Assignment 1 - Stage 4: Selecting Designs for Specific Outcome

The Mask:

I decided to make a facemask, taking my inspiration from headwear and veiling practices in the region I am exploring. Headwear seemed to be very important (worn by men or women) within Ottoman/Turkish and Circassian societies at the time. But I am thinking a rather critical approach, parallel to my mood and response to resent political upheaval in the region disadvantaging women. I am thinking of a piece representing the oppression of woman under political agendas. The idea is to embroider the mask with goldwork and some cross stitch.

Traditional headwear Turkish and Circassian

My first thought is how to construct a mask? Therefore I did a little research. The mask designs can lead to dark places. It represents edgy and dark ideas. Alexadre McQuuen, and Iris Van Harper come to mind. Their mask designs are intriguing and can turn a person into a beast fashionably!. There are even darker places: SMs, Necromancers, even Lady Gaga.. I’ll leave them where they are.

Masks By Designers

I looked at my drawings of my mums work and decided on the very geometric design. I hope will look great when worked with goldwork. My colour choices reflect my pessimistic mood: muddy green. But it will work well with gold. I chose a satin fabric and bonded it onto cotton with bondaweb to strengthen it. I ordered a foam head mannequin so I can use it to cut pattern around the curves of a face for the mask.

Mask Design Sketches - S Payne

My first drawings are very sketchy. But they made me decide to divide the design in several parts and put them later. With the help of mannequin I cut templates and made sure they fit and work together. I ended up designing 4 parts, 3 will be embroidered.

Mask Design - Making Patterns S Payne

Second stage is finalizing the embroidery design. It is very precise work. There fore I purchased a graph paper notebook. My main problem at this stage is to figure out how to transfer the design to the fabric and how to style the embroidery; which stiches or embellishments to use.

Embroidery Design - S Payne

I did a test stich. I am ok with the results and decided to use beads, gold thread for cross stich.

Test Embroidery - Saadet

I photocopied the final pattern design onto semi transparent paper and stitched all the outline onto the fabric. Next I cut and stitch the felt to raise the structure. 

Transferring design to fabric S Payne

Embroidery in progress S Payne

Next stage is embroidering. It took me good 5 solid days to embroider 3 pieces.

Final stage is sewing and putting parts together.

The result and the reflections:

I am happy with my final design, the journey I took and the tips and techniques I learned along the way. My mask reflects my mood, worries, and concerns regarding women’s struggle. It covers eyes and the mouth representing not having a voice, not given equal chance. The gold represents the treasure in us, as women.

The Mask - Final Piece for Assignment 1- S Payne 

The Mask - Final Piece for Assignment 1- S Payne

However I accept the finish in details could be better. It shows I am rather inexperienced. But I welcomed the challenge and opportunity to learn. It was a problem-solving task throughout. A very technical challenge. The results are so simple that you forget how much effort went into it!

I loved to work from my mum’s vintage embroidery. I think I will continue to do so. I am thinking printing already.

I struggled with this project. During this time I moved house. It took 18 stressful and unproductive weeks. Now I have a room to myself, and a house to renovate. Life is always busy. The frustration comes from the feeling that you are not giving your full focus. When time is in short supply any crisis feels bigger then it is.

Nevertheless, I soldiered on. It only builds more stamina, isn’t it?