Module 1 Chapter 5

Really enjoyed Chapter 5 and the colour wheels.  I am always fascinated by the ways colours mix and by shades and tints of a colour.

Sample 1
Not very spectacular.

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Sample 2
I thought much nicer using two threads in the needle and a wider stitch.  I love these rayon threads I purchased at the Stitch and Knit Show.  The bottom of the page has been missed by the scanner.  I have written that 'The blue and yellow don't seem to combine so well to make the green'.  And 'Stitch width 7/0 length 0.5'

Sample 3

Showing the shades and tints of primary and secondary colours.

Sample 4

Tonal values.  These were painted using guache.  The black was pretty hefty and it was difficult not to use too much.

Sample 5

My painted colour wheel, showing the primary and secondary colours, with a mix of the two in between.  So, for instance, there is red, red mixed with orange, orange, orange mixed with yellow, yellow.  These are in the middle section.  The inner section are the same colours mixed with white to show the tints, and the outer section are mixed with black to show the shades.

Sample 6

As an experiment, I wanted to see if I could make a decent colour circle using the transfer crayons I have.  I did a test piece first to determine which crayon was which colour as it is not always easy to differentiate between, for example, the blue and purple.  This is shown on the left of the page - the crayons on paper, then the transferred colours on satin.

Although the black crayon didn't look very black on my test piece (6th from top) it did make reasonable shades on the colour circle.  There was no white crayon to try tints.

I was quite pleased with the appearance of the colour circle, although some of the colours remain as 'streaks' rather than mixed.  I over-stitched with the rayon threads (double) I used in the stitched colour wheel.  The colour wheel was transferred onto white satin.

Sample 7

Using the same 'crayoned' colour circle I made a second transfer onto cream felt.  The colours came out much more muted, partly because of the felt, and also because it was the second print.  However in some ways the colours have mixed better.

Well, I think that is all for Chapter 5.

Module 1, Chapter 4

The first two pictures are zigzag samples.

The next five pictures are of automatic pattern samples

I think that's all for chapter 4!

Chapter 1, revised pages on colours (2)

My pages on primary and secondary colours, with the colours actually written on the pages.

Module 1, Chapter 1, page 7

Module 1, Chapter 3

STRAIGHT STITCHING - FOOT ON

Page 1

Transfer dyed satin with a backing of felt.  Straight stitch with orange thread to form a grid.  Some horizontal and vertical spaces stitched with turquoise thread close together.  Repeated with yellow thread.  Red rayon thread stitched in random straight lines along edge of shape.  I don't think the red lines added any interest to the piece.

Page 1

I used Titanium needles for all the straight stitch work.  They are expensive but I find they are stronger and stay sharper longer than usual needles.


Page 2

Stitching a diagonal grid.

I used black felt with a thin calico backing.  Stitching was with dark (red), medium (green) and light (pale pink) threads.

Against the black background the pink thread looks while and loses its colour.

Page 2

Page 3

Stitching straight lines all over - a razzle dazzle piece

I used calico backed with saril - an acrylic curtain lining similar to bump.  I stitched 10 rows in all different directions,  before changing colour.  The thick dark lines made the sample wrinkle more than the single coloured lines.

Page 3

I found the above razzle dazzle piece rather boring - both to look at and to stitch!

Picture 4

I stitched a second razzle dazzle piece.  I used a piece of the satin dyed with transfer crayons (from chapter one), and backed it with thin felt.  I used threads the colours of the dyes, with black thread for the "window".

It reminded me of a stormy sky with flashes of lightning.  I am looking through the window but the storm is all around me and lighting up the room.

I was pleased with this piece, and it was interesting to plan and stitch.

picture 4

Module 1, Chapter 2

FABRICS

Two pages from my sketch book with 3x3 cm samples of different fabrics.

Page 1
On the left hand side:  white cotton sheeting, medium weight calico, white acrylic satin, cream acrylic satin, black acrylic felt, white acrylic felt.

On the right hand side:  Nets, coarse, medium and finer.  Velvet, stretchy, and probably man-made, velvet - possibly cotton- as it was dyed using Procion dyes, upholstery fabric with a velvet-like effect, natural silk.

Page 1

Page 2

On the left hand side - organzas, all acrylic, rainbow organza, blue and lilac, silver and white "spider" organza and a sparkly one.

On the right hand side - a selection of fabrics, probably all man-made, obtained from an Asian tailor who kindly donated a large bag of off-cuts.

Page 2

Module 1, Chapter 1: Collecting colour

My picture gallery of colours

PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2

PRIMARY COLOURS (1 and 2)

PICTURE 3

PICTURE 4

SECONDARY COLOURS (3 and 4)







THE COLOURS OF AUTUMN
"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" Keats Ode to Autumn

gold, bronze, the green and red of autumn  apples
orange and brown bracken
(5)

PICTURE 5

Cool sharp yellow and bright
greens of spring
"... Daffodils and the green world they live in"
Keats, Ode to Beauty
(6)

PICTURE 6

"We travel not for trafficking alone
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned;
For want of knowing what cannot be known
We take the Golden Road to Samarkhand"
 James Elroy Flecker

For me these words conjure up the warm terracottas, golden yellows, the colours of sunsets -
orange, red, streaks of purple
(7)

PICTURE 7

My Favourite Colours
(8)

PICTURE 8