So at one time you can see I was pretty full on with the leather punch – and a few years ago looked into buying a secondhand laser cutter, but various real considerations and practicalities finally prevailed, and I didn’t go ahead with it. I think I’d have had to do a lot of trophy engraving to pay for it …. Well, I like the organic, hand-cut look, anyway 🙂
My last post included a little square within a square, with holes. I found when using the ‘what if?’ principle that the leather punch would go through fabric, a pleasing little thing, and so I did another little square-within-a-square – I bonded it to paper – another pleasing little thing. It’s io nthe top row – don’t take any notice of the brown next to it, that’s just the benchtop.
OK this is just a sample, but I am pleased with the landscape texture quality of it. Bonding and free machine embroidery, cotton, bronze leather and shot nylon organza, and I forgot this when working with it, so the upper blobs are oriented differently to the piece with the cutouts, and whichever way you look at it the colour is different but related – interesting. Maybe useful some time.
As I’ve said before, they have been on my mind for years.
This couple of samples was cropped from a pic I took of several samples back in 2006. Hand cut black leather and punched gold leather – I know I had some big plan for this but the constant use of a leather punch leads to tired hands and arms, and I dropped the plan. A change of scale, though, and change of material… well there’s a lot of potential for both ideas.
And these sample snippets are from this afternoon’s experiments – grey nylon organza bonded onto the cream canvas – sure, the pic’s a bit dull but I know what it means. Down in the LH side are some triangular shapes bonded on of course but then hand stitched in various ways with several threads including metallic. I keep thinking of how people only repair precious objects, and ‘mending’ is a frequently used motif these days in mixed media and textile works – but I hope I can use ‘mending’ in a non cliché way – I’m working on it.
I don’t think it’s just the bold contrast why I like this little sample- approx. 4cm x 4cm suede leather piece, with a smaller square cut and rotated – those holes are smallest done by the leather punch I have. There’s no way I could do something with masses of these squares of leather – oh for a laser cutter here! But, perhaps another material … this idea has lingered in my mind since 2006, too.
On how I transform something from an idea into some form, this pic says much. I have always thought any ‘line’ can be a cut, a seam or a line of stitches. So using a pic I’ve taken of some pattern, and using some form of my very, very basic, tech tools – in this case PE11 (Photoshop Elements 11) – I will choose to resize, manipulate, re-draw, change colours, whatever . Those photo-editing programs are wonderful, but as I say I just go ‘basic’, more or less one or two steps up from the lead pencil and simple diagrams+lists I’ve always done. Here I have collaged a sample with part of a sand pattern photo on which I drew with PE11 to show how my brain takes an image to a form via fabric and thread.
I was recently asked where my ideas come from. All over the place ! is my answer. Right now ‘holes’ and ‘lace – widest interpretation of’ are on my mind as I am focus less on The Quilt itself, and more on wherever exploration takes me with mixed media and stitch. Since the late ’70’s the wheel has turned a full circle, I think.
Some sample making continues for some ‘Sandlace’ works, inspired by pics such as this one above.
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