Embroidery: machine stitch week three.

This final week in machine embroidery has been spent using 3 different sizes of pin tuck feet, developing samples and sketchbook work, along with choosing 25 samples out of both my hand and machine embroidery samples too mount as final samples.

Pin tuck background with tailor tack stitch- map lines.

Of my samples this week, this is my most successful. I think that pin tucking the fabric all over to use as a background worked really well as something too work on top of, and then adding the tailor tacked lines inspired by the lines of my map drawings made the sample come too life. The addition of the white filling some of the negative space between the lines also adds too the success of the sample.

Pin tuck background with satin stitched pin tuck map-like lines on either side of fabric.

If I was too improve a sample that I have done this week, I would choose this cream with black stitched pin tucks. I think that the cream cotton doesn't give the look that I'd like it too, and this is because my research and drawings are heavily focussed on black and white and so the addition of cream doesn't look success. 

Pin tuck- avoiding mapped out lines.

My most unsuccessful sample of the week is this simple pin tuck sample, filling in negative space to create lines. Although this idea of creating a drawing my stitching around the lines has made some of the most successful samples of this project over the last few weeks with use of the other machine feet, the pin tuck foot on this fabric has distorted and made unusual lines and marks which do not look as successful as my other samples.

Embroidery: machine stitch week two.

This week in machine embroidery, I have been using both the tailor tack foot and zipper foot with the hairpin technique (making use of the end of an old coat hanger too wrap a thick yarn around then sew too fabric).

Both of these feet allowed me too develop my ideas and theme with more interesting and unusual samples rather than just normal stitch into fabric.

Tailor tack tucks from the back- negative space line drawing.

Of this weeks samples, I think that this is one of my most successful ones. Created by using the tailor tacking foot on a folded edge of the fabric, then opening it out. It is much more interesting on the underneath rather than the tucked side. Again i used the drawing from negative space technique by stitching around lines I mapped out on the under side- creating a drawing from the not stitched space.

Hairpin technique with zipper foot overlayed with satin zig zag stitch- map line drawings.

A sample which I think would be better with improvement is this hair pinned and stitched over one. Although I like the idea of having this background of pile like yarns too stitch over, I think that if I was too do it again, I would improve it by hair pinning the yarn closer together too avoid gaps and give it a bit more substance. I would also stitch much more over the top too add more line and structure.

Hairpin technique and satin set pattern 6. - negative space drawing,

My least successful of the samples I have done this week would be this sample.This is because it didn't work out like I expected it too. The parts that are "hair pinned" look too "thrown on" against the black background and variable thread stitch. I'd like it to have been much softer and that it flowed better than it does.

Embroidery: machine stitch week one.

Week one of machine embroidery- spent developing the ideas I have been exploring through hand embroidery with machine techniques using machine feet 6 & 21.

set pattern 6 with machine foot no6- negative space drawing.

My most successful samples of the week would be this negative space piece, done simply with different kinds of stitches using the number 6 foot. The success of this sample is due to the way I've drawn around lines/shapes in the negative space too create a drawing, rather than simply stitching lines too represent lines. I think this technique could be developed a lot further with all techniques I'll be learning in machine embroidery.

Satin stitch with foot no6- negative space drawing.

Although this samples is a nice idea and the fabric i have create with the satin stitch feels and looks nice on the chequered fabric, I think that too improve on this, I should re-do it but instead of leaving the squares, draw around lines inspired by my map drawings as I have with the above sample. I think this will make it much more interesting and express my ideas and theme.

Cording with foot no26  and straight stitch with foot no6- mapping lines on sheer.

The least successful piece of the week, is this chiffon sample with cording. The marks and lines that the different stitch types and threads/yarns have created in this piece don't look effective enough, however I think that the folds the stitches have made are quite interesting and this idea could be explored in other samples.