Marbling Experimentation!

Hello :)

My marbling kit came in last week (I had to order it online), so I decided to experiment with it a little bit on paper. I used some old sketchbook paper for this first experimentation, but soon I'll be trying it out on different mediums, including different types of paper and fabric (cotton). This first experimentation was mostly focused on learning how to use the marbling kit and seeing how the dyes worked.

I followed Nikki's instructions to use the marbling kit, while also reading what came with the package. The dye can be difficult to work with, so one must create a sort of system for using it. You need to attain a tub that's a bit larger than the object to be marbled and put some water in it (somewhere around 1-2 inches deep). After this, you can usually put the dyes on the water and swirl it around a little bit, but this makes it difficult if the dye drops down to the bottom of the water since the object won't pick up this dye. The kit comes with some "float paper" which is basically a bunch of little circles of cardboard-like material that will float on the surface of the water. You can then pour the dye on these to make it easier to control the flow and movement of the colors. You can also use a brush (as Nikki suggests) to sort of paint on the water to get the dye on the surface. The brush is also useful for creating the pattern, but you can also blow on the water to move more of the colors more subtly. Once the desired pattern is obtained, the object is then gently laid on top of the water to soak up the colors (but this object should not go beneath the surface of the water, as I learned the hard way). After this, the material can be set to dry and you're done, unless you want to create other effects, which I will discuss later.

During my experimentation, I used colors that I didn't plan on using for my final product (green, orange and yellow). Unfortunately, I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to and those that I have doon't have the best quality, but at least this was just an experiment for now. Below are two examples of how the colors look when submerged on the water.

In the first photo, you can kind of see how some of the dye dropped down to the bottm. In the second, I used the float paper to get the colors on the top. Below are a few marbled materials.

There's some white space in these since I didn't fully cover the paper in the dye, and also some "smudginess" that resulted from either dropping the paper in too deep or touching the paper before it dried. I started to figure it out more in this last example shown here, although this one is a little boring since I didn't stir around the colors. I had another example that turned out pretty cool, however it turned into a sort of brownish color since I accidentally dropped it in the water too deep and the colors mixed. I'm planning on working with this soon again and trying this out on some fabric as well. I'll discuss the other cool techniques that can be done with this in my next post before this one gets too long.

Thanks for reading, and apologies for the poor picture quality again.

Larissa :)

Gameplan

Greetings!

As I briefly mentioned in my inroduction, I plan on creating some garments of my own to get a look at the clothing construction and design process. Here I will outline my plans for each of the garments I intend on making. First, I want to mention that for this project, I am more concerned with the designing of the textiles and pattern creation than I am with the designing of the garments and the clothing construction. The reason for this is that I am completely unfamiliar with patternmaking and textiles, and because of my internship with Nikki (who has experience in these types of things), I want to expand my knowledge on these subjects as much as possible.

As for the graments, one piece that I plan on making is a basic "skater skirt" using the fabric that I will have printed with my photograph. The patterning process can be pretty difficult, so this may take up some time. As for another piece, I want to make a "hobo bag" using fabric that I will color with a marbling kit. Marbling is a technique used on many mediums for many different purposes; it can be used on paper and fabric and is often seen on wallpaper designs. It's also possible to create images or patterns with this technique. Below are a few images of marbling (courtesy of Google Images).

As for the last garment, I plan on making a simple scarf and batiking it to make its pattern/print. Batiking is hard to describe, but it's a process where cracks and spots can be created on an art piece. I've only seen it on paintings and didn't even know it could be done on fabric, so I'm excited to get to try this. For this technique, hot wax is used on the surface and then painted or dyed over. The wax is then taken off the surface, showing the patterns created and displaying the the cracks that can be seen. I am a tad concerned with doing this process since it can sometimes get complicated with the colors, so I am working on a backup plan in case this doesnt work out. Below are some examples of batik (again, courtesy of Google Images. I'm sure I can get some pictures of Nikki's paintings soon to give some better examples).

Larissa :)

Welcome back

Hello once again

I apologize for this late post to the blog. Last week was a little hectic as I was sick once again, had some technical difficulties and had received some really awesome news that made me go a little crazy, but I'm back and am happy to update.

While I unfortunately do not have much to share on my own handmade product progress (patterning is quite tedious, especially for those perfectionists out there), I do have a little to update about the latest CAbi show and the "homework" I have been assigned. This last show was interesting because I noticed that the women were very concerned about their body types and how they could find the right clothing to suit them. Once again I heard women speak about their heights, but the girls also discussed their "curvy" and "straight" bodies, which is a common concern for women these days. It was interesting to see how the clothing fit both of these body types; some things were easily able to flatter both types of figures, while others seemed like they were specifically made for one body type. Another interesting thing is that the women seemed to blame their own bodies for the trouble they had with the clothes, something that women commonly do when they go shopping. This accentuated one of the major problems of manufactured clothing, as it often seems like it is made to fit a mannequin, not a natural woman's body.

As for my assignment, Kris has asked me to some up with some information for her. I first have to find some styling techniques for her to use at the shows, and next have to find a few "wardrobe solution ideas." These are things that can help add to a person's wardrobe, personalize a wardrobe or just make more outfit possibilities. I also have to find her a few resources for her to look into, including fashion blogs, books, shows and anything else that can help her keep track of certain trends and ideas. I will be sure to post this once I find all of this information.

I will be back soon to update on my individual research. Please enjoy these two pictures from the show, one of the clothing display and the other of the incredibly adorable dog (named Gizmo) who was at the show.

Larissa :)