24.8.13

Colour

Today using photoshop I picked out a few of the colours from one of my photographs of the make up wipes. I think these colours would be nice to use in small proportions. I will do some more colour work in my sketchbook using paint to try and come up with a colour palette. This will make coming up with a warp idea a bit easier for myself.

Ismini Samanidou

Catharine Ellis

Woven Shibori is a technique that involves weaving a lot of loose threads across the surface of your fabric and once the fabric is taken off the loom you pull the threads and then dye the fabric, a bit like tie dye.

Lynn Setterington

Lynn Setterington taught me how to make Suffolk Puffs during a short workshop in "Unit X - College One" at the end of second year.

She has made some unconventional Suffolk Puff quilts out of plastic carrier bags.

Suffolk Puff Quilt Progress

Front:  

Back: 

Drawing

I have been doing some drawing from the Suffolk Puffs.

I want to turn my drawings into some kind of repeat print using photoshop, but as I don't have access to photoshop at home I want to make a trip into Manchester and go to the university library to use photoshop.

20.8.13

Suffolk Puffs

From the current brand of make up wipes that I am using, I can make six Suffolk puffs that are 3.5cm in radius.

Here is an image of the Suffolk Puffs made from my first two make up wipes.

Qualities of the Suffolk Puffs that can be transferred to weaving:

double thickness - double cloth

gathers - sear sucker - pleats - pulled threads - woven shibori

circles - wavy lines - different levels of tension

colour - patches of colour - dip dyed yarn - subtleties - subtle colour palette - soft colours

soft colours - soft yarn - fluffy yarn - wool - mohair - brushed cotton



19.8.13

Suffolk Puffs

I have been experimenting with size for the suffolk puffs. 

I created four suffolk puffs, first by drawing out a circle with a compass. I changed the size of the radius of the circle each time. I like to keep numbers rounded so I measured 2.5cm, 3cm, 3.5cm and 4cm. 

I have decided that I like the size of the 3.5cm radius (7cm diameter) circle the best.

Using the Wipes

I have been mind mapping in my sketchbook.

Some ideas that have arisen:

Make up as a cover

Covers - blankets - quilts - suffolk puffs (camp)

Make up is personal - each documented day is individual/personal - hand made suffolk puffs are individual

Quilting - unique outcomes each time - hand made - make up is done by hand too



I will use the make up wipes to make suffolk puffs, therefore using the make up which once covered my face, it will be able to cover something new once quilted together.


Today's make up wipe:

Make Up Diary

As I am now back in the United Kingdom, I am wearing make up again.

I want to document each day's make up somehow.

At the end of the day, I take off my make up with a make up wipe. This make up wipe holds the "evidence", they are stained with the make up that has covering my face for that day.

I am going to start a "make up" diary and photograph the make up wipes. I will date each make up wipe. Some days I will not wear make up so there will be gaps in the diary.

I will be interested to see how some days differ, will I wear more or less make up on certain days? What factors will affect this? On the days that I do not wear make up, it will probably be because I have not left the comfort of my home. Another interesting thing to consider, why don't I feel the need to wear make up at home?

Here is a photograph of yesterday's make up wipe:

Background

On 18th June 2013 I traveled half way around the world to a small town named Lewisburg in West Virginia, USA. This small town was my home for eight short (yet at the same time long) weeks, in a tent out in the mountains. I was hired this summer as a Camp Counselor at "Camp Alleghany for Girls". 

At Camp Alleghany for girls I taught Arts and Crafts to girls aged between eight and sixteen years old. This was a great learning experience for me as I have had an idea that I would like my career to venture down education. This summer has solidified those first ideas, I am now certain that I want a career working with children. I now need to decide if I would like to work in either Primary or Secondary education.. Decisions!

During Unit X for second year at university, I learnt how to make "suffolk puffs" during a workshop in "College One". I was eager to teach this to the children at camp because, not only is it a fairly basic sewing technique, but it is also something that all ages can participate in. (This was a constant struggle at camp; finding activities that suited all ages as the classes were mixed age groups)

Bringing the Suffolk Puff technique to Camp Alleghany was great for me as it meant that I could teach sewing to children who had never sewn before. It was fun teaching the other American counselors how to make Suffolk Puffs as well. I felt like I was bringing a part of British culture to America. 

At camp, everything is completely stripped back. Not only are you living in a tent, but there are rules such as "no make up" and "no hair dryers/straighteners". Another thing, (this wasn't a rule) clothes. At camp, things get wet. We were situated next to a river, and over night everything seemed to get damp if it hadn't in the day time. This was taken into consideration when finding clothes for the day. Hot and damp conditions meant that you wear "scruffy" clothes. Old Shorts and T-shirts. At first I did find it quite difficult to adjust to these rules. Wearing no make up and not being able to fix your hair the way that you want to can be a shock when you are used to doing these things every day at home. Stepping out of the shower and just letting your hair dry, your face breathe, felt alien to me. However, I did adjust eventually. 

It became apparent that I rely quite a lot on make up, clothes and hair in the "real world". Being stripped back of these things made me feel vulnerable. It got me thinking about make up in modern day society. Why do we wear it?