Currently I am working on my wallpaper designs which incorporate embroidery and fabric into the pattern. My aim is to produce a tactile and visually exciting wall covering that has the ability to alter the space it is in.
I will layer sections of embroidered paper over each other and use decoupage to make the design 3D. I may also hang sections away from the wall to create movement and manipulate the space.
I am using coloured cotton in a painterly way to develop the colour and pattern, the sewing machine naturally creates perforated edges in the wallpaper, making it quite easy to separate different sections.
I like using the sewing machine in this way as, although I am creating texture and pattern, it is also quite a destructive method of working, tearing the paper and leaving strands of thread hanging from each peice. Because of the constant piercing of the paper by the needle, it becomes weaker and more delicate. I like this as it means the embroidery will slowly unravel over time as the paper is not strong enough to hold together. This is the basis of my decorative work; the idea that ultimately, nothing in the world lasts whether it be decoration, nature, industry, people, stars or the planet. Everything is in a temporary, transcient state.
Other ideas and techniques i will experiment with are embroidering onto dissolvable material. Once the embroidery is complete, the material can be dissolved and leave the embroidered pattern on its own. The whole process of this links strongly to my works thesis as it is about deterioration.
Pouncing is another technique I would like to experiment with. This is piercing holes into paper to create an image or pattern. This is then placed on a surface and chalk or powdered graphite then dabbed over the holes, leaving a ghost of the image on the surface. I would like to try this using my sewing machine to create the holes.
