Run Back Chain Brick Rope

Sally is making good progress, stitching the Flotta Chair. This time, before each element, we are looking at new kinds of what essentially are the fundamental running–, chain–, rope– and back–stitches. Also, for the fills, weaving and couching in a number of ways.



So here, two mixes of a sage green and dusty, dijon yellow. Whipped and threaded backstitches for the radiuses; couched lines for the angulars. At the drawing stage, I pay a lot of attention now (in translating the original hand drawings to more 'stable' — for the overstitching) screen drawings) to a muscle memory of each form. This then is a guiding logic to the character of each stitched line and helps us navigate the array of unfamiliar options.



It also gives me a clearer idea of where to stop, in making the artwork.





So, to an extent, each chair is a sampler. On this note, we are preparing a sampler for The Idler Academy. Sally will be running an embroidery workshop; I'm making drawings, to adapt as artwork screened onto linen, for each participant. Returning again to notions of 'kit', Froebel's Gifts and Occupations, Bauhaus preliminary exercises. I like the idea of an underprinted structure that allows for some improvisation, even by the novice. Not sure yet whether this is sufficiently simple and practicable but will try.