A larger piece combining both hand and machine stitch.
Category: Uncategorized
Trying my phone to blog connection
Latest sample
Seams
I had a lovely talk with my friend Susi today and a chance remark she made when we were discussing my reluctance to machine stitch has given me an idea to develop a new piece. We were discussing that Susi finds it really easy to free machine but she didn’t know how she would feel if she was making seams in folds as I am doing, (and this is the exciting bit) unless she was doing very long seams. !!!
I am going to make a very long stitched seam by machine (say 3m long) in a narrow piece of cloth and record it to see what happens.
I have to admit that the piece I am stitching on the machine at the moment with turban cloth isn’t looking too bad at all – I like the repetitive nature of the stitch. Thanks Susi
Achieving results in machine stitch.
I am finding the best way to do this machining is to have more than one piece on the go at the same time. I have three pieces now, one completely machine stitched and one I am working on that is hand stitching but one of them is going to have both on so that I can compare the stitching directly on the piece.
Machine Stitch
Its official I am ‘rubbish’ at machining. When I am doing it – all I want is for it to be over, in comparison to immersing myself in the actual stitch and the relationship between fabric and thread of hand sewing. I feel its cumbersome and the poor old machine knows I feel this way, its trying its best but its ‘clonking’ away and I find the sound very disturbing.I must give it some time so that I can get to know it again – must press on
Machine stitch
Yes, this is a piece of cloth being stitched by machine, something I have resisted at all costs. It’s a very different experience to hand stitch, seems at the moment much more complicated and less able to be manipulated. It does however have a very different technical approach where I have the sewing machine, camera and computer all acting as my tools to make and record the work immediately its stitched and at stages as I work.
Trying to make connections
This artis Deepa Panchamia work is very inspiring. The simple yet complex arrangements of folds build into amazing stand alone pieces
St Clare of Assisi
This is St Clare, she is the patron saint of needleworkers
Struggle
During my Ph.D research I know that I have to compare my hand stitched sampling with machine stitch. I am struggling with the idea of placing this large lump of metal between me and the cloth I am engaging with. The machine stitched pieces are about the outcome; the hand stitched pieces are about the process. My hands will be used only to guide the cloth through the machine to be stiched, whilst I physically make the stitch when hand stitching and have much more creative input into the outcome.
Latest investigation
I have begun a new investigation on cloth where I am creating a ‘spine’ of stitching on a variety of cloth surfaces. Remarkable things have happened.
kayswancutt 