BLOG 131

I have found time (I always can when it’s something I want to do!) to do more preparatory work on my horse pattern. I have fine-tuned the drawing which I think is better proportioned now and I have added shading with my granddaughter’s wax crayon. I think I have sufficient information now to start experimenting with fabric.

 

                                  

 

                                     Shaded pattern

 First I need a working pattern. At some stage, I am going to use freezer paper to prepare pattern shapes but it is not wide enough to cover the whole page. So I butt the edges together and add registration marks. All I have to do is make sure that these marks line up … or I can stick down the join with tape (by the Department of the bleeding obvious!!)

 

 

                                   Registration marks

 As I am not so sure how I want to create the picture at this stage, I have just traced the horse’s head so I can try different approaches with fabric.

 

 

                           Traced onto freezer paper

 I also trace the main shapes onto baking parchment. I am going to use fused fabrics so I can build up the design on the parchment and review it as I go along. When I am happy with the results, the fused horse’s head should just peel off the parchment in one go, ready to be dropped onto  whatever background I choose. I love these early days of design, the honing of technique, the fabric choices, problem solving… etc. 

 

                      Baking parchment pattern

As far as fabric is concerned, I have started to pull out ones I think might work. But do I construct it in painterly Batiks or do I do it in red/red with white/ white with red commercial fabrics? This is why I need to play.

As far as my collection of reds is concerned, they are mainly two-tone reds; none have much white on them at all. So I will try a sample with just what I have in stock first. Here goes!

 

 

                                        Pile of reds

 

                                                    Start