PROCESS
(WRITING ELSEWHERE)JAN 18 ‘24
I think I have an idea of how to start. Here’s what I’m thinking:- Paper print out the sketch in actual size
- Cut out individual pieces (just counted them, there’s 33 pieces), REMEMBER TO NUMBER THE FRONT AND BACK AND IN DIFFERENT COLOURS.
- Find fabric and embroidery thread for each piece (maybe I can do this in chunks)
- Sew on fabric to the each paper piece, sew on each piece to background textile (note: make a shopping list)
OK that’s all I can think of right now, and its good enough because I know what to do next.
JAN 24 ‘24
Haven’t been working on the piece, maybe I’m overwhelmed. Ok, next best step? I did come by water soluble stabiliser which basically its tracing paper that I can add designs to, embroider on, then dissolve in water.All I have to do is resize the canvas and redo the whole sketch. Once I do that, then I can go to the printers and print it out in actual size which will be 2.5 ft x 9 ft to give it breathing room once its hung. OMG HOW WILL I HANG IT? It’s so high up and its above stairs, so what kind of ladder would we need? Just start, just start, just start.
FEB 11 ‘24
Still haven’t made progress. I bit off too much and now I can’t chew. Damn now I’m hungry. I ate 3 sliders and hot dog last night. In other news! I did go to VV and score a $20 digital pentax waterproof (!) point & shoot. I had to get a charger ($10), memory card (Downtown Camera gave me one for free) and reader ($15). So the whole set was ~$45 which is not bad for a “rare” 2009 camera. Anyway I got it for this project. I want to record my process and myself.
So early Facebook/MySpace vibes right?!
FEB 20 ‘24
Whoho! Done the “Baghdad Memory” textile. Found a perfect place for it too.
It took me so long to do the last bit, which only took me 2 hours last night. I don’t know why I do that. Anyway, divine timing! Now I feel energetically ready to start the huge piece.
MAR 2 ‘24
All I had to do was re-read the e-mail and check the size they suggested and realized that what I had was good enough! I just want to try it, see it in real size. So maybe I’ll be printing it soon. In exactly one week, I’ve found and posted 232 furniture items that I’ve found on Facebook Marketplace. Transmute my obsession into something useful, why not. Went shopping yesterday. I wasn’t looking for love (a dress) but found it at VV. I couldn’t wait for Summer to wear it so I wore it at home when a friend came over. I don’t even know what to upload in terms of photos. Who remembers back in the early Facebook days where we uploaded albums on albums? I did a whole photoshoot with a teddy bear once. Anyway! Here are some photos from this last week (in album form, now called a “photo dump”).
MAR 5 ‘24
omgggg the print is here! Well by here, I mean I picked it up yesterday. It’s not perfect of course but I can see so much potential.
Because I was in the textile neighbourhood in Toronto (Queen West), I also got some tools, 2 scissors, one for paper cutting and another for the fabric. I tried to get pieces of textile too but got overwhelmed and realized I need to do some planning before deciding on how each piece will look. Then at night, Went to Nadine’s and Mathew’s place and brought the print with me in case they had ideas...and sure enough they did. Nadine suggested keeping a “master” copy (so another print) and they validated my potential process. They also loved the idea of having a checkered background, totally maximalist.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK DID I GET MYSELF INTO?
MAR 6 ‘24
I’m starting to cut and number each piece. Another good idea that Nadine had was to keep a notebook just for this project. I’ll use this as a way to record instead. I’m just trying to decide what the best way is because I want to keep track of each object, then illustration then textile and embroidery. Does that make sense? Ok I’m just going to do it.1. GO Train
2. Poodle with blue collar
3. Couch with Dolma, quilt and pillow
4. Colourful cabinet with record player
5. Mermaid
6. Iraq poster
MAR 7 ‘24
I kept going, I’ll document here in a bit. I got an iron from VV yesterday! And I was going to go to FabricLand but had to work late so I’ll go today after work hopefully. I’m thinking of bringing the pieces with me so that I know what colour, pattern and size I want for each one. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to do this, I’m totally winging it and also trusting my instinct.MAR 8 ‘24
Went to FabricLand yesterday and it was glorious. I got 9 textile pieces including the background which is going to be a diamond checkered pattern. Found silver metallic that's a bit reflective for the mirror objects which is going to look so cool. The closest they had to a giraffe pattern was a leopard print so that’ll have to do.
The only thing is it’s a straight checkered pattern so I’ll have to cut and place it in a way to make it diamond, and I’ll need 3 of them put together to make it long enough and I have to sort out the lines, that’s going to be a future me problem. I also got embroidery thread and GLASS head pins which I didn’t even know I needed until the helpful lady at FL told me they are good because they don’t melt when you iron them, GENIUS!
Half asleep last night, I thought about making an excel sheet with all the details so I’ll do that now before my first stich.
MAR 9 ‘24
Made so much progress and have already learned so much! I kinda made a mistake, I sewed the textile to the paper but I was only supposed to pin it and sew it only when I put it on the background. It’s a bit different from my first piece where in that one, the background was pieces I sewed together and not a background I’m sewing the pieces on. IDK does that make sense? Anyway I’m doing it!!!!!!!! I finished my first piece, the giraffe. Probably not the easiest one to start with but I did it. I might have to redo it honestly because some parts look super messy but it might be ok, I don’t know, I don’t know. Here’s what I did:
Got my paper illustration and transferred it to the water soluble paper beforehand. Please notice my sexy new textile scissors.
Then I cut the fabric and pinned it to the textile. Yes I’m fully aware its a leopard print! So this is where I should’ve stopped. But I didn’t and stiched the textile to the paper. Then I pinned the water soluble paper to where I want to embroider and did that. When I was done, I ran the piece under hot water as the paper melted away as you can see in this video.
That was so fun. The only thing I won’t be able to take out the paper in the back which is not bad but not the way I did it before. I let it dry and voila!!!
I had an idea to show the original photo, the illustration I did and the piece so maybe I’ll do that here.
Yay! So that was basically it. Took me a few hours, I don’t know exactly how many but it gives me a sense of time to complete which I’m thinking would be by the Summertime at this pace. One step at a time. Next I want to do a simpler piece before moving on and making Jiddo’s rug which I’m going to reinterpret.
MAR 10 ‘24
I’m questioning the whole thing now.Maybe its being sick and not having enough sleep.
I did make progress though, finished one piece and started on Jiddo’s rug.
The back of this is unhinged. Speaking of, I signed up for a speed dating event in a month.
Excuse the mess. Gosh I wish I had a dedicated studio space.
APR 1 ‘24
WHOA, it’s been a while. I didn’t even notice it’s been 3 weeks and I haven’t touched my project. I wish I could tell you what I’ve been doing. Not in a mysterious way, just in a way I genuinely can’t recall what I’ve been doing with my time.I guess lots of rest (naps).
Had a mixed episode, feeling the weed withdrawal symptoms (still), my biggest fear came true when my dog came out of her harness on a busy street. Went to a dating event (might go this week too), did a writing workshop on grief and gratitude, attended a fundraiser for Gaza where I heard my friend recite his poem. What else? I guess that’s pretty much it.
I’m so curious what this new month will bring. Solar eclipse next week before I visit family, that's exciting.
SEP 8 ‘24
A whole season later...I’ve paused the textile project and started the Laneway project