Cloth seduces the practitioner with beauty, utility, history and a wealth of technical knowledge
This is the latest image of my new work. Its a large piece (for me that is) and that has been a challenge for me in the stitching and the handling of this piece. The fabric is much stiffer than my previous larger pieces and proves to be more difficult to handle although does provide the variety of depths in the piece. I am now stitching a 5m x 10cm piece – another kind of challenge.
The piece I am working on at the moment ( images below) is changing my experience of stitching. The much loved sitting and stitching with a soft piece of cloth in the hand has disappeared from this piece. It has become something different. It has become a piece of sculpture; taking on a new form that requires me to respond to it as if sculpting or basketmaking – even standing up to stitch as it’s too big to handle on my lap.
I might need to have another piece on the go at the same time; although is this side stepping the challenge or moving the goal posts – perhaps I should press on to see what comes of this piece.
This is and extract from the forward of a book where Jun’ichi Arai is talking about the work of Yoshiko Jinzenji.
Works of concentrated strength and seeming artlessness have a spirit of impromptu prayer that draws on the energy of nature. Impromptu creations can come about only through such prayer. There is no greater power on earth than that of prayer invested with the whole heart and mind and strength. Such prayer is life itself.
I am really absorbed by the physical act of stitching at the moment. It’s that ‘tug’ between wanting to do it all the time but if you do then the piece will be completed. It’s like a book that you love reading but you don’t want to read it too much because you will finish it. I just need to keep on stitching – it may be an indication that I have a need to make a much..much..larger piece.
My (or Susi’s) lovely machine. The act of using this machine is such a pleasure. Everything does have to be ‘ just right’ for her to work perfectly and then she will perform for you. Every now and again the top thread tightens up ( not sure why yet) but rather than solving it, I am taking it as a ‘marker’ that shows physically on the cloth as evidence of the experience between the machine / stitch and maker. The mark is recorded on the cloth as part of the process; this is an indicator that the process of making is much more important to me than the finished piece and probably always has been. Hand stitching is about process. Much of machine stitching (not this little machine) is about the finished product. These little hiccups are a reminder that she is not like an electric machine and as such is a much better ‘tool’ for me. There is much written in the craft sphere where a sewing machine like this is still considered as a tool of hand work.
I am not sure this thinking fits into the PhD ethos, but I am sure this is the way I want to work and record my work.
This is my new play mate that my lovely friend Susi has unearthed from her collection of all things sewing. She is letting me borrow it for a while so that I can understand the stitch motion in relation to hand stitch.
Details with machine and hand stitch
This is a new piece that combines hand and machine stitch. The folds and therefore the seams made are very different in their finish but can bring something to each other. The solid – flat – squashed machine stiched seams contrast to the continual movement and expressive quality of the hand stitch seam, manipulated on a continual basis as the linear arrangement is made.
Following on from my previous post:
Do not control the breath. Let it settle by itself – Eventually the breath will enter and exit freely. When you are aware of and firmly established in this entry and exit, that is the correct breathing. ( ‘ A still forest Pool ‘)
These instructions appear to be both about meditation and my work with stitch – advice both in the relationship of cloth, stitch, thread but also about allowing the relationships to develop, rather than controlling or forcing them.
Completely unable at the moment to complete a piece with machine stitch only. It seems that the hand stitch not only adds character (not saying anything new here) but acts completely differently in its relationship with the fabric. The machine stitch squashes the folds, holds them in quite an aggresive way, almost strangling them whilst the hand stitching, even if its solid as in back stitch is allows the cloth to breath – to play a role in the confluence; the machine stitch is very controlling. A somewhat uneasy relationship.
In meditation the breath in and out should be the same !!
kayswancutt 