Repeat print

 I have created a repeat print with the Photographic screen print of Helen's shoes. I used guide lines to register the prints.

Japanese Furoshiki

When giving a gift to celebrate major rites of passage the Japanese traditionally use square pieces of cloth known as furoshiki or fukusa (crepe wrappers). The gift is wrapped in a furoshiki of a suitable design for the purpose. There are different styles and techniques of wrapping and knotting the cloth. I used a book by Chizuko Morita of contemporary designs to  try out wrapping books with my printed cloth.

A simple wrapped paperback book

I like the way that the shoe design looks a bit like japanese characters when it is folded for wrapping.

  Rectangular wrap with carrying handle

Simple flower wrap using fine silk fabric

Two book wrapped with carry handle 

Using my machine made Labels

A label for Sarah's cushion

Small pin cushion with labels

Back of the pin cushion

using labels in textile work

http://www.lifeiscarbon.com/weblog/2008/05/intriguing-swed.html

screen prints, cushions and labels

I created a photographic stencil and printed my shoe design on plain and dyed fabrics

I used the printed fabric and stitched portrait to make a small cushion in an attempt to create a more tactile and completed piece.

I am interested in the idea of labels that are given to women and here I have used the computerised Benina sewing machine to write out labels for my friend Sarah. I have deliberately left the threads which join each statement together. I really like the bicycle pattern and I have added it to the words.

Here I have added words to a piece of printed fabric and I think that this is a good development of my work as it starts to layer up techniques and ideas within one piece.

Using the reference below I experimented with making labels and these are my most successful designs. I used a an eyelet machine and created the ribbon using the Bernina bicycle pattern again.

Ideas for fabric labels