Spots

I was playing around in the CAD lab with illustrator and design and repeat. I am not in love with anything that I made, but it was good practice. I like using the drawing pen in the CAD lab. I think I need to work on more motifs to then bring into design and repeat. I do want to work on a design for laser cutting. Maybe something that would be cut into felt that would be like a blanket...or something to weave into.

Neon vs. Natural

I think that I still can't get that electric orange out of my mind from the netting demo haha. I am feeling torn between bright colors and more muted natural colors. I had put some more neutral orange/brown in with the neon orange, and think that it is probably better on it's own. With the orange sample I was thinking about how a basic knit could turn into a thicker woven structure. I was thinking this could be a way to have something to sit on, or put your head on, that then turned into a blanket too. I think I would need to make more cord to weave into it, and it couldn't all be a continuous strand. The brown samples is the knit cord that I then wove together that I mentioned before. I really do like the weight and feel of that sample.

A sticky, goopy, smelly morning

So this morning I tried out the resin. Everyone had told me it was smelly, but it was smellier than I had thought it would be! I wore a mask and gloves, yet it was so goopy I still managed to get a little on me. I dunked 3 knit samples into the resin and then stretched over nails to dry. I left them outside because it was so smelly, and when I went to wash my hands they fell over into the dirt. I tried to brush them off, but it was so sticky it seemed better to leave it and try to take off the rocks and twigs later. So now I have dirty sticky knit samples, not exactly what I was going for...haha. I am hoping that they actually harden like they are supposed to! I did this before lunch, and when I check on them a little before 5 they were still sticky. I hear it does take a long time to dry though. I used 8 oz of the castin' craft and put 120 drops of the catalyst in because the container said that for a coating that is 1/8th inch thick you should use 15 drops for every oz. I am really hoping it works...even though I'll be honest working with the stuff is not my favorite. I think though, that it could be good for what I want to do if I can get it right! Anyways, I will update later when I have the results from this experiment, and I'll also post some new photos. This afternoon I did go to the CAD lab for a little while and worked on a new file using illustrator and design and repeat.

Knitting and resin

Yesturday and today I went to the knitting studio and made some knit samples. I am planning on experimenting with these samples and resin. I am picked up some resin at the Metcalf store by Castin' Craft. There website is http://eti-usa.com/ I find it a bit ironic that the website is Environmental Technology Inc. I know that the resins and epoxies can be very bad for you, and am planning on doing this outside with a mask. I think that doing this outside will be best. From what I understand I should be able to harden the samples so that they are very strong and still have the holes in the knit structure, but it is just a matter of how much catalyst I put in. The containers have recommendations but the guy at the store said it takes some experimentation. I was also told about a plastic that when you heat shrinks, and could be used to contain and strengthen a fabric, but there would be plastic coating the whole thing, even where there are holes in the fabric. This may be something to look into later though. If with the resins I can get the desired effect that I want I am going to then look into making molds. Ryan said his friend in college used resin and felt and was able to make a chair. Right now I am thinking that I want a pretty simple form that slopes for someone to lean against. I am thinking that I should be able to accomplish this, and who knows what the possibilities will be like once I get started. I am excited, although a bit apprehensive about the toxic nature of the resins. I also knit a long cord today which I then wove into a sample. I am really happy with the result, and think there are a lot of possibilities with this. I think a knit cord could also be something great to do netting with. I have also been looking into carbon fiber, but so far have only found carbon fabric. Since I want to make my own structure I am not sure if this is the right thing for me. I also like that there are more options for color with yarns and knitting, although maybe using some of the carbon fabric with knitting could be interesting. It is expensive though, so I am going to see if I can get a sample somehow.

Carpet Lounge

So as I was looking through some of the websites I found when I was originally doing research came across Felipe Zanardi's Carpet-lounge on The Home Rejuvenation Blog. It's made with MDF boards which are attached with zippers and velcro is also used. I'll admit I was a little dissapointed when I saw it because it looked like some of my sketches and ideas. The writer of the Home Rejuvenation Blog also noticed that it is similar to the flying carpet rug too. Anyways, I do think my ideas are moving away from these two carpet/lounge pieces and I do want to make something portable. I like the simplicity of this piece though and that it can be made completely flat so that it is a more traditional rug, versus the flying carpet which is in that permanent shape. I wonder how comfotable these carpet/lounge pieces are...I would love to be able to see them in person and try them out. Anyways, if you want to check out Felipe Zanardi's website go to: http://www.felipezanardi.com/

Knotted Netting

Last night the demo with Anne on netting was really fun. I enjoyed looking at the baskets that she brought in and the bait bags from the lobster traps in Maine that she collects when they wash up on the shore. I think that there are so many possibilities with the netting. I think that I am going to have to do some experiments with that. I was thinking that it could be really great as a framework for something to be woven through like the chicken wire I have been working with. I was also thinking that there would be ways to create sections that look like fringe. I played with some pink yarn, purple cord, and black gimp last night. Anne said they have some great colors of clothes line at Home Depot that would work well for netting. I think that the netting could also look really great with knitting and that it would be pretty easy to transition from one to the other if you hung the loops from the net on the knitting machine, or also went through them with your knitting needles and started adding into it. I am planning on working on the knitting machine during the later part of the week during Spring Break. I am also going to look into resins and try hardening some of my samples. I was thinking that once hardened I could also make a transition into a softer knit. I'm excited at the possibilities.

Demos

Yesturdays demos were really exciting. The thermochromic, photochromic, and conductive inks were so cool. I especially liked the inks that disappeared when they got hot, and I think the glow in the dark inks were actually very beautiful. I'm not sure how some of this stuff will fit in with what I want to do but it was fun to try out and to keep in mind for future projects as well. I am starting to work on my silkscreen design too. I'm also excited for the netting/knotting and basket weaving demos next week. I'm thinking those techniques could be really interesting for non-traditional uses. I also made a blog today for my work in general...so far I've been able to get up some of my old work but that's about it. If you want to check it out the link is:
http://beccatwood.blogspot.com/

Early sketches

Shape Studies

Here are some of the shape studies I made.

Update

I experimented a bit with Illustator to create some shapes and patterns which I then printed out and have been cutting up and folding. This is definitly giving me some ideas about potential folding forms. I've also continued to work on my chicken wire samples. Unfortunatly I'm having some trouble uploading my pictures of the shape studies and my sketches to the blog. I will definitly put them up when the problem's solved. I've also been thinking a lot about keeping the forms light and airy and I think I definitly need to look into resins, lamination, etc. I was thinking that maybe part of what I make could be hardened somehow to support the back of a person sitting, be used as a table, and also roll the rest of the textile into for transportation. I was thinking it could be a nice transition to have something flow into a blanket. I'm still thinking about the 2 sides as well being cushioney and then maybe more of a mat on one side...and maybe also a third layer that is laser cut as a light weight blanket. I feel a bit like I'm jumping all over the place as there are so many things I want to try. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow with the screen printing and all the new dyes. I'm planning on bringing in my sketches and samples so I can talk through some ideas.

Sampling samples

I finished knitting one sample that was inspired by pine cones and pine needles. I've also been working with the chicken wire and old t-shirts. I started weaving the off white t-shirt strip through a length of the chicken wire (and realized maybe I should have started out with smaller samples but oh well!). I also started another sample with the chicken wire doubled up to see how much more strength that gives it (the blue sample). I am concerned that I won't be able to get something that is supportive enough to bend into a shape that someone can lean against without a wall behind them. I will need to finish these samples to get a better idea about that. I think though that once I really build up the surface I'll be able to create some really interesting textures and patterns. I wanted to take a picture of the chicken wire samples now because I do like the shapes that are being created with the hexagonal wire and the criss-crossing cotton. I don't think that I would leave any wire like that when using the chicken wire because it is sharp but maybe if it was thin laser cut wood in hexagonal shapes that then there was weaving (and probably not t-shirts haha) it would be really beautiful. I'm also thinking coating fabrics in resin might be something to look into more.

Farm Designs

Another website I had to visit after flipping through Dwell was http://www.farmdesigns.co.uk/ Giles Miller is doing some amazing things with corrugated cardboard...including making laptob cases and furniture. Unfortunatly I couldn't pull any images off of the site, but you should check it out. He is working with a process of "fluting" which means he is alternating the angle of the corrugation in the cardboard to create different patterns and shades in the surface of the objects he is creating. Also on the same website you can find Sebastian Hejna's "rocker" which is a piece of furniture based off of a surfboard. Looks like an interesting group of designers.

Snowflake wonderland

I saw this installation by Markis Wilkar and Iikka Airas called Camouflage in this month's Dwell magazine. It was from Helsinki's Design week, and more information can be found at www.helsinkidesignweek.com. It reminds me of some of the paper cut outs that I had done last year, and has got me thinking about laser cutting again.

Floor to Heaven

I had to check out floortoheaven.com after seeing an advertisement in the magazine Selvedge: The Fabric of Your Life. I was looking in their "wellbeing issue" from January that I found in the library. On their website I found this "woolen wood." From the picture I thought it was actually wood rectangles, but I think it's actually a carpet. They have some other rugs that look like they have really interesting textures.

Abigail Ahern

These merino wool floor cushions from Abigain Ahern are pretty cool. Her website is www.atelierabigailahern.com

Pine cones

This week I was thinking about pine cones, and what it might look like if you could unroll one into a flat piece. I was thinking this could be an interesting idea for a mat. I did a few sketches and I will need to do some paper cut outs to experiment with the form. I had been playing around a bit just with a strip of paper in an accordian fold and trying to see what possibilities there was for movement with a very simple form like that. With the pine cone idea maybe I could create pieces that could detach and reattach to different areas depending on the shape desired. I also started hand knitting a sample thinking of the idea of pine cones and pine needles on the floor of a forest. I will post a picture of that soon.

Carpet Furniture

Andrea Zittel's work, found at http://www.zittel.org/, is pretty interesting. I was particularly intrigued by her A-Z Carpet Furniture which she describes on her website as "luxurious, easy to store and versatile. One room can serve several functions and the furniture can be hung on the wall when not in use." I like the idea that it can be hung on the wall when not in use. I'll have to think about this as well, and other options for what to do when not using the piece. One of my concerns with developing this is how heavy it will be and if I'll be able to make something compace enough to travel, while still having the qualities I want. I've been doing sketches and will post those when I'm home and can use a scanner.

Chicken wire and old t-shirts

Yesturday I got some chicken wire to experiment weaving different materials through. I figured I'd cut it up into some smaller pieces to do some samples with. I also was talking to my mom that suggested I take old t-shirts and try weaving that in. If you cut the bottom around the edge and tear in a circular motion you can get really long strips. I started tearing up some old big t-shirts yesturday, but unfortunatly haven't gotten a chance yet to start playing with the chicken wire. I think the t-shirts could be a good idea, and I like that they are being reused. We usually just tear them up and use them for rags when they get old. I know there are other materials that I could use, like plastic bags, that would be recycling. I'll have to see what that looks like though because I'm not sure that it is really what I'm looking for.

Knit one, pearl two

This is a picture of one of my sculptural knit pieces that I did this fall. I really enjoyed letting the knit transform into something unexpected. I was thinking that this could be an interesting place to play with lighting, as it is hanging...but the structure of it might be something that I could use as cushioning in a mat. I will have to do some more knitting with this in mind. Maybe there could be another layer that woven, laminated, and laser cut that knits poke out of. Maybe there is a knit layer for relaxing on...I like the idea of a chair that is like a big sweater.

Carla Fernandez

I got the book Fashioning Fabrics: Contemporary Textiles in Fashion by Sandy Black earlier this year and was flipping through it tonight because I thought I remembered seeing a dress in it that turned into bedding. It was Carla Fernandez's "blanket dress." Carla Fernandez is "bridging the gap between traditional Mexican communities and the world of high fashion" accoding to Zuki Turner. Her design studio is called Flora 2. I think Fernandez is very interesting because she is working towards "ethical, fair-trade solutions." She focuses on the "environment, recycling a variety of found objects from plastic tableclothis to taxi seat covers, and creating coats from blankets and sleeves from rubber tires." The pictures are of her blanket dress from 2004 which is made of hand-woven wool. Unfortunatly, I couldn't find too much about her on the web, but I'll keep my eyes open because she seems like a really interesting artist.

Nomadic Furniture

Yesturday, in an avalanche of rain, I went to the library to return a few books and do a little research. While there I found the book Nomadic Furniture 2 by James Hennessey and Victor Papanek. It's from 1974 and the pages remind me a bit of a coloring book, with hand written text. I took the book out because it has some very basic ideas that might be useful in getting started...and also because it made me laugh. I included a picture of the introduction page, because it has some interesting information on how many times people relocate from the time. I wonder what the startistics are now, I've heard that the average person moves 11 times in their lifetime. If you start counting things like moving to different locations in the same city though it really could be quite high. Maybe I'll look into that more. Anyways, on page 103 they have "Mattress Roll-ups and Fold-ups" which has very basic illustrations of a rolled up piece of foam, and another of 3 pieces of foam, covered in canvas and sewn to create hinges. It's all pretty basic but reminds me of the fold-ups we used to have as kids and would make forts out of. This might be something I could use in a new and improved way, we'll see.

Forest Roll

Tanya Aguiniga's (Aguiniga Design) created this "forest roll" which looks pretty cool. It all rolls up so that it looks like a log. She got her masters in Furniture Design at RISD a few years ago. Her website is www.aguinigadesign.com and she has some other interesting products as well. What I like most about this piece is the idea of a transformation taking place, from a log to a forest floor. I want the compact version of my textile to be interesting, and easy to carry too. I am going to start doing some drawings.

Flying Carpet

The Flying Carpet designed by Emiliana Design Studio caught my eye- I like the idea of keeping things simple and furniture that is like the ground. Sometimes though it is uncomfortable when you don't have anything to lean against, or give you a bit of cushion and this looks like it might be a good balance. There are different colors for the flying carpet, but I can't help thinking of mini golf a little bit when I see this haha. The website is www.emilianadesign.com and I really enjoyed looking at their products.

Crochet Crazy

Another find on style-files.com is this crochet chair by Marcel Wanders. It's a new application for traditional crochet. The chairs are constructed from individual hand-sewn crochet flowers that are stitched together, formed over a mould and stiffened with resin. I also checked out his website, http://www.marcelwanders.nl/, which is very fun. I especially enjoy the opening page with the golden clown nose. I'd love to see one of these chairs in real life. They look like they might have a similar feel to wicker, but in a much more interesting way. I like that they are hollow and imagine they would feel very ethereal. I love white, and I also love knitting...I really need to learn how to crochet next!

TUTI

I came across TUTI by Dominik Wimber on style-files.com and you can also check out his website www.dominikwimber.com. TUTI is a multipurpose textile that is described as not being a carpet or a chair but a flexible material that the user can move to create a piece of furniture that truly reflects their personality. I love how playful this looks! I think this is very much in line with my thinking.

Geometric Curtain

Hannah Allign's folding curtain is one of my favorite things that I came across in the last week while doing some research. She wanted to create a new system to use as a curtain, which would eliminate the massive amounts of fabric that arise when a curtain is open. By pulling the cords on this curtain it will begin to move and the triangles will fold together one by one creating geometric shapes that eventually stop in the corner. A weight unfolds the form when the cord is released to close the curtain. I haven't ever seen anything like it. Her website is http://www.allijn.nl/ and it's definitely worth checking out (I also liked her quirky application sketches). Maybe the idea of pulleys or cords that scrunch up fabric could be useful for my project in creating more volumetric areas in the fabric at times.

Folding Felt

Josh Jakus designed this "Eggflat" which is a sculptural tabletop piece that came out of experiments in bending surface along seems. It is made out of 100% industrial wool felted with nylon stitching. I found this on www.branchhome.com. I was thinking that this kind of folding may be something that could work on a larger scale. The end result I am looking for is different because of the varying functions I want, but I think I will have to look into other folding techniques for inspiration.

Getting Started!

So, this past week I've done a lot of research to get going on this project. I am excited about all of the possibilities! While I am still very much in the initial phases, I have a general idea of what I want to create. I want to design a multi-purpose textile that one would ideally be able to carry with themselves to provide different things that they may want or need. Generally I am envisioning some type of mat that would be able to roll or fold into a compact shape for carrying, but would have movable parts/structure when open to morph into what one needs at the time (blanket for a picnic, lounging chair to read, place to work...etc). I am thinking that I will take advantage of the 2 different sides of a mat, and how they could help with the different functions I want this textile to have (maybe one side is squishy and soft for relaxation, and the other is more durable for doing work). I am thinking of yoga mats, shag rugs, bedding (and how I hate desks! I like to do my work in bed if I can haha), sleeping bags, picnics, beach towels, beanbag chairs, forts I made with my sisters, eating sushi at a japanese restaurant on the floor....among other things! I'm a bit all over the place, and can't wait to start exploring materials as well as do some more research in other areas.