Leather Work and Scale

After my tutorial this week, I want to concentrate on using metallic threads on leather (front and reverse/suede) to further abstract my designs and to try out other aesthetics.

Some of the most successful samples - repeat patterns abstracted from my original drawings.

The samples that I think work better are the ones that are less literal and abstracted. The different thicknesses of leather create different outcomes when used on the multi-head machine. They have all been stitched on a relatively small scale due to the materials I sourced, however, by upscaling my designs for the multi-head and laser cutter, it will allow me to work on a larger scale and get across the context of my work more thoroughly.

For my self-initiated brief, I intend to digitally print some of my Photoshop repeat work for an interior context, then use the multi-head and laser cutter to work back into them, creating abstract compositions. 

Design Development

From my initial visual research, I have developed designs to be stitched out on the Multi-head machine with a view to abstracting some of the drawings in the process to appeal to people interested in interior markets as I feel my concept of 'Anatomy', if done literally, would not be suitable in this case.

Annemieke Mein also uses birds and insects within her embroidery, with a more muted palette than Timorous Beasties do. Her work appears slightly outdated and old-fashioned in my opinion if it was to be used within an interior space, whereas Timorous Beasties concentrate more on their colour use rather than specific details which I believe make them a greater influence for my work. 

Timorous Beasties use graphic imagery of animals and insects within interior design ideas which I find unusual but memorable compared with other designs that I've seen before. They understand that floral patterns are relatively popular within the interior markets, but they add their own stamp to it by including birds and insects with bright and unusual colours to their prints. This could influence my work because of the colours I could take from their designs as well as the idea of 'anatomy' being adaptable to interior spaces. 

I have used the colour picker tool in Photoshop to define 4 different colour palettes from Timorous Beasties' work for use in my own designs using the brushes I created. I have tried to be abstract and keep the interior market in mind when doing the digital designs by putting the brush stamps into half-drop repeat. I have created brushes using parts of my drawings that are relatively abstract, such as the arteries of the heart, eye and hand nerves and parts of the ribcage.

Ethos Machine Development

Over the Christmas break I sourced materials that I thought would be suitable and durable within a high-end car interior space - 'Engineering Embroidery'. I opted for PVC in place of leather as a cost-saving measure for initial sampling, although I now realise that I would not be able to develop a proper idea of how the actual materials would behave with the multi-head machine. I also sourced some heavy wools with a view to layering them using the laser-cutter.

After my tutorial last week I have purchased swatches of leather including different weights and colours and I have begun stitching out some of the more abstract designs onto them to see what the material does in the process. I have found that stitching out onto the leather rather than PVC enables me to gain a more accurate idea of how the client could expect the designs to look.

I have considered comlimentary colour palettes, with metallic threads to break up the block coloured threads. This will also add a freshness to a high-end car interior as this is not a usual occurrence.

I prefer the finish of the leather samples to the PVC as the fabric crinkles slightly. The designs that I've stitched onto them are also abstracted from my initial drawings, making them more commercial and easier to place within an interior space, whether that be high-end car or home interiors. I will differentiate between the two projects by the materials used rather than the designs, as I believe they are appropriate for both strands.