phoenixbloomfieldlife

[phoenixbloomfieldlife]

More Bed Runner Images

[phoenixbloomfieldlife]

Bed Runner Complete

After 3 weeks I was able to finish my bed runner to a very high standard which I am very pleased with, I did face and overcome challenges along the way that I felt made my work better as it shows I can work well under pressure, and know how to keep control. The whole of my bed run her has a lot of different techniques such as appliqué, patchwork, beading, quilting, typography, and more. I found that using all of these skills together really made my work powerful and stand out, I really am proud of myself to get this done in the time scale and for it to look pretty much perfect. Linking back to my time plan I got a little too ahead of myself, as I took lots of time up from creating the waves, I would’ve also been done earlier if my work didn’t have the perfume spill at the end.

I feel my work is very strong towards awareness as I have included elements on the front and back on what’s happening with our oceans and the damage we are doing and soon it will be too late to resolve these issues. I didn’t want to include ways that we could resole these problems as I didn’t want people to then brush it off and think it will eventually change. So instead I kept it bold and clear. I would say my bed runner is aimed at activists to do with changing the ocean and changing it back to it’s original state.

If I had more time and I could develop my work further I would add hand embroidery outlines of things like turtles and fish, on the plain white fabric on the back of the bed runner. But if I was to change something about my bed runner I would aline both pieces of the fabric better so when I added the binding parts wouldn’t be a facing.

Looking at the way I photographed my work it turned out really well as I used different angles and close-up shots. I photographed my work on a bed as this is where it would be for a decorative purpose, but I also wanted to experiment by hanging it on a wooden ladder for again different angles. I did also photoshop my images to enhance the colours to make it stand out even more.

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Quilting, Binding, and Beading

I had to think of ways to quilt my bed runner as it’s simply to hold the three layers together but it’s done decoratively my original ideas was to quilt around objects like the turtles and coral, sewing in the ditch and on the white border. But since I faced the problem with the perfume and I had to appliqué things over the top I felt it wouldn’t look right ton sew straight lines on the white border. I did try to hand embroider around the turtles but as the bed runner was so heavy it was hard to do so, it also didn’t look even and nice on the back doing either a back stitch or a running stitch. So I did quilt in the ditch but I did it a little over because if I messed up it would be really visible so I tried to make it easier for myself. I stuck the three layers together by spray glue to hold it instead of tacking it and then I attached safety pins to keep it secure. I found this really challenging to do as I couldn’t see where I was placing the fabric to keep it inline with the fabric underneath.

I wanted to add texture to the bed runner, to do this I added beads, I felt it would look really creative if I added beaded bubbles above each painted fish on the front to make it seem more realistic, as the painted fish was the most realistic looking, I chose clear type beads as I didn’t feel blue would show up. I then wanted to add more beads on the middle printed section to add texture there too so I added peal type beads and green beads as I felt these would contrast on the blue best.

Reflecting back to my final design board aI had plastic around the turtles neck, so to do this I cut strips of fabric and heat bonded the plastic to the turtles neck , I Alsop added plastic netting around the cluster of fish to represent overfishing, I used two different colours of netting as it stood out better on the blue background.

I added the binding to the front of the quilt before I attached the wadding, I realised I actually did this wrong and I was supposed to add the binding once I sewed the three layers together so this meant the binding was really wobbly, I could’ve chose to do a facing instead but the amount of the green border showing o the back would vary from being really wide to really small. So I would rather it be more wobbly on the front as its’s white all on the front and it’s less noticeable. So if I could improve my work it would be to re-do the binding and adding some hand embroidery to the back but it wouldn’t go through the three layers. But I couldn’t do this as I didn’t have enough time, as well as I feel it still works all together and it’s to a high level.

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Fabric and Media supply

I was really lucky to be able to attend college and get fabrics from college as well as dyeing my own fabric to fit with both sides of coral, but some fabrics from college wouldn’t be long enough or have enough patterns, so I was lucky to get some of my fabrics from my nan as she has a large collection of different sizes, colours, and patterns. If college was closed I wouldn’t be able to make my silk screen print so I would have to think of an alternative, as well as not being able to get a hold of printing inks and sea shells. I was able to sew together things from home as well as being at college.

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Overcoming Challenges

On the end of the day of day 9 I returned Holme to find out my perfume leaked in my bag and the colour from the orange post-it notes spread onto my work, not only that it made the smudge marks on the back of the bed runner look worse. So I couldn’t just leave it as I hadn’t finished the bed runner so I had to think quick and my thoughts was either to take off the white border and start again and leave the back smudged, or to leave it, or to add more appliqué to cover up smudges by adding more coral and fish.

I was absolutely gutted when I ran into this problem as I was so close to finishing my work, but I was pleased that I had an idea in mind that could turn out really cool or awful, but it was stressful as I knew I was running out of time. For the front bottom stains I wanted to add more coral, I luckily had lots of bright coloured fabric to cut out from as I couldn’t dye any fabric from home. I also used coloured/patterned fabric for the fish to cover the smudges on the back as again it would take more time to paint new ones, I wanted more plain fish to link to the plain fish on the screen print. I did think about putting coral on the top too but I felt it would look odd, so instead I used acrylic paint to paint more jellyfish that would then cover the large stains on the front and add fish to feel the gaps.

When I finished the front and back appliqué by only pinning it did turn out really cool and better than I thought, reflecting back on it I felt it happened for a good reason as I feel the white border isn’t as harsh and it all blends out. I also added a green border to make them the same size as I didn’t have enough white fabric but again it brings out the green fish from the screen print which I really like. I really like the appliqué on the back as it has more flow and adds more details and doesn’t make it as blocky.

My next steps is to complete the quilting and to sew the quilt together by the binding.

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FMP Day 9

For my last day in college to work on my bed runner I wanted to add typography on the back, but practising on samples first. Typography wasn’t on my original final design however I wanted to carry more of my awareness to the back of the bed runner, this is why I researched the statistics. I originally visioned the words over the screen print, however I didn’t want it to cover my art work as well as I might have not had enough space, so instead I put it on the white spaces next to the screen print. For the words “turtles” and “oceans” I wasn’t going to use such big letters as they came out patchy however the middle sized letters didn’t have some of the letters that I needed. But looking at it now it was a good decision as it works well with the scale of my bed runner, painting in the letters didn’t take as long as I expected too. I chose black for these letters as I felt it was the boldest colour to use as it wouldn’t clash or blend with any colour that I already have used.

I also had to add the smaller letters to add the statistics, I painted these pale blue to link with the blue on the front as well as the colour of the ocean which is my theme. I did want these letters to be straight, but during the process of printing I put one too high , but again I can get over this issue as it looks quite wavy and not perfect like the ocean isn’t perfect. In the end it turned out really good and strong towards my awareness. I did however get some small smudge marks on my work which I then tried to paint over with white ink but it was a different colour white so it looked a bit off. But to finish it off I heat pressed the words when dried.

I wanted to sew on a white border to the front of the bed runner to make it larger and fit better which I felt worked well, I also started to add on the binding to the front of the bed runner, this would then sew all three layers of my quilt together. (Please ignore stains on work will be explained in next post)

For my last day in college to work on my bed runner I wanted to add typography on the back, but practising on samples first. Typography wasn’t on my original final design however I wanted to carry more of my awareness to the back of the bed runner, this is why I researched the statistics. I originally visioned the words over the screen print, however I didn’t want it to cover my art work as well as I might have not had enough space, so instead I put it on the white spaces next to the screen print. For the words “turtles” and “oceans” I wasn’t going to use such big letters as they came out patchy however the middle sized letters didn’t have some of the letters that I needed. But looking at it now it was a good decision as it works well with the scale of my bed runner, painting in the letters didn’t take as long as I expected too. I chose black for these letters as I felt it was the boldest colour to use as it wouldn’t clash or blend with any colour that I already have used.

I also had to add the smaller letters to add the statistics, I painted these pale blue to link with the blue on the front as well as the colour of the ocean which is my theme. I did want these letters to be straight, but during the process of printing I put one too high , but again I can get over this issue as it looks quite wavy and not perfect like the ocean isn’t perfect. In the end it turned out really good and strong towards my awareness. I did however get some small smudge marks on my work which I then tried to paint over with white ink but it was a different colour white so it looked a bit off. But to finish it off I heat pressed the words when dried.

I wanted to sew on a white border to the front of the bed runner to make it larger and fit better which I felt worked well, I also started to add on the binding to the front of the bed runner, this would then sew all three layers of my quilt together. (Please ignore stains on work will be explained in next post)

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Typography Samples

I wanted to include statistics on the back of my bed runner somehow to make the awareness still flow to the back of the quilt. I was going to make a laser cut which I would then be able to screen print, but I ran out of time so instead I resorted to typography which was different styles and sizes of letters which I could then use printing ink and print onto my bed runner. But before I started I had to make sure I had the write letters to write out what I wanted.

From my images that I have put in you can see how I have used black and blue in k as I thought black would be best for the largest word, and pale blue for the smaller words to link to the colour of the ocean which is my theme. I wanted to use the middle sized letters for the big words however it didn’t have one of the letters that I needed in both words, so I had to size up. I found that the larger letters didn’t print as well and left it looking quite patchy, so for me to use these on my bed runner I would have to paint in the patchy gaps.

Overall I’m still happy that I can use typography as it’s a lot neater than my handwriting on words instead.

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FMP Day 8

On my week 3 day 2 on the making of my bed runner my aim was to make the open silk screen print for the back, as well as sewing the whole back together by using my shell print fabric.

I didn’t really have a design for my silk screen print other than I wanted coral, but I wanted to switch it up a bit more from the front of my quilt so I wanted to add jellyfish as I practised jelly fish drawings before I wanted to paint with dyes. I knew that the outcome would be different from my drawings as the dye would spread, and I wouldn’t be able to get as many different colours. I compared my two different samplings of my screen prints and I felt that the white background would fit better with my whole design for the back of the quilt, I did face a problem that there wasn’t much dyes left to use so I couldn’t be as experimental with the colours as I was limited so I would mix water with the dye to get different shades of the colour that I picked up. Overall the final look of the screen print turned out really elegant, and the jellyfish turned out better than expected.

On the same day I was able to start to sew together the back of my quilt I did struggle with this as I wanted the screen print to be in the centre of the back, so it involved lots of measuring, I also wanted to include strips of my shell fabric to still tie in with the front. I was able to finish the back, but I still need to add a white border on the length to make it the same width as the front. I do feel that the back of the bed runner does look really good as I didn’t want tit to be too much and take away from the front. (Ignore typography on the back)

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FMP Photoshoot Plan

Reflecting back on my quilt photography I wanted to plan out how I’m going to present my work.

I want to have it taken in natural light with no flash as I feel it makes my work look poorer and not as bright. I want to be experimental with where my bed runner is placed, so to do this I want to have it in its original place on a bed, as well as different angles. I would preferably want white bed covers so my work pops. I feel using props such as a wooden ladder, chest, or chair would be really effective with a white background so again my work stands out and it’s from a different perspective of my bed runner laying on an object. I would also like to get a straight on view but this will be hard to do as my work is very long and thin, so I would need to either hang it up on a wall or washing line.

I feel my ideas for photographs are really effective and I will be able to compare best and worst, but I could push these further by editing my work in a different room (if I couldn’t get white bed sheets) and put my bed runner in a different set up.

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Quilt Photography

I researched into different ways to photograph quilts to give me inspiration on how I will photograph my work in different lighting, props, location, and help. I’m really drawn to taking photographs of where it actually belongs, so for my bed runner it would be on a bd. But I also want to be experimental by using probs like draping it over a ladder or chair or hanging it over a tree. I would also want to play with angles so from shooting down looking up or to the side. I would like to get a straight view of the whole piece together, but as my work is so long I feel I will struggle to do this as I won’t be able to get a high enough angle, so I may need to hang it on a wall or washing line. I’ve read that the best photography is in natural daylight with no flash and preferably outside with a professional camera to get the best colours, details, and focus.

From looking at other quilts it has also given me inspiration on how I want to quilt my bed runner as it’s only to hold the three layers together and I want to quilt around certain sea life like the fish and turtles. I may also quilt along the white border by sewing straight lines, or wavey lines, if not then it will be in the ditch of the borders and possibly the waves.

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FMP Day 7

I set myself the target of sewing both sides of my quilt together and creating the block divide in the centre of my quilt. I was able to reach this target by sewing together the sea shell print with other blue fabrics which I would then attach on, my original plan was that I would cut both halves in a weird way, but I didn’t want to do this as I didn’t want to make the bed runner shorter, or cutting off any details, as well as making it more complicated for myself. So instead I would cut blue squares out to make the illusion of a diagonal line but I would end up sewing a straight seam.

I did face challenges when sewing the blocks together as I cut these to 2 and a half inch squares which would leave them 2 inches as I would sew a 1/4 inch seam, and I forgot about how much shorter it would make the width when the seam was sewn. So it was time consuming to sew more rows when I thought I had finished. I also messed up throughout the way of sewing the block rows together as I wanted to create a straight diagonal line, but I sewed one the wrong way round so it made a wave effect, however I preferred this mistakes as I felt it fitted better with the actual waves, so I continued with this illusion.

It went well sewing the two sides together as it was neat and precise, I was also able to make up my decision with my border as it would make it bigger, crisper, and bolder. I started to stitch the white border on the sides, and it made the edges look a lot straighter.

Overall I managed to get a lot done in this time as I do feel as though I’m falling behind, but I feel as though I’m catching up in a neat manner.

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Quilt Moodboard

I created a quilt moodboard to compare different dimensions, materials, and colours to help me gather ideas for my bed runner. I looked into shops such as Zara Home, NEXT, Dunelm, and Wayfair so I could compare the different materials. I found out that the fluffier the quilt the more likely it’s going to be made out of acrylic. I also compared the dimensions and all of Zara’s blankets where the same size, and Wayfair had the biggest range. I also found that Wayfair’s dimensions where best for me as they was selling bed runners so it’s easier to compare to mine.

Off initial looks I’m mostly drawn to Zara’s and Dunelm’s pictures as the are clear and visually appealing. I would like to photograph my bed runner in a similar way to these shops, by hanging it over a ladder and on a bed. But comparing patterns Wayfair had the most variation with colours, fabrics, and patterns they just haven’t been photographed well.

I feel my quilt would fit in in smaller unique shops or more higher end brands that isn’t fast fashion as it’s so unique and detailed, and my target market would be aimed at people who want to make a change to our oceans which I feel is middle aged people and older, as I feel these generations have really seen our oceans change over the decades.

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Continuing appliqué from home

From my previous post I explained how I would continue on my appliqué by adding more coral and fish for the “expectation” side of the quilt, as well as to start the “reality” side of appliqué. I didn’t use any bondaweb for any of the appliqué as I felt it was too time consuming and fiddly so instead I just pinned it down in place. But because of this I did face challenges as when I nearly finished sewing the object down the bottom could gather as it wasn’t completely flat.

The “expectation” side finished does look really well done and neat, I find it strong that I used different shaped coral. I also find that the colours still really pop against the blue background, as I felt the colours might get lost but instead it’s the opposite. I’m really impressed with how the fish turned out as I didn’t want them to be too small or too big, however I feel that they fit perfectly with my work.

I was also able to finish my “reality” side of the bed runner, by painting another turtle, as well as cutting out more coral and sewing it down. When using watercolour to paint the turtle I realised I was using a different cotton so the paint would spread more, so to resolve this issue I had to use less watery paint. The “reality” side would obviously look more dull as I would be using natural shades to represent bleached coral. So I had to think strategically by adding colours through fish, and plastic. I added more rocks to this half as I didn’t want it to look the same as the other half, I also wanted more layers and texture. I have changed this half slightly from my original design by changing out a oil spill into overfishing as this is something I have researched. I also added plastic cups and bags on the quilt to link back to my research of plastic in the ocean.

Overall both sides are looking really effective and the way that I wanted them to, I will add more to my “reality” side by adding plastic netting over the group of fish to represent overfishing, as well as heat pressing plastic around the turtles neck.

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FMP Day 6

On my last day of week 2 I set myself a target of completing most or all of my appliqué on one of my halves for my quilt. I had a shorter amount of time as for the start of my fat I was setting up my website for my work, so I had to work in a faster pace to reach my goal.

I’m proud to say that I did reach my goal, but, I will have to continue work from home to appliqué details like fish, as well as my reality side of the bed runner. I really like the colours I have used as they are bold and they all work well together, I also included different scales by adding large rocks and different sized coral. I am really pleased with how it’s coming along as it’s looking neat, colourful, and like a coral reef.

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Fonts

I’ve researched into fonts and fonts on different interiors as on the back of my bed runner I want to include different statistics, and I have to ensure I use a font that fits well and doesn’t seem to sweet or seems harsh.

From the pictures I have included I like open sans, impact, maven pro, nanum gothic,and overpass. I’ve chosen these as I want one word to be bold that’s why I’ve chosen impact and the other words around it I don’t want to be as bold that’s why I like open sans as it’s simple.

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Ocean Statistics

100% of baby sea turtles have plastic in their stomachs

Over 8 million tons of plastic enters our oceans every year

The great pacific garbage patch is over 1.6 million square kilometres

More than 1 million plastic bags end up in the bin every minute

1 in 3 fish caught to be eaten contains plastic

For each mile on a UK beach there is 5000 pieces of plastic

By 2050 the plastic in our oceans will outweigh all fish

46% of the garbage patch is made up of fishing nets

I wanted to research statistics of our oceans to get a better understanding of what is actually happening to our planet. I also want to add some of these statistics to the back of the bed runner so it doesn’t seem all perfect and takes away from the meaning of the reality of what’s happening in our oceans.

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FMP Day 5

For my FMP day 5 I wanted to continue by painting the turtle and starting to paint the fish. I painted the turtle with watercolours to make the colours blend better. The finish of the turtle is really strong especially the details of the scales, I will need to paint another for the reality side but I will be painting a different style of turtle to not make it seem like a repeat/copy.

I then went on to paint the fish for both sides of the bed runner, I used acrylic paint for a different media, but I also wanted the lines to be sharp and not blend. Again I’m really pleased with how these turned out as I feel they will fit in really well.

I am disappointed that I didn’t start my appliqué yet as I feel this is going to be really time consuming and I wanted to get it done for week 3 ready to quilt, as I don’t feel I will have enough time for day 6.