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An Exploration of Stitch

Week 6 – Couching & Patchwork Experiments

In this weeks class, we were introduced to couching and patchwork techniques following the submission of our formative assessments. Here are a few of my samples showing my exploration of these techniques.

Couching Stitch Technique

Couching is a technique in which the embroidery thread is laid on top of the base fabric and is fastened down using another piece of thread (often with contrasting weight, texture or colour). These stitches usually appear in small regular intervals.

To first understand this technique I decided to experiment with creating random patterns which I thought were similar to the appearance of topographical maps, in which lines form around one another to indicate areas of elevation of a landscape.

Sample exploring couching stitches

Below is an image which I digitally manipulated on the iPad app Procreate to visualise how this sample could potentially develop. I think it would be interesting to include more elements from maps, such as writing, arrows, and other symbols to further show how this imaginary landscape may appear from topographic perspective. Additionally, I could combine other stitches such as french knots, seed stitch, feather stitch or fly stitch.

Digitally manipulated image to show how this sample could develop

From creating this sample, I am now thinking of using this idea of embroidered maps as a starting point for my personal project. I thought that it would be interesting to explore imaginary landscapes further through researching how different artists convey a sense of place and narrative in their work.

Scanned image of old map used as inspiration

Other Types of Couching

My sample exploring different ways of couching

Artist Research

Anne Biss

Anne Biss
Walking Holiday – In Your Dreams (detail)

After creating my sample, I came across the work of Anne Biss who has created this imaginary embroidered map stitched onto silk fabric by hand. According to her website, she has used a combination split stitch, french knots, back stitch and running stitch. Biss’s work explores narrative from a geographical standpoint, exploring the significance of journeys in the context of a map.

I would like to further expand upon these ideas, perhaps considering how the different materials I am stitching onto can communicate a sense of narrative, and how they may be significant to the places & stories I am portraying.

Lisa Smirnova

Embroidered Maps on Behance
Lisa Smirnova, Embroidered Maps, 2018

Lisa Smirnova is a Russian artist and embroiderer. I came across this particular piece belonging to a series called ‘embroidered maps‘ and was captivated by the illustrative and painterly marks that she manages to achieve through stitch. The embroideries have a really playful and pictorial quality to them, combining mark-marking with interesting words and characters. These embroideries were inspired by fictional landscapes, illustrating scenes from non existent worlds.

Tilleke Schwarz

Tilleke Schwarz Textile Artist – Welcome to the real world ...
Sample by Tilleke Schwarz
Über embroiderer : : Tilleke Schwarz
Sample by Tilleke Schwarz

Tilleke Schwarz’s is a textile artist who similarly to Smirnova, explores embroidery in an unconventional sense, creating map-like samples representing her stream of conciousness. Schwarz’s embroidered art works are the antithesis of traditional embroidery samplers, contrasting their orderly motifs and lettering with layered hand stitched words, patterns, phrases and marks. The result is a post-modern narrative, exploring the chaotic nature of one’s own thoughts and the events that occur in our daily routines. On Schwarz’s website she explains that her favourite methods of stitch are couching, appliqué and cross stitch. In some cases, Schwarz’s uses couching techniques to stitch down large clusters of threads, creating a unique texture as illustrated in the image below.

Tilleke Schwarz: For the love of threads - TextileArtist.org
Skip Intro 2013, detail

The “stream of consciousness” and abstract nature of these compositions remind me of the work of Lorina Bulwer – an outsider artist whose embroideries I have briefly explored in this blogpost. Both Schwarz and Bulwer beautifully convey a sense of rawness in their work, through using embroidery in a documentary way.

I like how Schwarz included imagery related to consumerism amongst the seemingly nonsensical marks and patterns, illustrating how our modern lives are continuously bombarded with advertisements and messages to consume more. In relation to my project, this artist has explored narrative in a non-linear way, which has resulted in a map of the artists mental as well as physical environments.

Patchwork Sample

This sample shows my first exploration of patchwork in which I used a combination of naturally dyed linen and calico fabrics to create a simple pattern.  I have tried to achieve a sense of narrative and place this sample without images through the use of my own natural dyes and reclaimed fabrics significant to the places that I am portraying. I am still understanding this technique and would like to further explore how I can combine patchwork with stitch to give more visual interest to the sample.

Patchwork sample using naturally dyed fabrics

The image below is a digital repetition of the sample above which is what it could look like if it was further developed.

Potential development of quilt

References:

  1. 2013, Anne Biss interview: Straightforward stitching, Textile Artist, https://www.textileartist.org/anne-biss-interview-straightforward-stitching
  2. Anne Biss Introduction, http://www.annebiss.co.uk/
  3. Smirnova, L., 2018. Embroidered Maps, https://www.behance.net/gallery/62579257/Embroidered-Maps
  4. Schwarz, T., 2007. Mark Making
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