Further mock up of collar

I’ve completed my collar mock up to enable me to see it’s finished size and shape. Very pleased to have resolved this.

Further ideas for 3D embroidered item

Sian has come back to me with some ideas for ensuring that my collar sit at the neck and shoulders effectively and comfortably, she rightly pointed out that my last entry didn’t portray this and that I hadn’t shown my calico sample. I should also clarify that this is a detached collar and won’t be joined to the garment underneath. I’ve shown it here with a favourite black dress, I felt the garment worn underneath should be long and fairly full in the skirt to balance the shape of the collar itself.

I looked again at my calico sample and realised that I wasn’t totally happy with the drape in that it buckled at the nape of the neck.

I decided therefore that I could try 2 ideas to modify the shape.

Firstly I thought I’d make slits at the centre back and at each shoulder and add feather inserts as a feature to fill the space [I like this effect]. These inserts would be inserted where the upper collar is stitched to the lower collar. I like this  as it’s simple and as Sian pointed out a simple shape will be complimented by the richly decorated/stitched patterned fabric. I thought I might soften the shape of the front collar by rounding the shape of the lower lapel but have decide to keep the sharpness as this will be complimented by the pointed feather shapes which I plan to insert throughout the lower collar as mentioned in my last entry.

OR secondly I could cut the lower collar into pieces as shown which would allow the collar to splay around the neckline of my dress. This is fine with the right side of the collar in view as the fabric can be cut according to the piecing of the fabric feather shapes but would create complications for the reverse side which doesn’t lend itself in the same way to being separated without being re-designed. This would make the project quite overly complicated

Chapter 12. IDEAS FOR DESIGNING A FUNCTIONAL, THREE DIMENSIONAL EMBROIDERED ITEM

For our assessment piece we have to make a 3D embroidered item. On speaking to Sian at summer school we thought about a shrug but on working more with the Pel’s Owl idea and looking closer I have noticed the wonderful collar the owl has and decided to explore the idea.

I’ve recorded my musings and experiments on working sheets as I go.

We started by looking at 3D shapes and those inspired by the animal images we collected earlier in Ch. 4. and made some 3D shapes out of cotton fabric.

Having decided on the collar I knitted one in the shape I feel may work.

I made a small paper mock up of the collar to show its possible dimensions:

And the contrasts in tone provided by a reversible collar using my patterned papers:

I decided to take the circular 3D shape and take this forward into developing the collar.

Use your decorated papers to create two or more of your design ideas on the flat surface of these 2D pattern pieces. Pin these together to see how each 2D surface links together. How will this look when it is forms 3D form? Will the pattern on each surface link together across the joins in an interesting way

I now  need to make a full size paper template and arrange my papers on the 2D shapes to give the effects I’m after for both the right side and the lining. The lining is important as it will give the contrast provided by the turned back collar:

I have to take my decorated papers to create two designs based on my design ideas.

I now need to make a full size paper template and arrange my papers on the 2D shapes to give the effects I’m after for both the right side and the lining. The lining is important as it will give the contrast provided by the turned back collar:

First design:

How the patterned papers pin together to show how they meet at the centre front:

How the collar contrasts with the rest of the collar:

And the reverse:

View from the back:

I then discovered that my paper template made up in calico was problematic! Time to think again……………………………..

Design two – the same process:

I now need to decide which design to take further

I think I’m favouring design 2……

Think again – I’m not keen on the stripes……..

Could I use the pattern from design one

How the collar will look [paper sample] right side:

and from the reverse side:

Ideas for inserting ‘feather’ shapes into main body of collar:

All for now until I hear Sian’s comments

Chapter 11 Further design ideas

I started by using paper samples to practice  more design ideas by arranging, cutting up and rearranging various tonal patterns before going onto fabric samples in the second half of the chapter.

Fabric Samples

This is the beginning of a fabric sample using the stack and whack method starting with 4 layers of patterned fabrics

Patterned pieces arranged to develop a counter change

Stitched using  some forward facing seams

I used a paper pattern to play with cutting and re-arranging the pattern

Sample stitched…….

The finished sample, cut and re-arranged with lace / triangular snippets inserted into two parallel seams;  really pleased with this.

This is based on paper sample 20

!st stage

Sample cut and re-arranged

Sample stitched

Finished sample. I wanted to see what would happen if I inserted strips of net into the seams and then cut, rearranged and stitched again to see the effects.

Stage 2

This is based on the mosaic pattern we made in chapter 10 but this time using patterned fabrics.

!st stages produced using the Fibonacci Sequence described in Chapter 10 to produce top, middle and lower pieces with increasing piecing and blending of tonal qualities

Lower section

I wanted to see what would happen if I cut the lower piece

Cuts made………

Finished sample - 3 sections stitched together [needed a big machine needle [110] to manage the bulk!

Reverse side….

I was in Glasgow recently and was struck by  the patterning in this view of the Grand Central Station….