Chapter 9: Extending the page

This chapter reminds me of Module 1, when I often felt the need to extend pages in my sketchbook.

While trying the extensions I could not help thinking ahead, about the book for the final chapter, and how my extensions would work -  the practical aspect was always creeping up. I also thought about how I could work over the extended page, like in some of the samples that were machine stitched.  Sometimes though it was the look of the papers that gave me an idea of how to connect them, like in the second example below and in number 5. Anyway, both ways were fun.

3.9.1

The size of my samples is between 10x12 cm and 18x19 cm cm, folded.  I have roughly sorted them in three groups, hand-stitched, machine-stitched, various methods.

Hand-stitched

	I do not know the English term for the stitch, but it is quite common. The German name “Hexenstich” means “witches’ stitch”, I wonder why.
	Running stitch in green and red wool was used, continuing the lines already present in the papers. I took this photograph after I had glued all my samples in a small book with stubs. Some stubs are left for more experiments.
	Simple straight stitch with cotton thread.
	Straight stitch with red wool weaving in and out of holes, some of which are in the design. The lace-like paper is made from a copy of a knitted piece. I cut out the open areas and gently rolled some colour over the paper. It is quite fragile.
	Meanwhile I have made a template of the copy with a sheet of beamer transparent plastic.
An old envelope, painted and  fastened with wool and brads.	I painted the back side with antique gold acrylics, which seeped through the holes a little.
	Running stitch in blue wool was used as an extension of the printed lines.

 

Machine stitched

 

I joined two pieces of crumpled paper with a piece of lace, following the pattern of the lace with narrow satin stitch.	It folds nicely and is a good sturdy fastening.
When joining these papers with zig zag stitch the needle tore small triangles into the paper.	So I tried a perforation on the upper edge of the left paper. The fastening is good to work over.
	Pieces of yellow wool were stitched with zig zag to connect the papers. The lines were a good starting point for printing and colour washes.
Straight stitch in black for the paths and yellow for the map grid joins the three papers.	The sample with print, additional colour and a stamp, glued in my book.
	I wanted so much to keep these little calendar pieces with the intense colours together. So I made this leporello with straight machine stitching.

 

Various methods

 

I folded a long piece of paper to a kind of string, stitched it and cut slits in the papers to be joined.	The paper string is very sturdy and does not slip.
A small envelope I kept for its lovely design contains a slip of printed paper from Module 1.	The strip end in the envelope is glued at a right angle to a piece of paper string longer than the opening, so the strip will not slip out.
I found bamboo picks for finger food in my supermarket.	They make excellent fastenings, as they are strong and elastic and have a natural look.
Another leporello-like arrangement with bamboo picks.
	I placed the brads so that the fastened papers turn around them to play peekaboo behind the black page. The red and black pieces are wallpaper and so soft that the brads may easily tear them.
	Another fastening with brads. Strong paper like the collaged piece here works much better with the brads.

 

And now for the book!

Chapter 8: String Prints

3.8.1 Gathering sources for printing blocks

 

 

I love this assignment! Maps have fascinated me since childhood, when I dreamed the afternoons away over my first atlas. My collection of maps comes in handy in this chapter, and I love to use them as a design source.  On this collage you see OS maps from my walking tours in the UK, pages from a book about the history of map making, from  a book with exciting aerial photographs (“One Earth”), and tourist leaflets.

 

	Three sketchbook pages with drawings from the sources above. Even in a simple drawing I found they could be interpreted in many different ways. Using coloured pencil was just playfulness, I love colouring in. When making the printing blocks I used the viewfinder again to select areas.

 

Making string printing blocks

I followed the instructions, but perhaps I did not have the right sort of double sided sticky tape. After I had sprayed varnish on the blocks, the strings started to get loose. I had to press them back very firmly and let the blocks lie under a heavy catalogue overnight. Also the tape tended to come off the cardboard during printing. For my last block I tried a different method: I applied glue with a nozzle on my drawn lines and pressed the string directly on the cardboard. The strings stayed in place, and the block handled well during printing.

For one block I used rubber band instead of string. It was a little difficult to stick into place and to get it to stay there, but I wanted to try the clear line.

Here are the blocks with prints in my sketchbook (the photographs were taken after the activities, so the blocks are already well coated with paint).

 

	The size of these first four blocks is 6x6 cm.
	The rubber band block. One advantage of the rubber band is that it does not flatten down from the pressure of the printing process.
	These two blocks are size 10x10 cm. The last block was made to continue no 5 as requested in activity 3.8.3.
	Glueing on the string on the last block.

 

3.8.2 Rubbings and prints

I used copy paper and wrapping paper for this activity. Some of the sheets came from my stack of coloured papers, one had been used as table cover for spraying bronze varnish on the printing blocks. I washed the rubbings with layers of ink and watercolour, rubbed areas with transparent oil pastel, printed with ink, and with varnish on one of the sheets, which gave interesting negative shapes on the back side. The varnish worked like bleach.

 

		Rubbings DIASHOW ANZEIGEN ALLE HERUNTERLADEN

 

Prints: Same range of papers as above, plus wallpaper, crinkled paper, collaged paper from the last module, and old maps. I used acrylics for printing and for most of the colour washes. 

 

		Prints DIASHOW ANZEIGEN ALLE HERUNTERLADEN

 

3.8.3

The string block is also good for printing into thickly applied acrylic paint.

		Extended patterns DIASHOW ANZEIGEN ALLE HERUNTERLADEN

 

 

I am still playing with this long piece, around 120x15 cm. Leftover copies from chapter 6, glued on light watercolour paper and painted with gesso, printed, lines sewn and traced with felt tip pen. I wonder where this will lead to.