Laser Cut Sampling

This week I experimented with different materials on the laser cutter to see how they reacted and what effects they created. 

I used plywood to create a sculptural piece to replicate the bark of a tree, however I feel that the pieces I cut out are too sharp and spikey to present this effectively.

With the edge of the plywood burning it makes the sample look more like the bark of a tree and enhances the effect.

Other samples I created were in denim, holand linen and organza which I engraved into and simply cut through. The better samples were in the stiffer materials such as the denim because it held its shape and didn't fray as opposed to the flimsy organza. 

I collaborated the two textiles worlds I have been a part of and used the cornely and bernina machines to work into the laser cut samples to add texture to them. The ones that worked best were the ones that increased the surface of the sample such as the pin-tuck foot on the Bernina machine. The cornely was effective for creating a new texture on the samples and reflected the natural landscape such as moss.

Although I like the way the thread shows on the pin-tuck sample, I feel the sample would be enhanced further if I used a thread that was the same colour as the fabric in order to create a raised surface that looked seamless. The cornely stitch also reminded me of the rings of a tree although the sample replicated the moon shape through its cycle.