Experimental Sunday

After getting information from Jane that there was some fabulous fungi down by the lake, I headed there before class - what a bitterly cold experience! However, it was worth it. Unfortunately though, due to poor vision and inexperience with the camera settings, my photos weren't to my satisfaction, so I left class before lunch to try again, with more success.

Obviously, there were many, many more photos than this. 

With the class now working on individual projects, I was on my own, with no particular ideas apart from one I had had in my dreams - the other drifted off into the night. So I began playing with the metal cloth, just feeling what it could do. Always on my mind was the idea of keeping the qualities of the cloth foremost - to showcase its unique properties. If I could do it with organza, why would I use costly metal cloth? I started with my dream piece - little circles inspired by lichen.

I rolled the edges and flame painted them

and hand sewed them on an organza backing

before trimming the organza away then using a heat gun, which created tension as the material shrank.

The metal cloth is good for shibori-like techniques, as it retains the shaping well, so I tried some pleating.

This piece was simply crumpled metal cloth secured in sections onto an organza backing with free-motion embroidery, before melting back the organza. It has a rolled edge, and has a nice sculptural look.

This sample is a pinched-up piece of metal cloth sewn onto organza (which also provides a bit of depth of colour), with some wool, and silk chiffon stitched around it, then lace scraps added.

This is coloured metal cloth laid over purple velvet - as you stitch over it, the pile pushed through the metal and shows itself. This would be really nice with some hand-stitched areas on it.

The afternoon finished with the release of the Fibre Arts 2024 Winter School tutors - unfortunately, nothing there for me. We'll see what else turn up.