I took by documenting textures in Kensington as it completely detracts the stereotype of a pristine and rich area as some textures are particularly grimey and wouldn’t be out of place anywhere in London. Furthermore my documentation of Kew Gardens supports this approcach as I wasn’t as focussed on the plants as I was on the textures of the plants. I feel I analysed my research well and highlighted the textures that were particularly interesting and different.

I enjoy writing this blog and find it extremely useful in ordering my mind and cataloguing my process through this course. I have tried to make my posts sensitive to the needs of the task and maintain a personal yet professional response to them. Through my blog I feel I am able to compose succinct and clear responses to the blog tasks as well as personally reflect on my feelings towards the course and other experiences I've had so far.