Assignment 5 - Personal Project - The Final Design

Making the Final Piece:

I started with mixing my colours. I am using Selestine pigments and solvent-free binder to prepare my printing pastes. I chose deep dark to light blues accompanied with a contrasting orangy peach. I had a good idea where I wanted to go with the colours and used my trusted colour wheel to guide me.  However, I am not sure if I should print on white or coloured fabric? And the pattern design is still work in progress. I want to do some test prints before I finalise the design.

S Payne - Mixing colours for print

I am very pleased with my thermoflax screens. However printing with them is tricky. Ghosting is a big problem, messing up my pattern. I started to use a hairdryer and dry as soon as I print. I am printing on lightweight cotton in white. I want the fabric to be fluid and light.

My thermoflax screen

S Payne Test Print - Ghosting is a major issue!

Pattern… After initial test prints, I decided that I don’t want the print to look too precise. I still wanted that hand printed feel. I planned the pattern so that I know how to position my screen. I am still working organically following the pattern design but not to the letter. After all, the plan is a scribble on an A4 paper. I am only using the Screen No1. The combining two designs did not work well.

S Payne Test Print - Combining two designs doesn't work

I love the print on white fabric. It’ll make a great garment, a skirt perhaps? But it is too cheerful, too pretty and too spring-like. I want the final piece reference the source images and imitate the feeling they evoke.

S Payne - Printing on white fabric

S Payne- Finished print on white cotton fabric

S Payne - Initial garment ideas 

I used a blank screen to create a grey background. Using same colour palate, the prints on grey are more muted and moodier. I still want to introduce stitch to the mix.  After some thought and sketching, I decided that I want the final fabric to be constructed from 3 different pieces joined up loosely. There will be gaps and long stitches to join them. I bought polyester lining fabric to print on it with the darkest blue. I am thinking to use a combination of machine stitch and hand stitch over the prints. At this stage, I am short of time so I’ll just go for it.

S Payne - Print of Grey background.  

S Payne- Machine Embroidering on printed fabric

This is working. I am glad I was bold to introduce stitching.  It enriched the texture and made the surface much more interesting. I constructed the fabric by sewing the parts together. I used a net over the machine embroidered piece to add more texture. The net created a gap between parts too. I hand stitched them with long stitches to emphasise the structure. I am aware that long hand stitches will be a pain when this fabric is made into a garment. They will get caught up and be pulled in all places. Not practical at all. But I still want them. I think they are an important part of the piece communicating the fragility, and temporary nature of life. They also mimic the forms of bones.

S Payne - Hand stitching on Final piece 

This is the final version of the fabric. It is fluid and fragile itself. Through the design progression, I worked with the material and responded to the process instinctively at every stage. I am glad that I made the thermoflax screen design, played and experimented with it organically. I am pleased I introduced both machine and hand stitching rather boldly at a very late stage.

S Payne - Final Piece

S Payne - Final Piece Detail

S Payne- Final Piece as a possible skirt 

It is always interesting to experience how far you can stretch an idea. As always I worked towards a visual outcome. Practicalities were sidelined a bit. I have travelled some distance from the starting point. I still tried to stay true to the original feelings I got from the source image and did my best to emulate them. The subject matter can be explored further and the design can be refined for sure. I am happy with the final design.

I look forward to what my tutor’s report now.