Hand Stitching Continued Summer 2020: Dimensional Stitches

Jill B.: "Unfurling" Rhododendron using a variety of dimensional stitches. 

This summer, a number of students from my beginning Hand Stitching Class (taught through The Art League School), asked that I offer a condensed version of my Hand Stitching Continued class. In this class, we continue to explore hand stitches...this time focusing on dimensional (often composite) stitches including needle weaving and buttonhole laces as well as using stitches to manipulate fabric to create dimensional effects. We also covered a variety of techniques to create stuffed forms. We used Nature as our muse throughout the class. I'm excited to show you the work produced during this three session version of the class. This is the first of three posts of student work. I also want to let you know that I will be teaching a five session version through the school starting on January 27. For more information about that class please go here. If you have questions about the January class, please feel free to leave a comment here.

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Before the class started, I asked students to find a muse or muses from Nature that they wanted to explore using stitch and fabric manipulation. A muse could be an actual physical object from nature, or photographs of natural objects or landscapes. Even related topics such as circular forms or concepts such as "unfurling" were explored.

Barbara B.: Exploring circular forms.

Our first class covered dimensional stitches including varieties of needle weaving and buttonhole laces.  During class time, students learned these and created a stitch sampler.

Jill B.: Stitch Sampler

Irene C.: Stitch Sampler

Myania M.: Stitch Sampler

Roberta A.: Stitch Sampler

Sherry W.: Stitch Sampler

Each week, students got a Journal Exercise and planned a Stitch Challenge piece inspired by their chosen muse, using techniques from that week's class. Some students really jumped in and explored even further!

Jill B. explored the concept of "unfurling". Below is her muse photo and Journal page. See the first photo in this post for the final stitched piece.

Roberta A. was inspired by the textures, colors and shapes found on this tree trunk.

Judy P. got inspired by the beauty found during beach walks and the land/seascapes of Cape May. She did some plein air stitching along with creating this awesome horseshoe crab.

Sherry was inspired by cowrie shells and fell in love with needle lace!

Heidi O. was inspired by the view of a  sunset over water while looking through a gate.

Myania M. dove right in to explore a variety of possible approaches to her wasp's nest muse. She experimented with both cloth and paper and jumped straight into working three-dimensionally (more to come!)

Hand Stitching ONLINE: Theme #3: Texture

Please join me for the Fall 2020 Hand Stitching class! Five 2.5 hour sessions (10:00 AM - 3:30 PM eastern US time) starting on Wednesday, September 30. For more information and to register: https://www.theartleague.org/shop/class/online/hand-stitching/

Jude J: Texture Stitch Challenge

Texture was the theme for class #3 in the Spring session of Hand Stitching ONLINE (offered through The Art League School). Discussion focused on the concepts of Actual Texture (texture you can touch) versus Visual Texture (the representation of texture using marks) in art. Marks made with hand stitching can cover both categories as seen above in Jude J.'s piece. The marks created with stitch are representative of a nest or fur (visually) but one could also feel the actual texture of the raised stitches on the fabric's surface.

Barbara B. Texture Stitch Sampler

Another topic discussed was that of Stitch Density. Dense areas of stitching are more effective when surrounded by areas of less dense stitching.

Barbara B. Texture Stitch Challenge

In this class session, students were also challenged to create a "new" stitch by combining stitches covered in the first three sessions. Jill B. met the challenge and even drew these beautiful illustrations! 

"New" stitches by Jill B.

Sampler of "new" stitches by Jill B.

I continue to be inspired by watching my students explore each class theme. I hope you enjoy viewing their work with a focus on Texture.

Jill B.: Texture Stitch Challenge

Carolyn L.: Texture Stitch Sampler

Irene C.: Texture Stitch Sampler

Kristin A.: Texture Stitch Challenge

Judy P.: Texture Stitch Challenge using commercial fabric

Martha P.: Texture Stitch Challenge

Myania M.: Texture Stitch Challenge

Roberta A.: Texture Stitch Challenge

Sherry W.: Texture Stitch Sampler

Susan T.: Texture Stitch Challenge using hand painted fabric.

Susan T.: Texture Stitch Challenge using hand painted fabric

Hand Stitching Continued: Surface and Structure Part 3: Buttonhole and Needle Weaving

Alice A.: Netting and needle woven stitches.

After experimenting with the basic stitches learned in Hand Stitching (see this blog post), I introduced some textural stitches into the mix. These stitches fell into two categories: variations of Buttonhole stitch and needle woven stitches over "laid" or warp threads. All these stitches are worked on top of the fabric's surface and could be considered another overlay of texture. Students found the Knotted Buttonhole Netting the most challenging, but with practice, felt more confident about the possibilities of the stitch.

Ann Z.: Netting and needle woven sampler.

Ann Z.: Netting and textural stitches inspired by her muse.

Jan B.: Buttonhole rings.

Jan B.: Buttonhole rings

Jodie F.: Netting and needle weaving inspired by her muse.

Marine W.: Needle weaving

Marine W.: Needle weaving detail.

Peggy G.: Buttonhole and needle weaving sampler.

Susan G.: Nightscape with some needle weaving and Buttonhole details.

Next post: Fabric manipulation with stitch.

Susan P.: Challenge using warp threads and needleweaving.

Susan P.: Detail.

Enrollment for the spring session of Jumpstart in Hand Stitching (3 evening sessions) and Hand Stitching Continued (7 evening sessions) is now ongoing. If you live in the Washington, DC area, considering joining me!