I have made another forest floor motif to add to those in chapter 8, I already had the embroidered N motif and the maple leaf / american oak but I wanted to add a similar motif featuring the enhanced letter Y. The N and Y represent the initials for New York whilst the maple leaf and american oak represent the forest floor. All together I want them to stand for New York in the fall and how this works will become clearer soon as I begin to work on my book structure.
Y letter motif
This chapter is in preparation for the final project for this module, we have to make a finished item developed from ideas we have developed so far, in the form of a book or port-folio-type structure.
We have to think imaginatively as books can come in all shapes and forms but we need to consider some mock-ups of our ideas and how our embroidery techniques could be incorporated upon at least one embroidered panel within the structure.
I haven’t used my best hand made papers as I need to keep them for later but I found some yellow and purple card and papers to practice with. Although these were great for getting to grips with the techniques I decided I wanted to use some more interesting papers for effect. Along with less precious hand made papers I found some old ones I’d used for transfer printing which were great – never throw anything away!
I’ve included both sets here so it may look as if I’ve repeated myself but I had loads of fun working through this chapter. This is new to me and I’ve always wanted to learn how to make books so I seized the opportunity full on!
1. Pamphlet books. These are simple books made by folding pages and inserting them into a firmer outer cover. Each set of pages is known as a pamphlet and is held in pace by stitching. These are hand stitched using 3 or 5 holes depending on the size of the book. Accurate folds are made with the aid of a bone folder and the holes for stitching accurately measured and pierced to ensure that the cover and pages are in alignment.
2. Multiple books have been made from a longer outer cover to accommodate more sets of pamphlets in the folds. It was interesting to play around with different textures of paper.
3. Here the outer cover and pamphlets are in the shape of a leaf and have been secured by machine stitching.
4. Extra folds in the spine allow for insertion of extra pamphlets
5. The addition of an external spine with cover and pamphlets secured by thread or ribbon
6. Decorative stitching has been used to secure the pages. Again accurate folds and placing of the holes for stitching are necessary. A fold adjacent to the stitching allows for the book to be opened easily. I was interested in the edgings we looked at in a previous chapter so experimented more with this on the right hand sample.
7. These books have been made out of 2 flat covers inside which the pamphlets have been secured with a decorative chain stitch which weaves horizontally across the spine. I love this technique and spent extra time on it to make some books from some precious collaged boards I’d already made. I use some machine wrapped threads to add colour and texture
8. Pamphlets secured by stitching into the spine
9. Pamphlets turned into books in the absence of a cover by using strips of paper glued in place and stitched in place as before and incorporating the strips of paper
10. Variations on a theme – One book with stitching into the spine [left] , exposed spine and pamphlets stitched and woven together [centre]. I made the one on the right at Summer School about 4 years ago, the pamphlets are stitched individually and then needle woven together. In all three ends of thread are left on the outside and beads added.
11. Multiple book with cover and pages joined with blanket stitch as separate entities and then brought together with insertion stitch. Love this!
12. Unusual bindings . Left to right: needle woven sticks, rubber band with it’s ends held in place by stiff card at the back and single stick all used with an exposed spine.
13. Pamphlet stitch used to incorporate sticks at their centre with a cork base and button fastening on the left and same book opened up on the right
14. Concertina book. Long piece of paper folded in concertina fashion and two ends glued to cover. It folds in nicely or stretched out as shown.
15. Clever folding and cutting. An A4 sheet has been folded in half lengthwise and then across the length three times before being cut along the centre as shown.
16. Pages threaded together with beads to separate them and hung horizontally
17. Wrap around book and experiments with closures
17. The complete set!
This year I am taking part in the Open Houses as part of the Brighton Festival and have written this artist’s statement to add to my blog.
I have a lifelong fascination with beautiful fabrics, threads and colour. During my childhood I was surrounded by creativity with my mother, grandmother and aunt all accomplished needlewomen producing gorgeous pieces of stitching, knitwear, artwork and poetry.
My mother taught me to stitch and use a sewing machine for my first garments as a child but my love and obsession for embroidery developed much later. I started by enrolling at a machine embroidery class where textile artist Wendy Dolan supported me as I developed my own personal style. I then went on to experiment with a mixed media approach with textile artist Kim Thittichai. I am currently studying for a City and Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Embroidery with Distant Stitch, a distance learning school led by textile artist Sian Martin.
You can follow my coursework on this blog if you wish, this is an example of a finished piece of coursework - a headpiece constructed of machine embroidered wrapped yarns with beading detail
I have always been fascinated by the beauty of nature and floral shapes and love creating deep textural and lacy effects. The idea of making something beautiful out of articles which have outlived their original function is another strong factor. I'm constantly fascinated by the diversity which can be achieved through textile art and the experimental nature of contemporary embroidery techniques
I have exhibited in the Brighton Festival Open Houses for several years and have enjoyed making jewellery, bags, gloves, books and other accessories. I love the challenge of a developing project, problem solving along the way followed by the thrill of a finished project.
I have added a few examples of the work to be shown in the Open House below:
Evening bag made up of hand dyed silk with machine embroidery to the flowers, strap and finish to the bag itself:
Evening wallet or vanity bag. This is shown here against the original artwork from which it was inspired, this has been printed onto silk with applique and machine embroidered detail:
Machine embroidered brooches
Crocheted belt with vintage ribbon detail
A selection of crochet and machine embroidered belts, necklaces and brooches:
Hand crafted notebooks:
Detail of the above showing my own collage work and machine embroidered hummingbird motif:
Customised sketchbook with monoprint and collage:
Book covers using my own watercolour printed onto silk and machine embroidered / hand stitched detail:
Hand crafted notebook with monoprinted and machine embroidered panel and beaded detail:
A selection of hand knitted corsages:
To contact Carrie email - carriedonohoe@hotmail.co.uk
http://www.distantstitch.co.uk/
Whilst handmade paper edges have wonderful ragged and organic edges it is sometimes desirable to have a neater and finished edge for a front page or a cover.
It was therefore our task to look into stitched edges bearing in mind our research and lettering ideas.
For this chapter I needed to find out how to get a clean fold especially as my paper is handmade. To do this I needed to score the paper. I measured and marked where the fold belonged and whilst holding a ruler along the marks I ran my bone folder along the ruler hard enough to make a pressure score or groove. Without moving the ruler I folded the paper up by running the bone folder on the outside of the fold, pressing it harshly against the ruler.I then removed the ruler and and flattened the fold by running the bone folder over it. [ details from Cover to Cover by Shereen La Platz]. This worked brilliantly and produced a beautiful neat fold.
First thoughts about stitched edges:
Samples 1 and 2:
Sample 1
And reverse:
Sample 2
And reverse:
Sample 3
And reverse:
I used some spare white handmade paper produced earlier in the module but I appreciate that sticking to my colour scheme would have been more effective.
It was aslo interesting to see the right and reverse sides.
Sample 4
I really like the effects of these two inserted stitches [beaded and threaded] when they decorate the folded page:
Sample 5
A combination of machine and handstitching – beautiful together.
