Mixed media textiles inspired by rebellion and the natural world
My usual layered approach, where organza layers enclose fabric scraps, and sometimes fibres. Sandwiched together with machine embroidery, to create a large leaf shape, ready for folding and sewing into a purse.
I decided on a subtle colour scheme of olive greens and browns.
The jagged machine embroidery has evolved from sketchbook work, exploring pattern potential inspired from leaves, combined with mark-making experiments. Often these patterns ‘like’ to come through in my drawings.
The details created by the machine embroidery are brought into focus when the leaves are hung in front of a window. They were made with long ribbons made from rouleau tubes, to be hung anywhere where an organic element is desirable.
These decorations were inspired by the idea of wishing trees. People tie ribbons or scraps of fabric to the branches, with their personal requests for healing or blessings, to the spirits of place residing in the sacred location. I wrote more about this subject here – https://lourdestextiles.wordpress.com/2022/11/09/ties-and-ribbons/
I plan to photograph a group of these hanging leaves in the garden soon, but it is hard to find a still enough day at the moment. However this has been great for videos! It has been pleasing to capture them moving in the breezy winter air. If you would like to see this please check out my tiktok account at https://www.tiktok.com/@lourdeslowetextiles?lang=en
Thank you for reading X
This is another leaf decoration I have made to sell on the shop I have with my eldest child, Akira in Etsy, at https://feylune.etsy.com. This time I decided to try a predominantly black version. I personally like this colour scheme, although it is probably a little on the gothic side for many people! I like exploring some of the ‘darker’ aspects of our existence sometimes and my exploration into the deterioration of leaves, of course speaks of death. I think that this leaf in the western colour of mourning, speaks of the death that exists through winter, but just like the ‘Death’ card in Tarot, it is ultimately positive as rebirth is the result!
The leaf was made using my usual process of fabric tatters enclosed in synthetic organza, decorated with machine embroidery and then melted in candle flame.
Posted in Distressed
I have been making a series of these textile leaves to sell in Etsy. The above example has plush accents from the silk velvet snippets that have been enclosed between layers of organza, along with different fibres, including angelina fibres, which add an irridescent sheen.
Machine embroidery holds it all together and finally it has been melted to create the wavy and distorted texture. Along with the purses I have been making, my goal has been to capture some of the beauty of leaves as they deteriorate through the winter. Photographing outside has helped to contextualize the design.
Densely-worked machine embroidery stitches are on a foundation of loose threads and broader-spaced stitches. The stitches are worked like darning in small areas. I really like these little irregular ‘dots’ of stitching…they feel quite hard to touch, in contrast to the openness of the rest of the textile. These areas of stitching add strength to an otherwise delicate fabric.
I am now working on a series of ribbons exploring some of the techniques and characteristics I can take from the experimental pieces I have produced in the last few weeks. These have been written about in the last few blogs.
In this piece I have combined organza scraps, loose cotton threads and jagged scribble machine embroidery. As the organza is transparent it is possible to play around with the density of the fabric tactilely and visually. By leaving areas free of fabric, the thickness can also be reduced to stitches alone.
I really like to use the contrast between worked areas and space or openness. There is a sense of fragility, precarity and careful balance. I am really fond of lace too because of it’s quality of delicacy and sensitivity.
I remember how excited I was when I discovered that it was possible to make lace from machine embroidery, using watersoluble fabric. I couldn’t believe that it was possible to actually draw using the sewing machine! It was a great moment, as the idea of making lace seemed so beyond reach…
Now it is one of my favourite things to make and I love incorporating transparent materials into it. This, combined with organic patterns and textures, creates a wild as well as well as an ethereal quality, which is also something that enthralls me.
Using loose threads in embroidery reinforces the appearance of waste being re-used as well as the celebration of materials.
I think that I am very typical of textile people generally, in that I have an almost fanatical obsession with fabrics and threads, even to the extent that the leftover scraps are exciting.
This coincides with the need I have to re-evaluate my relationship with resources and to revise my attitudes towards them, with regards to when I consider something to be disposable.
I think that the visual arts can really inspire us to cultivate an appreciation of the value of materials as we explore potential mediums for us to express ourselves.
Scribbling is my favourite way to stitch by machine as I love the informality and the spontaneity of the marks. It also conveys a lot of energy and helps to communicate that a piece has an organic quality as well as some rebellion.
This piece of fabric was in my collection of scraps and tatters and I decided it would be interesting to see how it would combine with the threads and more stitching.
I used machine embroidery with watersoluble fabric, to fill in some of the gaps in the piece made from fabric and thread scraps, as written about in the last few blogs. The machine lace works well with the loose threads, as both are delicate. However, the threads provide a contrasting structure. I look forward to experimenting with this idea further.
lourdestextiles 
Recent Comments