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!)

Connecting to Memories: The Stitched Word: Dimensional Letters and Other Projects

 

Jill B.: "How" : Wool felt letters and cheesecloth collage

This is the last in a series of blog posts about the Fall class, Connecting to Memories: The Stitched Word that I taught online for The Art League School. I will be teaching it again during the Winter session starting on January 27 for five consecutive Wednesday mornings (10:00 am-12:30 pm USA Eastern Standard Time).

In the fourth session, I covered a number of dimensional techniques including Cording, Stuffing/Trapunto and Felt letters. I also suggested that students begin to think about a larger, more long term assignment that would involve stitching a letter (correspondence), recipe, list, poem or memento and to think about alternative ground fabrics such as vintage linens or clothing. I hope to see more results as students continue to work on projects.

Jill B.: "How/Who?": Off the Surface Trapunto

Jill B.: Cording and Trapunto samplers

Roberta A.: Planning a larger project: The Grocery List

Judy P.: A series of Haikus for her youngest granddaughter, Anne. Stitched on a dish towel

Judy P.: Brainstorming ideas for more projects.

Judy P.: Grandmother's Frozen Dough recipe transferred to tea-dyed fabric.

Judy P.: Thinking about stitching the recipe to an old apron.

Barbara B.: List of cooking times for dry rice and beans

Barbara B.: Stitching the list to Jed's shirt sleeve.

Barbara B.: Optional project: One month stitching journal.

Julie B. Booth: Felt and couched yarn letters with cheesecloth fabric collage. Honoring the Swedish Fish candies my maternal grandmother kept in her candy drawer.

Julie B. Booth: Stitched letter written by my Dad when he was just learning his capital letters. I included the erasures (white Running stitched letters). Stitched on a cotton handkerchief, the kind he used to carry in his pocket.

Connecting to Memories: The Stitched Word: Mapping Memories

 

Carolyn L.: Memories of her grandparent's farm

The third session of Connecting to Memories: The Stitched Word, focused on creating Memory (mind) Maps around a memory connecting to place. This was interpreted in many different ways...from memories of a "touchstone" place such as a family farm or the ocean (Atlantic and Pacific) to a more recent memory of "the debate stage".  

Carolyn L.: Mind Map about her grandparent's farm. Focus on color.

I demoed a number of different applique and reverse applique techniques and was excited to see how the students incorporated a number of these techniques in their pieces.

Here are some of Jill B.'s applique samplers...

Again...I just love how the challenges mined precious gems of memories and the stitched results. 

Bobbie D.: What is Home? Twenty-nine in 5 different states and 3 different countries!

Sue W.: Love of Cape Cod (same with me!) and her new granddaughter whose initials are SEA and whose middle name means "star".

Vicki F-L.: The calmness and inspiration of the Pacific Ocean

Debra L.: "Pool". Summers there and swim team.

Rebecca S.: The sound of the winter wind at night. 

Jill B.: Her father's giant garden and her more modest one.

Jill B.: The elements needed to grow the garden.

Roberta A.: On Safari in Botswana.

Roberta A.: Following the tracks to find the animals.

Judy P.: Jazz band camp...an extended family affair.

Judy P.: Jazz and Summertime

Barbara B.: Three pieces to represent the three debates (Shut Up Man!, Throwing Shade, So Cute). These were eventually sewn together into a final piece called "Leading Voices" (and yes, the fly made an appearance) that will be part of the Tiny Pricks Project.

I will be teaching this class again in the Winter session at The Art League School. Click here for more information and to register.