Blunt Needle Technique

2nd April 2O12

Today i set out to crack on with some uni work, my fiance was at work so no distractions it was the perfect oppurtunity but instead of really feeling motivated i worked at a slow pace of which i'm gutted about. I just had enough time to blog as i am still embroiderying a duck drawing.
(it doesnt help i choose to do such time consuming things!!)

Here are some of my experimental drawings of birds from my sketchbook already...

Using Oil Pastel really abstracting and focusing on the 'marks'

Breaking the boundaries of my sketchbook!

I quite like this, it's a soft approach in comparison to the harshness of the oil pastel. Really reflects on the texture of the bird.

I cut up bits of paper to try to capture the uneveness and the layers of the feathers, rather tedious but does give a slight 3d effect.

This is of a squacco heron, i just used pencil here to show the variety and different weights of line based on the feathers.


This was using the blunt needle technique, i forgot to get a photo of my original sample but after playing around with circles i used my imagination a little and made it 3d by adding in fabric instead of layering two bits of the same fabric to one another. It's really delicate and the indivdula pieces are not properly secure unfortunatly but the fragility and the delicacy of the piece represents the delicacy of the wings and feathers of the birds. When securing the circles onto the fabric it gathered the fabric up so on th back its full of little gathers, it'salso pulled some strands of threadfrom the fabric adding transparent lines (abit like devore).The circles were chosen to represent the textures of the birds feathers...

Really love the contrast with the transperancy of the sheer fabric and the pastel colour of the pink. Where the blunt needle has pierced the pink it has left white loose threads creating almost flower bud centres :)

Close up of the circles.

The reverse.

After writing about these photos it has become clear that i have had a keen interest and focus in the feathers and textures subconsciously. I know want too go onto looking into swan lake as i do love stitch and the swans are elegant and beautiful. I like the idea of using white on white and i have some really good photographs from my recent visit to Londons St James Park. I like the idea how birds wear feathers, i somehow want to represent that onto a human. The way we move and the actis similiar to that of a bird. I would like to make either accessories or garments for the body inspired by feathers linking birds with humans through the use of stitch!!!!!