TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge 2 Week two: Cas Holmes workbook
Extreme stitching: What we value
“My limited use of embroidery stitches provides textural interest to my mixed media cloth pieces. I create collages of layered fabric, paper and stitch as ‘loosening up’ exercises. This is an integral part of my process when working on landscape inspired work which contains a mix of machine and hand stitch.
During these forthcoming weeks of isolation we will all be drawn to explore the landscape of our homes.
The objects we have collected are sometimes decorated with patterns and colours reflected in nature and often carry with them memories of places visited, tea with friends and family.
This challenge asks you to use these objects as inspiration for an exploration of cloth and paper as a surface for hand stitching.
Following on from Sue Stones’ excellent introduction this week’s challenge will give you an opportunity to apply simple stitches to create a stitched collage sample. I’ll be encouraging you to use variations of straight stitch similar to techniques used to make quilts in the West and as seen in the Japanese arts of Boro and Sashiko and in Indian Kantha.”
Cas Holmes
© Cas Holmes
Website: www.casholmes.co.uk
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What you’ll need A range of collected cloth such as parts of clothing, patterned and plain fabric combined with paper, (brown wrapping paper, magazines and tissue) provide the working surfaces. Maybe you also have some dyed and painted cloth in your stash?
• A small piece of calico/linen/cotton • Objects for reference or photographs to use as a base (Postcard size) • A piece of good quality watercolour • A selection of threads paper or card • Scissors, pins and needles suitable for your cloth
TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge 2 Week two: Cas Holmes workbook TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge 2 Week two: Cas Holmes workbook
The challenge
1 Select an object or objects from around the home or an image as inspiration for the exercise.
2 Use a small piece of calico, linen or cotton fabric as a base for your collage – around postcard size.
3 Having collected scraps and offcuts of fabric and/or paper, start to pin some of these pieces to your base fabric to create a background collage as a starting point and to provide a background for your object. You can cheat and use a glue stick however, I prefer to feel the cloth and paper for this process.
4 Use simple straight stitches to hold down the pieces of fabric and paper. I often crumple strong paper to give it a textural feel and to make it easier to stitch through.
5 Cut out a simple shape in fabric or paper based on one of the objects you have selected and pin in place. You can cut it freehand or you can trace a shape from a drawing or photograph you have taken of the object and use that as a template.
6 Attach the shape to your collage background with thread and explore how the variation of straight stitch can create a simple textural pattern for the object.
7 Next you could begin to incorporate some other stitches into your piece but remember textile artist Constance Howard’s advice – there is huge potential in a limited range of simple stitches.
8 When you are satisfied with your composition hand stitch your piece to good quality watercolour paper or card.
TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge 3 Week two: Cas Holmes workbook TextileArtist.org community stitch challenge 2 Week two: Cas Holmes workbook
Tips for exploration
Look at stitch as a means of creating line and mark. How can you use it to define shapes? How might you incorporate some of the following techniques? • Running stitch • Cross stitch • Darning • Backstitch • Couching
Explore how fabric and paper can be manipulated: • Torn • Rolled • Creased • Cut • Twisted
Consider how colour, texture, tone relate to the work and the object of inspiration. How can you work with the following?
• Contrasts, neutrals, black and white • Colours: Bold, restful, contrast, warm, cool • Textures: Floral, plaid, plain, textured weave, stitch, lace
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