First day back, straight into tutorials and as expected, there weren't many of us. The aim of the tutorial was to just to see how we've been getting on over Christmas idea wise and our plans for the rest of the unit. Over the holidays and the two weeks before Christmas, I feel I'd collected a substantial amount of research, looking at all aspects- artists, designers, interiors, fashion and embroidery techniques- but as of yet, no drawings. I struggled with the research side of my work in our previous term, so building up both my knowledge of what there is in the current market and the type of work/ techniques that I enjoy has really helped as a starting base.
- COLOUR SCHEME. I wanted to keep the colours simple, looking at the textures and embellishments rather than the colour trends. Choosing a neutral palette means that I can play around with textures and weights of fabrics more, it's even an idea that I may put together a fabric file for my own benefits.
-PATTERN. From my initial research I have decided that the starting points of my drawings will be looking at the knotting techniques, and then attempting to create geometric patterns to fit in with the Dash and Miller brief, using the inspiration found whilst visiting the London exhibition, #HelloMyNameIsPaulSmith. As well as this, I am using Angela Davies' idea of looking at shadows formed through lace, again looking at the patterns created, later developing them into samples.
-SAMPLE, SAMPLE, SAMPLE. It is clear for both of my current projects that the key is going to be to sample and experiment as much as possible, to develop my ideas and look at where my strengths lie. Fiona has recommended that I get myself back onto the Cornelly machines, to become more experienced with it's uses. Repetition seems to be the key, it's about creating the same samples ten, maybe twenty times, changing the smallest detail each time to see the results.
-WHY FRENCH KNOTS? What is it about the french knotting process that I enjoy? Is it the tactile qualities of the stitches, the hand stitching process and the time it takes to produce the samples, or the overall effect? I'd never really thought about these questions before, so every time that I produce my samples I shall be thinking about these questions.
Overall the tutorial was very positive, I feel like I am completely on track with where I am going to take my work through the development stages, and I'm looking forward to getting on with it. My main concern is the Live project, I have decided to stick with the Dash and Miller project, I now just need to finalise which designer I would like to focus on. This week I am going to be researching into the chosen Dash and Miller designer, as well as starting my drawing.