design, composition & stitch: sue stone

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Design, composition & stitch: Sue StoneCommunity Stitch Challenge 2021 Workbook

Design, composition & stitch: Sue Stone

TextileArtist.org Community Stitch Challenge 2021

Design, composition & stitch: Sue StoneCommunity Stitch Challenge 2021

Sue Stone workbook

Community Stitch Challenge 2021

Exploring Design & Composition“In this workshop you will explore the principles of design and composition to make a new small work, inspired by your own personal interests.

You will choose whether to use a photographic image or your imagination as the starting point for a quick two minute sketch. If you think you can’t draw, have some fun with a ‘no fear’ two minute drawing exercise. Or try all three exercises before you decide which drawing will provide the focal point of your work. The important thing is not to overthink. This drawing will simply provide a vehicle for you to explore the design and composition of your work.

Using straightforward materials and techniques such as paper collage, raw edge appliqué and simple hand stitches this workshop will look at how line, shape, colour, texture and space can all play their part in the design process and how the focal point can be reinforced by using the Rule of Thirds.

The objective is to simplify and demystify the process that artists use to make their compositions and to use some positive limitations to enjoy the process, rather than focus on the end result.

The workshop will help you develop your understanding of the importance of balance, contrast, movement, unity and variety.”

Sue Stone



What you'll need• Fine line pen

• Notebook or sketchbook

• Paper (A4 / US letter size)

• Selection of coloured and patterned paper for collage Such as old magazines or envelopes

• Glue stick

• Paper-cutting scissors

• Ruler

• Tissue paper

• A Frixion pen Or a soluble/erasable fabric pen, to transfer your drawing

• Plain paper, tracing paper Or freezer paper for appliqué templates

• Needles

• Pins

• Embroidery scissors and dressmaker’s scissors

• Base fabric, approximately 40cm x 30cm / 16" x 12" in size Your design will be around 30cm x 20cm / 12" x 8", in landscape or portrait orientation, with an additional 5 cm / 2" border around the outside. This fabric will be covered and you won’t see it. Use something easy to stitch through, such as a coarsely woven linen or cotton fabric, recycled clothing fabric/household linen, net or felt.

• Threads, in three to five different colours Choose from what you have to hand, in colours that work with your fabrics. Try to choose one dark thread. Threads might be stranded or twisted embroidery cotton, linen or silk thread, machine cotton thread, or wool yarn.

Sue Stone workbook




• Fabric for appliqué Three or four types in colours that work well together. Plain fabric is good, but you could include one patterned fabric. These can be natural fibres such as cotton, linen, silk or wool, or synthetic fabrics. Use fabrics that don’t fray too much and are easy to sew through. Test that the needle can pass easily through three layers of your chosen fabrics. Your fabrics could be upcycled bedding, clothing fabrics (blouse or dress weight linen is particularly good), hand dyed fabrics, eco prints, sari silk offcuts, pieces of organza, old tea towels or pillowcases.

• Embroidery hoop, to fit your base fabric (optional)

• Paint to add colour to appliqué fabrics (optional) Try fabric paint, watercolours, ink pencils or watercolour pencils. Caution: If paint is too thickly applied it will be hard to stitch through.

• Coloured pens or pencils (optional)

• Masking tape (optional)

• Light box (optional)

Sue Stone workbook




The creative stitch exercise

Step one

Research your composition: Study your favourite artists’ compositions or find a photographic image with a composition that inspires you.

Decide if you want to work in landscape or portrait. Your design area will be approximately 30cm x 20cm / 12" x 8".

For a successful composition, it’s good to control the movement of the viewer’s eye around the piece by including a focal point, a structure, and some balance.

Reinforce the focal point positioning using the rule of thirds. First, split the design area into thirds both horizontally and vertically, then offset your focal point subject by placing it on the intersection of the lines to the left or to the right.

Declutter the background to draw attention to your subject, by reducing each area to a simple shape or block of colour.

Evaluate the balance between positive and negative space, stitched and unstitched areas, and plain and patterned areas. A balance that is almost, but not quite, equal and symmetrical will give a little tension (a good thing) and a more exciting result.

Make design notes and small sketches of simple shape options for the background of your piece.

Sue Stone workbook




Sue Stone workbook


Step two

Make sketches: Make a quick sketch of your chosen subject, to use as your focal point. Draw for a maximum of two minutes (set a timer) using a fine line pen, so you can’t rub it out! Explore subjects such as animals, plants, or people’s faces. Or draw cups, vases or other objects, or perhaps simple buildings like sheds or beach huts.

Try making a few of these quick sketches, then choose your favourite.

Choose one or all of these options for sketching:

• A character from your imagination

• A sketch based on a photographic image

• A sketch made using a ‘No Fear’ Drawing exercise. Study the image for two minutes, then turn it face down. Set your timer for two minutes and draw the image from memory, with your eyes closed.



Sue Stone workbook


Step three

Make a paper collage: Make a copy of your subject drawing onto tracing paper, tissue paper or freezer paper, and cut it out. This will be used as a design tool, along with your research notes, to help you make a collaged background.

The rule of thirds will help guide your composition. Divide a sheet of plain paper into thirds both horizontally and vertically, using a ruler and pen. Use this grid to plan your focal point location. Move the traced cut-out image over the grid, and decide on its final position.

Draw some background structural elements onto the grid. Keep it simple, but try contrasting the background shapes with your focal point. For example, if a face is your image focal point, try a background of geometric shapes. Or if you are creating a beach hut focal point, try an organic-shaped background.

Cut out the background shapes, to use as templates for your coloured paper collage.



Sue Stone workbook


Step four

Select threads and appliqué fabrics: From your selection of appliqué fabrics, choose a few to use for your composition, in colours that work well together. Consider the textures of the fabric. Do you want matt or shiny, smooth or rough surfaces, or a mixture of textures?

Choose three to five different threads to compliment your fabrics. These can be adjusted as you work, and you can mix the colours in the needle to give extra tones. Stranded threads are particularly good as you can use one strand to give a fine mark and up to six strands to give a bolder mark.



Sue Stone workbook


Step five

Make appliqué templates: Pin on the background shape templates you made for the paper collage and cut out your appliqué fabric pieces. An alternative option is to trace the background shapes onto freezer paper (shiny side down), iron them onto the appliqué fabric, then cut out the shapes and peel off the freezer paper.

Pin the appliqué fabric pieces in place onto your base fabric.

Tack them down with a long running stitch, which can easily be removed later.



Sue Stone workbook


Step six

Transfer your subject image: Method 1: Tissue transfer

• Trace the drawing of your subject onto tissue paper.

• Pin this tissue drawing onto your layered fabric background.

• Hold it in place using long running stitches.

• Choose a thread colour and back stitch along the lines of your drawing through the tissue paper and all of the layers of background fabric, to create a line drawing.

• Gently ease the tissue away from each side of the stitched line.

Method 2: Direct transfer onto fabric

• Trace your drawing directly onto your fabric with a Frixion pen, using a light box. Or draw freehand directly onto the fabric using a Frixion or similar erasable pen.

• Back stitch along the lines of your drawing.



Sue Stone workbook


Step seven

Hand stitch embellishment: Use your favourite stitches to add simple stitching to bring the surface to life, adding texture, colour and variation to the composition.

Stitch right over the edges of the appliqué fabrics and into the background fabric, to prevent fraying. Or stitch a little further away from the edge to embrace a frayed look.

Try selecting an area to fill with texture or pattern using stitch.



Sue Stone workbook


Step eight

Finish the edges: Trim the excess background fabric to around 2.5 cm / ½" all the way round your work, then turn the edges under and slip stitch them on the back to secure. Stitch the sides first, then tuck in the corners and stitch the top and bottom to neaten them.

Or, if you have left a border around the work, you could stretch your work onto stretcher bars or over a ready-made canvas.



Possible approaches

Pierrot: Exploring geometric shapes, flowing curves and blocks of colour

This work is created with applied upcycled linen and cotton clothing, and linen curtain fabric. It uses back stitch, running stitch and straight stitch, and was inspired by a photo of a woman in a fancy dress outfit.

Sue Stone workbook




Conversation: Exploring line, texture and interaction

This work features applied upcycled silk noil, with two tones of natural linen clothing fabrics, and red cotton fabrics. It uses running stitch and back stitch in black, natural and red cotton and linen threads, and was inspired by a painting by Ben Nicholson.

Sue Stone workbook




Egyptian Cat: Exploring the painted surface and repeated pattern

This work uses applied upcycled linen clothing and upholstery fabrics with acrylic gouache. It is stitched with cotton and linen threads in straight stitch, back stitch, running stitch, and blanket stitch, and was inspired by a greetings card showing an Egyptian cat drawn by Jane Ormes.

Sue Stone workbook




Flapper: Exploring fabric textures, geometric repeats and stitched pattern

This work is made with applied upcycled linen and cotton clothing fabrics, layered over upcycled curtain fabric. It uses back stitch and running stitch with cotton and linen threads, and was inspired by a 1920s fashion plate from Vogue magazine.

Sue Stone workbook




Notes

Sue Stone workbook




Notes

Sue Stone workbook


© 2021 TextileArtist.org. All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution of this workbook without written permission is prohibited. Icons created by Vectors Point & Ben Davis from Noun Project.

design, composition & stitch: sue stone

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