Ok ok, one more, maybe it'll help

My apologies, I drank a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, and now I'm on a manic streak, so enjoy one night, two posts, rather than two months, no posts.

Here's my final piece for projects. Probably the piece I am happiest with yet. Terrible, awful photos, since I just stole it back from my closed-up studio and took some quick shots. I promise once the under-shirt is done (I'm working on it now!) I'll do some better pictures with a proper model.

First, a few in-progress.

Sketching out the shape. Not actually having any classes on draping/patternmaking, I saw the people on Project Runway use tape on their mannequins in a similar way. One day I'll know how to make clothing the real way.

This one presented a challenge because it was made of a Dutch Army officer's jacket (two, in fact) and the pieces I could get from it were quite narrow--so I would tape up the manny, test the pieces, re-tape, ect.

In progress--Don't have any pictures between.

Close up on the texture and some explanation. The technique I used is based off of traditional Italian quilting and cording. I carefully hand-sewed 'channels' in the two layers of wool, and inserted a stiff cotton cord into it, to create a dimensional effect. I added the cord as I was going (each feather is a separate piece of cord)so there was no need to cut slits to get it through, and the piece is reversable, which will be important later.

Finished awful pictures:

The cording gave it good stiffness and structure--like the boning in a corset.


The back hook is a little junked up--I think I need to add a second or move it down a bit.

And now the inside-Like the bag, working with the idea of color as something hidden and personal.



All hand-done crewel embroidery. I had to work very carefully to keep it all on the surface of the inside (that is, to not penetrate through to the outside) Feather stitch and chain stitch.

phew. Okay. Next one will play some catch up to this summer. Not that I've done that much, but there's a bit.

At this point...

I'm just going to pretend that I haven't neglected this blog for as long as I have. While I'm not excusing myself, I will say working on Wireless Philadelphia when I can catch it is difficult at best.

Here, have some pants. They were my second-to last project for Advanced Fibers last Semester.

Originally, I tried to completely this character's (Teoh, 'The Thief') outfit, but this project was a great lesson in what is possible within the amount of time I'm given for an assignment. It also marked (along with the bag posted previously) a movement into pieces very specifically made for certain characters in a specific narrative. More on this later--I'm really making an effort to do more writing/drawing/thinking about video to go with these pieces.

These pants were made from 1 pair of French army pants, a white shetland wool sweater, and a lot of recycled crewel wool. The fit got a little mucked up, I pulled in a little too-much fabric, though I haven't actually tried it on a guy yet--maybe lack of hips/butt will make them sit a little bit better.

Sweater panels are joined to pant with herringbone stitch in wool. I like the integration of the knit and wool pants--I think I'm going to work with that idea agian on another character.


I also really like working embroidery into the cable patterns of the felted sweater. I'd like to push this further later.

Laid work and pieces of the cables from the sweater on the belt.

Other pieces from the Thief that didn't make it--I don't think I'll finish most of these, I ended up rushing, and I'm not happy with how they look.




Bonus picture: Multi-Corn Island, our collaborative Advanced fibers piece from the end of the year. For reference, the tallest ones are about 6 feet tall. It's wire frames covered in mylar film that's been heat-gunned. Many braincells were lost in the production of this piece.

The Flood Part 2-Bag for a Young Woman of the House of Wings

So for our second Projects Projects this semester, we had a pretty unusual opportunity. The Fleisher Art Memorial, a gallery and community center here in Philadelphia gives out a prize semi-annually to artists they feel are making a difference in our community. Each year previous, they'd been awarded a traditional-looking cast medallion. This year, they decided to try something new, and asked our Projects class to come up with an 'award' to present to the three artists being honored this year.

It was a bit of challenge for me. Originally, I planned to make a box in the shape of a cut gem, and cover the outside in rhinestones. I was immediately told to not do so, despite spending two weeks planning and diagramming out the angles and sides. It was revealed to me if I didn't change my focus, I would become a "group show" artist, which I think is a nice way of saying "gimmick artist." I suppose I understand where they are coming from, but I still genuinely love pushing "crafty-craft" way further until (I hope) it becomes "Craft" simply by nature of being sort of bizzare in it's workmanship compared to it's content/material.

Ah. But anyway, I decided to start working within a narrative that I was also using for Advanced Fibers. This post is already quite long, so I won't get into it, but basic parameters are that I 'm working with characters from a comic idea I had a few years ago. These people use only recycled materials in making their clothing, and at one point in their history, were not permitted to use colored dyes--restricting them to black, white and shades of gray--at least, visibly. I'm working with the idea of using color on the insides of garments/objects.

So I made a bag, because I couldn't really make a garment, considering there were three award recipients of different ages and genders.

Materials--one pair of French Army Boots, some piece of a Dutch Army blanket, pieces of French Army pants, old wool weaving yarn I found, old crewel yarn and linen from old embroidery kits, and black buttonhole thread.

As it was presented to Fleisher people (on a plinth) because I'm really starting to hate seeing my pieces on pedestals or mannequins.



Believe it or not, that 'split' area and the part coming up from it are the same technique for making friend ship bracelets.

I also made the cording myself, don't know what the technique is called, I've been doing it forever.

Color embroidery on the inside


Apparently my piece started a bit of a disagreement among the jury. The woman who had originally given us the opportunity saw it and really liked it, but the rest of the jury was completely confused as to how it was an 'award.' After we'd, as a class, been told not to make it specifically 'award-like.' They ended up picking pieces (which were totally beautiful, don't get me wrong, I think the people that got picked deserved it) that were the most traditional--a bowl, a set of vases, and a bronze box.

Oh well, I suppose you can't always know what people are looking for.

Drought-->Flood

In the same day I borrowed my mate Diana's camera to update, I also found my own camera, buried under a drift of army surplus from my new best friend I. Goldberg. So get ready for quite a flood of pictures. I guess I will try to break them up a little bit for readability

First, the oldest, most out-of-date pictures. I found these on my camera when I recovered it, and was so happy I managed to snag a few pictures of my robots before I handed them over to the lovely guys of the band Deadly Technologies.

These were quite a challenge--two people-sized robots that could be taken apart, and were light enough to carry around on tour for under $100. They also had be able to be open to the back, so they could be entered and performed in. I decided on a PVC frame--light weight and modular--with a "slipcover" of upholstery fabric with silver fabric over top.

The PVC frame works in progress. I ended up having to drill hole in all the PVC connector, because a four-way connector configuration did not come in 1" diameter. It is a major pain to drill PVC, and an even bigger pain when your 1" drill bit is slightly smaller than one inch.

Heads, which are made of a dollar store plastic bin and some foam balls with glitter (I will take any excuse to use some glitter) The sheer panels in the sides allow the band to put mics up to them to sing through.

Two very happy customers! Definately a fun project, even if it was difficult to do on top of my school work.

Okay! One post, one project down. Next up: My Fleisher Art Memorial award.