The Seven Deadly Sins!!!!

Another project from last term was Design Semantics where we had to look at the "elements of design" ie Line, Tone, Texture, Shape, Colour, Pattern, Balance, Rhythm, Scale and Form. We had to gather as much information on these elements in relation to one of the seven deadly sins.

Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust. I was drawn to Envy and looked into various elements of envy.

Sin: Envy
Deamon: Leviathan
Punishment in Hell: Put in freezing water
Animal: Dog
Colour: Green

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/patterns-aurorae/



http://www.wallpixy.com/download-wolf-hd-wallpaper-widescreen/



http://www.zastavki.com/eng/Winter/wallpaper-36422.htm


I was really taken by the frozen water on glass, and took this idea through to design stage. We had to design a textile garment based on the research we had found. Here are the front and back views of the finished top. I used net and felting wool and stichted them onto the top with some feathers to create a "frozen water" design on the top.

Love how this turned out especially considering that I had no idea where to take this project. TTFN xxx

Fine art Project

We had a year long project in which we had to select a house from a specific Architect and design a textile artifact for the house. I selected a house in North Uist called Clachan Lodge which it situated to the North of the island over looking Clachan Sands.



http://www.clachanlodge.com/ClachanLodge-Gallery.htm



http://www.clachanlodge.com/ClachanLodge-Gallery.htm

I was specially drawn to this house because of the nice rafter details over the main living area of the house. So I designed a wall hanging to fit in the rafter space which took inspiration from satellite imaging and imposed the layout of the Outer Hebrides islands onto the hanging.



Work in process, this wasn't how i pictured it but am much happier with the way this is going!!

Machine stitching the white squares took for ever, I even took a break for a cuppa when I was half way through!!!  

Close up of seeding stitch.

Close up for stitch details.

Performance Costume Corset

In the first term of our HNC we were given a project to design a 16th - 17th century corset as a performance costume piece. We were given the Commedia D'ell Arte as a theme and asked to research this along with historic corsets.

I looked into the costumes, characters and the principles behind this theatrical art movement. Although you might not realise it you will probably have heard of many of the characters from the Commedia D'ell Arte. I remember a story I used to be told when I was small about Harlequin and Columbine which included the character of Scaramouch.  



http://www.swide.com/binaries/content/gallery/swide2/article-inside/2013/02/09/italian-folk-traditions-of-carnival-with-masks-and-the-commedia-dell-arte-italian-comedy/italian-masks-from-commedia-dell-arte.jpg

 I did find it a litte difficult at first to come up with corset designs which were obvious and uninteresting (well in my mind anyways) But I got a bit of a break when I discovered that the video for "It's a Hard Life" by Queen took its influence from the Commedia D'ell Arte.


http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewssep11.html

 So this is my finished corset, this design was actually hashed out in about 30 seconds, and honestly didn't think it would be the one that would get picked. But I am really happy with the way it turned out.

  

Hat revisited!!!

To say I was a little bit disappointed to turn up to our last class with Alex thinking that my hat was complete and all I had to do was to turn up and show him, only to be told "you have completed element of this hat to such a high standard and finished it with a terrible looking band" was a bit of an understatement. Especially when Alex took scissors to it to take it off. Now I know that he was paying me a compliment but the memory of having to hand stitch the band onto the crown and bring and the thought of having to do it again filled me with dread. I don't think I have every stuck myself with a needle so many times in all the years I have been sewing. 

I suppose that I was never really happy with the notion that my hat would have a band in the first place because it wasn't how I had designed it. But safe to say (and this is where you know just how much Alex knows his stuff) I am much more happy which the hat band that Alex showed my to do.  

Ta Dah......so much nicer than the first attempt. :)

Eeek, there's no turning back now.

Eeek, there's no turning back now. Alex has cut the hole in the brim. If it doesn't work now then the whole thing is wasted...:(



The "damaged" brim :(

Hat crown

After a fair amount of stitching which included a lot of finger stabbing the crown and brim were attached although it didn't look very tidy. My sketches did not include the use of a band around the hat crown but due to the way they were attached I had to introduce one. I wasn't mad on the idea however now its finished I think it looks pretty good...........Oh did I say finished??? yeah my hat is finally finished. :)

Tadah!!! Here it is. My finished hat. I think it's a bit cartoony considering that the other girls in my class have made classy looking red and black hats, very femme fetale and here I am with a big green contraption. I must be mental. :) I never seem to do things by halves, but I guess if it wasn't a challenge would it be worth doing???  TTFN