Final Major Project-Patterns

For my final major project I have been given the title 'Patterns'. As my chosen pathway stage is Fashion Textiles, I intend to use the Marrakech's cultural patterns and colours to design a small collection of about five scarves; an accessory widely worn by Moroccan women. Although it is frequently worn for religious purpose, I plan to incorporate the idea with the look of the 50s decade, where the scarf was a common accessory.

Here is some of my Marrakech photography that I have used for my inspiration for colour and pattern..

As Islam is the main religion practised in Marrakech, I went to the Islamic Middle East and South Asia section at the V&A to gain a better understanding of Islamic art. 

Leaves..

 Swirly designs

Arabic 

 and Flowers

were seen most often within their work. All these patterns are very mathematical and have aspects of symmetry and repetition in them. 

I am thinking of making something like this that will fall off at the corners of my scarf or stitched at the edges.

Using the fourth picture, I have burnt through materials using a soldering iron and fibre etch. I found out about fibre etch on the internet, it is a gel used on materials such as cotton and linen to burn the fibres in such materials. Fibre etch works by scratching the gel onto the material in a shape you would like to cut. You then let it dry and iron the back of the material (the one that does not have the fibre etch on), once you see the gel has become a little crusty, you can try to poke it to see if has begun to cut the material. To get a cleaner finish you need to rinse the material under water and allow the fabric to fall off. 

These two materials have been cut with fibre etch:

                                     

 These two materials have been cut through with a soldering iron. The pattern on the material in the picture on top came out really well at first but when i tried to iron it, it burnt the design a little which is why it does not seem too great.

 Here I have written 'I love Marrekech' in Arabic and used heat transfer printing to print it on the fabric.

V&A British Designs from 1948-2012 is another exhibition I went to. I did not find this very useful as all I gathered from it was the use of screen printing in the 50s.

These are a few of my journal/sketchbook pages where I am exploring with the shapes and symbols to make my own patterns..

This is my favourite pattern! I have made this by combining five Berber symbols and triangles, a shape commonly used in Islamic patterns.

These are two of my mood boards..

 Two of my experimentations with heat transfer printing and henna dye

Me making pompoms!!

 Making my screen ready for screen printing

                                                

Embroidery

I also went to the Fashion and Textile Museum to see the Designing Women: Post-war Exhibition. Here I learnt the use of abstract art, the use of bright bold colours and patterns commonly going down or across the fabric. I have used the latter fact the most within my designs to collaborate Marrakech with the 50s.

I am not particularly enjoying doing textiles as during the process I have realised fashion designing as in garment designing is more my field, but I still plan to stick through what I have said and try my best to get a great result.