Module 4-Chapter 1-Lettering and Folders-Part 2

The following examples of lettering were found on the internet and show the evolution from early lettering (cuneiform script) to "modern times" lettering. It's interesting to see how this has changed over the years: from the very elaborated medieval writing to refined lettering that can sometimes be found nowadays. But even the very colorful street art graffiti could be considered as an art form of its own.

IV1m and close-up

IV1n

IV1o

IV1p

 IX1q: street art graffiti

IV1r: fonts on my computer

The following examples show some interesting calligraphy where the letters are hardly recognizable, 

IV1s

 IV1t

IV1u

IV1v

I can only recommend this beautiful book, it's not a traditional calligraphy book. The letters produced are based on rythms and patterns found in nature. I could have scanned in the whole book, each page is a work of art.

Here are some examples of my own handwriting done with a "Bandzug"calligraphy pen which has a square tip. I tried to vary the size as well as the way the letters are put together to form a pattern where the letters are not "readable" any more.

 calligraphy 1

calligraphy 2

calligraphy 3

calligraphy 4

I treated myself to this wonderful little machine, the Silhouette Portrait which is a hobbyplotter. It cannot only cut materials as paper and fabric among others but the software allows you to play around creating your own alphabets and shapes, which can, in turn, be cut out, welded, filled in with colour......

The following are examples of alphabets created with this software. When cut out the negative shapes could be used to form stencils. In pic IV1z the cut-out letters were glued together and scanned in to form some sort of pattern, which, in turn, could be scanned in, cut out, etc......I still don't know all the features of this wonderful  machine, but I think it has enormous potential.

IV1x

IV1y (for the 3 pics above)

IV1z

 The following pics are cut out from various magazines and show different styles of lettering

The more you look, the more you see: Different lettering styles can be found everywhere and the pictures presented here are by far not exhaustive, so I'll probably post more throughout this module.

Completed accessory

I decided to make a tassel out for the threads coming of the plaited cord. This could form an interesting feature if worn with the dress with a "décolleté" on the back 

Storage, Health and Safety Rules Observed

Module 3 - Chapter 2 - Research Three Artists

Module 3 - Chapter 11 - Completed Accessory

My accessory was inspired by the following pictures

 11a

 11b

11c

I knew I wanted to do a necklace/neckpiece, something wearable, and I wanted to reproduce the idea of a wrapped core. From the first machine embroidery samples I was particularly attracted by the technique of stitching onto a dissolvable background

11d

So I tried out to stitch a small sample (strip) onto a sticky water-soluble background. I washed out the substance, but not completely and then wrapped it around a core to create a spiral. This proved to be a successful technique. When dry, the stitched strip retained its shape and showed off an interesting spiral.

The core around which I wanted to wrap this spiral was achieved by taking some of my threads (coming out from both ends) which were wrapped with a long piece of prefelt kept in place with some thread. I then wrapped this with turquoise wool and felted it. I further stitched unto in a spiralling movement.

11e

11f

The empbroidered spiral wrapped around it nicely and I liked the effect and the colours.

It  proved however that the wool cord was to big and to stiff to fit around the neck and wouldn't lay around it as it should.

Siân gave me some ideas at the Summer Schooland tutorial and so I gave it a play at home.

I first created some more spirals in plain white fabric in different lengths and widths by stiffening them with Powertex and wrapping them around different cores.

Here are some of the results

11g

11h:Large fabric strip

11i

 11j

11k

11l

The above samples seem to be pretty boring and I didn't really like them.

Siân had given me the idea of making a big knot with the woolen cord and I found some ideas on the internet of necklaces withg asymmetric "focal  points"

11m

11n

11o

I was very much attracted by this solution which also had the advantage that the threads coming out of the felted core would wrap around the neck and not the cord itself.

I then went on by embroidering a spiral long enough to wrap around the knot

11p

Some more playing then ended in this

11q

11r

11s

I cut back some of the felt on the left side (other side from knot), so that both sides end at the same height