The Subversive Stitch

I am reading a fascinating book - I describes how men and woman were employed as embroiderers in  Medieval times.  However,  by the reign of Queen Victoria embroidery was ascribed to women only and men's role was conveniently forgotton.  For middle class Victorian women, embroidery is described both as a creative outlet and also as a constraint on their lives.  Whilst second wave feminism rejected embroidery along with other traditional roles, embroidery gained favour with the hippy and the peace movement.  It seems embroidery and  femininity, creativity and self expressionism are inextricably mixed. 

this week

obstacles to overcome

At last I have been able to post the above image - after an evening and a day trying to find a way of downloading photos from my new phone.  Very very frustrating.  Onward, onward....

Picasso aged 19 and Man Ray photographs

can of worms

I had thought that the decline in homecrafts was a result of the feminist movement in the 70s (which I now know is called second wave feminism) alongside greater affluence and fewer leisure hours due to working outside of the home.  Home crafts were now emerging in their own right as a pleasurable artform.  Not as simple as that.

Betsy Greer is a feminist who has 'reclaimed knitting'.  She acknowledges its meditative qualities and creative qualities, but she goes further - in 2003 she described the resurgence of craft practices, knitting in particular, as  'third wave feminism' naming it 'craftivism'.

researching ready for Self Negoitated Unit 3

Karen Spurgin spoke to us on 9 May.  She is a textile designer and she reignited my enthusiasm for working sustainably. 

Constance Howard Embroidery
 

Karen began her career working as assistant to Constance Howard, embroiderer.  Interestingly, Constance considered that we were at our most creative in WW2 because we had nothing.

Karen has her own company - Karen Spurgin Ltd and also began a collective called ao textile ltd. Her clients include Bruce Oldfield, Clements Ribiero and Richard James.

Disullusioned with the world of fashion, she was re-enthused when she began working with Christina Kim of dosa on sustainable projects which included using only organic textiles and natural dyes, recycling and upcycling.


ecouture - designed by Karen in a dosa and Aveda partnership

 
   Karen has worked in partnership with Aveda to create beautiful ecouture dresses using sustainable techniques and materials.

Karen believes in open source techniques -  sharing ideas to improve manufacturing thereby benefitting producers, consumers and the environment. 

to summarise.....

 

Award Specific Unit 4 - Experimentation and Specialism.  The theme for this unit continued from RiPU ie the 1960s, commemorative textiles and text.

I began the experimentation with two practice commemorative pieces - large pieces of fabric with screen print, transfers and stitch which related to 65th birthday celebrations.  Photographs were used in half point (line) and biographical images, lyrics and patterns were included.  I spent a long time on these large scale pieces.  However, they were invaluable practice and sections formed the basis of further work - a screen printed series of three scaled up images, photographs and posters.

This photograph was used for a series of seven screen prints.  I really like this 1960s image - the fashion (daisies on the hat, the shoes and the bouquet), the embarrassed groom, the happy bride.  I used positive and negative screens of the image - either separately, together or offset -embellished, distressed, plain or fancy.  Still the same people in the same photograph -  rather fancifully, I though they summed up marriage quite well!  

Working from a photograph - I used Photoshop filters to achieve this woodcut image (on the right)  I printed onto repurposed textiles which already had embellishments of lace and embroidery.  Not very exciting, I have included one of the prints in my workbook.                                           

My next project was to create repeat designs (see left). 

 - I used Photoshop, scissors/paper and AVA (but only once).

The designs caused me some angst but I achieved four repeat patterns - two were digitally printed, two discarded.

All my work in this and the previous unit has been leading to one-off pieces which commemorate events.  I believe there is a market for commemorative textiles and I get a steady stream of requests....which I am pleased to say that I am now refusing or redirecting so that I can progress with the MA (just some tea towels to do then finished for now).  During this unit I have researched printing techniques, natural and synthetic dyes, surface pattern, embroidery,  and artists.  The research features in my blog.

 I have enjoyed working on large scale pieces and large scale images.  I spent a lot of time on the patched sample - reworking, repositioning, reprocessing.  The result is a monstrosity - but I learnt a lot from it so I have some affection for it.

I have worked towards my Learning Agreement and have largely achieved what I set out to do.   However, I still get nervous with colour and tend to stay with muted and neutral colours(a visit the the Kaffe Fasset exhibition in a couple of weeks will hopefully help).  I had hoped to develop more of  a collage style of design.  I'll continue to work on this.

  

 I have recorded research and practice on my blog - a discipline which ensures I reflect on practice, books, exhibitions etc.  It also reminds me of progress, it is all too easy to look back and think I haven't done much.  I have also kept some notes, drawings, photographs and samples in my workbook - a good resource for me - but by no means an 'attractive' sketchbook - the more I try to make sketchbooks look good - the more contrived and artificial they become.

I have attempted to work sustainably - using recycled or organic textiles.  But I have used chemical dyes.  Another aim for future work is to work with natural dyes.

When I attended the 'Sustaining the Superfluous' Masterclass, the tutor Mo Tomany said that my work 'tells stories'.  I want to use the processes and techniques I have learned to 'tell the story' of the relationship between homecraft and feminism in my next project.

wrapping up the unit