Experimentation

Felting

                   
For me, felting is a medium that I love to work with. I find that it provides a basis to go of and create numerous different varieties of textiles, as it works well with other mediums.

I do find however that it quite hard to achieve great detail and precision using just felt alone. That's why I love being able to stitch into felt on the sewing machine, add angelina fibres, coloured film and different fabrics to it, and even trapping it in vanishing muslin.                                                                                                                                        

For these pieces of felt, I used different shades of both pinks and blues when felting them to create a more vibrant piece.
I then stitched into them using different colours of threads and adding angelina fibres and coloured film.
I created different patterns and textures like ones found on coral reefs. I also stitched in different designs inspired by the observational studies I had already done portraying the tropical coral reefs.

For this particular piece of felt, I used different shades of blues and green felt, and then stitched in different patterns based on an observational study of a plant from a coral reef.

I used the technique of creating balls of felt, by making them stick together using wallpaper paste to create coccone like shapes of felt.
I placed angelina fibres and beads inside them to make them look much more vibrant.

Vanishing Muslin

Vanishing Muslin was a particular favourite medium of mine. I loved being able to trap angelina fibres, felt and coloured film to create different shapes and textures.

For this piece, I created felted floral buttons, and then sewed them onto a piece of vanishing muslin, which had trapped pieces of angelina fibres.

Silk

For these pieces of silk, I used powdered dyes to create the vibrant, bright colours.

After it dried, I stitched it onto waden. I love the effect this gave the silk as it made it look much more full, and textured.

I then stitched on patterns created by the dyes, and also patterns of bubbles found in the sea.

This is a silk paiting depicting various differnt plants found on coral reefs. I love using silk paint as I feel the bright colours enhance the look of the drawings.

Sheep's Wool

Sheep's wool became a huge influence in my experimentation process.

I found that if I used powered inks to dye the sheep's wool, I could create new coloured wool, making it look like an organic like plant from a coral reef.

I then started to iron angelina fibres, so they would stick together. I then hand stitched them into the wool to make the wool more vibrant and colourful.

 I then used the technique of making balls of felt using wallpaper paste, and putting beads and angelina fibres into the felt balls, and then stitching these onto the wool.