Sketchbook: April 2018

Introduction

It's been a quite a while since I last posted a chapter on the blog. Things have been somewhat demanding over the past four months or so, but this week I've been able to finally get the last chapter in this module completed.

This module, concentrating on using fonts and letters, has really grabbed my imagination and has proved enormously instrumental in developing work ideas. Always taken with illuminated manuscripts and languages, I suppose it was natural I should take interest in this theme, but I was unprepared for just how much I enjoyed working with letters. I've nurtured a desire for some time to have a go at some proper calligraphy and this chapter provided the spur I needed. I've learnt various scripts, including uncials, batarde, C17th and Runic scripts and combined them with drawing, then combining the whole (torn up into suitable sized pieces) to form calligraphy quilts. I've also used fonts as a background to embroidery:

Runes

Abstract use of colour and fonts

Colours of the Mourne Mountains and using Gaelic Uncials

'Scraps from the Scriptorum', gaelic uncials

Climbing Rose

Crocosmia

Crocosmia - detail

Fuschia

I think I may continue to work with these themes for some time yet, and the lure of a Byzantine Quilt or two is calling.....

Chapter 10

So moving on to this chapter, my idea was to create a book of script samples so I don't forget some of the script rhythms that I used making the quilts (since these are all currently in Ireland). Of course I kind of did this chapter backwards. Made the pages for the book first, then went back and had a look at the binding. However for the sake of this write up I'll work from trial bindings first.

Simple Paper Binding trial

Binding plain parchment paper - A5 sized. Using very thick red rayon thread for this.

Marking up spacing for stitching

Holes made and thread chosen

Finished binding

Binding Chapter 3 of this module - letter rubbings from glue base.

Next I though it would be a good idea to bind some of the chapters in this module. The pages from Chapter 3 were all roughly the same size, so I had a go at this first:

Using the Rubbing sheets as front and back covers as these were made with stiff paper.

Front Cover

Back Cover

Marking up spacing for stitches

Using a Japanese tekobari to make holes

Using a gold working tool to increase hole size

Threading up with a metallic viscose ribbon

Stitching

Stitching on reverse

Stitching on the front

And a quick look inside

Next I took the chapter on printed letters where the sheets were all of very different sizes.

I made a rough cover for this and chose a pale silvery mushroom viscose ribbon

Stitching in progress

Completed

And a quick look inside:

Book of Scripts used in Calligraphy Quilts

This was the main purpose for me in completing this chapter. I started thinking about the size and layout of the book, how it would work in terms of where to place the text in order to avoid obscuring text by placing it too close to the binding (If that makes sense). I chose an 8x8 inch format allowing 2cms for sewing:

I decided to use newspaper and gesso as a base for the sheets:

Sketching out some ideas:

I divided the book into four sections according to the script rhythms: plain text, layering, circles and squares, conversational. The finished sheets:

PlainText