the burn test

Burn Test - CAUTION.

This should only be done by skilled burners! Make sure there is a bucket of water nearby and that you burn in a metal bucket or non-plastic sink.
To identify fabric that is unknown, a simple burn test can be done to determine if the fabric is a natural fiber, man made fiber, or a blend of natural and man made fibers. The burn test is used by many fabric stores and designers and takes practice to determine the exact fiber content. However, an inexperienced person can still determine the difference between many fibers to "narrow" the choices down to natural or man made fibers. This elimination process will give information necessary to decide the care of the fabric.

WARNING: All fibers will burn! Asbestos treated fibers are, for the most part fire proof. The burning test should be done with caution. Use a small piece of fabric only. Hold the fabric with tweezers, not your fingers. Burn over a metal dish with soda in the bottom or even water in the bottom of the dish. Some fabrics will ignite and melt. The result is burning drips which can adhere to fabric or skin and cause a serious burn.

Cotton is a plant fiber. When ignited it burns with a steady flame and smells like burning leaves. The ash left is easily crumbled. Small samples of burning cotton can be blown out as you would a candle.

Linen is also a plant fiber but different from cotton in that the individual plant fibers which make up the yarn are long where cotton fibers are short. Linen takes longer to ignite. The fabric closest to the ash is very brittle. Linen is easily extinguished by blowing on it as you would a candle.

Silk is a protein fiber and usually burns readily, not necessarily with a steady flame, and smells like burning hair. The ash is easily crumbled. Silk samples are not as easily extinguished as cotton or linen.

Wool is also a protein fiber but is harder to ignite than silk as the individual "hair" fibers are shorter than silk and the weave of the fabrics is generally looser than with silk. The flame is steady but more difficult to keep burning. The smell of burning wool is like burning hair.

Man Made Fibers
Acetate is made from cellulose (wood fibers), technically cellulose acetate. Acetate burns readily with a flickering flame that cannot be easily extinguished. The burning cellulose drips and leaves a hard ash. The smell is similar to burning wood chips.

Acrylic technically acrylonitrile is made from natural gas and petroleum. Acrylics burn readily due to the fiber content and the lofty, air filled pockets. A match or cigarette dropped on an acrylic blanket can ignite the fabric which will burn rapidly unless extinguished. The ash is hard. The smell is acrid or harsh.

Nylon is a polyamide made from petroleum. Nylon melts and then burns rapidly if the flame remains on the melted fiber. If you can keep the flame on the melting nylon, it smells like burning plastic.

Polyester is a polymer produced from coal, air, water, and petroleum products. Polyester melts and burns at the same time, the melting, burning ash can bond quickly to any surface it drips on including skin. The smoke from polyester is black with a sweetish smell. The extinguished ash is hard.

Rayon is a regenerated cellulose fiber which is almost pure cellulose. Rayon burns rapidly and leaves only a slight ash. The burning smell is close to burning leaves.
Blends consist of two or more fibers and, ideally, are supposed to take on the characteristics of each fiber in the blend. The burning test can be used but the fabric content will be an assumption.
     
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A dye can be typically described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substance to which it is being applied. There are many synthetic dyes available now. Synthetic or organic dyes have quickly replaced the traditional natural dyes. This kind of dye cost less and they also offer a huge range of new colors. Dyes can be classified according to how they are used in the procedure of dyeing. Some of the classifications are as follows:

Acid dyes – It is a water soluble anionic dye which is usually applied to fibers such as wool, silk, nylon and modified acrylic fibers by using neutral to acid dye-baths.

Basic dyes – water soluble cationic dyes are mainly applied to acrylic fibers but rarely to wool and silk. Basic dyes are also used in the coloration of paper.

Substantive or direct dyeing – usually carried out in neutral or faintly alkaline dye-bath nearly at boiling point, with the addition of either sodium sulfate or sodium chloride. Direct dyes are used on paper, cotton, leather, silk, wool, and nylon.

Mordant dyes – require mordant to enhance the fastness of the dye against light, water, and perspiration.

kodatrace

Kodatrace is a special tracing paper made from frosted acetate film and used as part of the exposure process when putting imagery onto silk-screens.
Opaque marks made on the Kodatrace will print as the image.

All marks must be opaque to prevent the ultra-violet light from hitting the light sensitive emulsion applied to the surface of the screen. Where the emulsion remains soft it can be washed away leaving a stencil on the screen.

Opaque paint especially produced for working on kodatrace is called Photo-opaque or Arcapak. This is available in the print workshop.
You can also try:
• Rapidograph or pigment liner for fine lines. (Avoid permanent markers, these often don’t work)
• Chinagraph pencil (available in college shop)
• Torn or cut papers- black or red
• Gouache or acrylic paint- black or red
• Wax crayon and oil pastels- black
• Indian ink-black
• Anything opaque, be inventive! Pieces of lace, feathers etc etc!!
• You can also photocopy onto acetate to make a positive, although you may need to layer up to copies to get a dense enough mark. Use the black and white mode on the photocopier.
• You can print from your computer again using the black and white mode and print onto transparent film via a ink-jet printer.

The silk screen exposes best if there is a good contrast between the transparent background and an opaque image. Grey areas can give inconsistent results as there is no tone in silk screen printing (unless created through texture) either a mark is there or it is not!

preparing fabrics for dyeing and printing.

Preparing fabrics for dyeing and printing

Prior to dyeing or printing any natural or synthetic fabric, yarn or felt, it is important to ensure that it is fully prepared. There is an old dyers saying ‘well prepared is half dyed' which stresses the importance of preparation. Scouring is the name given to this process.

All fibres contain a combination of naturally occurring impurities and sizes, starches and oils which have been added during the spinning, weaving and knitting stages to bind the fibres together or to lubricate the yarns during processing

These natural and added processing aids, together with any general soiling, must be removed to ensure the fibre is clean and absorbent before commencing with printing or dyeing processes

You can check if a fabric has been scoured by allowing a droplet of water to fall onto the fabric surface. If it is quickly absorbed the there are not any water blocking agents present such as oils waxes and starches. If however the droplet remains on the surface then your fabric or yarn needs an efficient scouring.

Scouring

Remember to weigh you fabric before scouring, you will need to know the dry weight of your fabric later for calculating your dye recipe.

5Mls of METAPEX 38 Liquid (available in the dye kitchen and similar to a mild detergent like Woolite) in approx 2lts or water will be sufficient to scour 100grm of fabric, yarn or felt.

Using a large container or your CLEAN add hot water about 60 degrees. You will need thick heat protective gloves.

Add 5-10mls of Metapex and stir well before adding the fabric

Leave the fabric in the scouring liquor with occasional squeezing and stirring for 15-20 minutes

drain the scouring liquor and rinse in tepid water until the water is free from any foam

if the fabric is to be dyed immediately it need not be dried but if it is to be used for future use it should be dried, and ironed if it is to be used for printing

textiles in context.

context;
- content
- analysing/detail/explaining
- relationships and influences
- in what context?
- chronological context; the time in history
- what it involves
- linking artists/culture/work

- the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation etc.
- conditions and circumstances that are relevant to an event, fact etc.
- putting together.

• notes on thoughts

• ideas to follow up

• link sections together

• say what you think

• develop a point of view

contextual research;
- brain storming
- visual/textual analysis
- uni library
- internet; wgsn.
- museums/galleries
- referencing
- presentation

visual analysis;
how does it compare with other similar work?
what are the influences?
say something about images you use.
why significant?
what does it say?
dissect work, engage ideas, reinforce ideas and generate personal ideas.

text analysis;
summary sentences
annotation
key points
interesting things
sticky notes
high lighters

note on how to write

summary;
main argument
summarise text - picking key points, gist of article
list, mind map

library;
internet
books
e books
e journals
magazines
audio/visual

internet;
reference properly
dont rely on wiki
watch out for repeated unreliable information
artist sites, galleries, online magazine and museums

museums and trips out;
speak to people/curators - gather opinions and views
booklets
photography
tour
drawings
note

organisation;
explain in your notes the direction you're raking
try and keep similar areas together
if not link seperated articles with page refs.

influence/companies/centuries
referencing; bibliography; author, date, title, place, make etc.

.

we started today, early, with a group task that involved us looking at each others work and responding collectively as a group to what they'd achieved. my group responded by making a paper weave. the original drawing was a floor of surface of norwich that had been drawn in overlapping blocks. the weave element and the shapes make it link really well and i really enjoyed the task.

it made us think about how we push an idea or drawing forward in terms of experimenting with different medias. so, i took my little blue ribbon camera and visited the cathedral to take some pictures. recently i've been working into my photography with stitch, paint beads and pens. and it would be nice to incorporate this into my work as well.
i got to castle and looked up at the sky. and then down to the ground. the lines, forms and shapes the buildings and trees make when they hit they sky are amazing. i went for a tour inside the cathedral and took pictures of the ceilings - beautifully sculpted that looked like the cement had been plaited. i recorded all things in the cathedral; floors, details in the walls, doors, the organ and stained glass windows.

i captured some interesting photos through a window looking up at the cathedral. and when i got home i printed these and started to trace these areas and other sections of my photos. i managed to create some diverse shapes, patterns, and lines to work with. i then layered these and copied them onto the computer to manipulate. i also stitched over a few to give them a bit of texture and added colour to them with inks.

sat nav the city.

'sat nav the city' visual research project. ba1. project 1a.

for the first project, we got given a general visual research project to get to know the city of norwich. they're looking at how we visualise a subject in which we've been given. for instance, this project was so broad you could literally look at ANYTHING in the city. which was a bit daunting at first, but it's interesting to see what everybody chooses and how diverse some of the responses are.

we have been set a series of tasks aimed at helping to develop our own visual language. by looking at themes such as composition, use of colour and mark making we can explore our ideas in drawing workshops, to then develop our drawings to take into the print workshop.

one of the first tasks we had to do was choose several areas of the city to explore. i initially ventured down st benedicts street, but ended up at tomblands and eventually at the cathedral. i felt that norwich is known for it's numerous churches and the castle and cathedral so it's not a bad place to start.

i then took photographs and made a series of drawings in my sketch book focusing on;
- texture and surface
-pattern decoration and ornamentation
- colour and form

norwich tracings.

i found an old book full of black and white photos of norwich. as i was looking at the shapes and forms a photo create i cut them up, and arranged them them into a clear photo album. then i could trace over the top, take the image out, insert another, and create interesting line drawings.

first week at uni.

after a very long, lovely summer, it was was a slight shock to be thrown back into education. in a new city. not knowing anyone or how to get anywhere. moving into my house. just everything changed within a week. but looking back now, it seems really strange. norwich feels like my home now and i've met some of the best people.

the first week at uni was standard. getting to know people, taking part in group activities and workshops on how to think laterally; solving problems through an indirect and creative approach. lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not immediately obvious and about ideas that may not be obtainable by using traditional step-by-step logic. from the beginning that made it clear that they encourage us to think outside the box, and we must apply this to our textile practise.

lateral thinking methods:
- random entry generating tool; choose an object at random, a noun from a dictionary, and then associate that with the area thought about.
- provocation idea generating tool; wishful thinking, exaggeration, reversal, escape. move your thinking forward with these for new ideas and inspiration.
- challenge an idea; WHY? WHY? WHY?
- concept fan idea; ideas carry out concepts - expand the range and number of concepts to end up with a broad range of ideas to consider.
- disproving; take anything that is obvious and generally accepted, question it, take an opposite view and try to convincingly disprove it.

the main things i've learnt this week;
- to study and document real world experiences to make whatever i'm doing personal and relevant to me as a person.
- i should focus on what i enjoy doing. i'm just wasting my time if i'm forcing myself to do something i'm not liking. make everything i do exciting for me, even if it's not to other people.
- i need to stop being impatient. textile processes are loooong, so if i rush my work, the outcome will be poor.
- i should extend and push my creative work through exploration and experimentation..

shirley craven and hull traders

Revolutionary Post War Fabrics and Furniture: Shirley Craven and Hull Traders @ Kings Lynn Arts Centre.

the exhibition today celebrated the career of textile designer shirley craven and her partnership with the hull trader, the visionary company that printed her textiles. the exhibition also included 'tom tom' furniture, also produced by hull traders - bright, playful and made from giant cardboard tubes. the fabrics and furniture encapsulate the exuberance of the swinging sixties with big bold abstract designs in eye popping colours.

'strongly graphic and visually inventive, Craven's designs are impossible to pigeonhole. more like paintings than conventional furnishing fabrics, their bold composition, gigantic repeats and inspired colourways are unique in the history of pattern design.'

'Launched in 1957, Hull Traders was co-founded by - and named after - Tristram Hull, a publisher and editor, in partnership with Stanley Coren. Initially acting as agents, hand screen-printed textiles soon became their main focus and so Time Present Fabrics was born.

In 1959 Peter Neubert took over the company and appointed Shirley Craven as art director.

Although modest in industrial terms, Hull Traders was a visionary enterprise where creativity flourished out of all proportion to its size. Artists and designers contributed in equal measure and on equal terms. The pool of freelance designers was constantly refreshed.

Sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi and photographer Nigel Henderson, collaborating under the name Hammer Prints, played a prominent role at the outset, along with textile designer John Drummond. Artist Ivon Hitchens was another notable early contributor.

The 1960s was a golden era for Hull Traders, with ambitious, ground-breaking designs by Shirley Craven and other gifted artist-designers, such as Peter McCulloch, Doreen Dyall, Roger Limbrick and Trinidadian-born Althea McNish (Britain’s first and most distinguished black textile designer).

Although Hull Traders closed in 1980, their fabrics still look as fresh and exciting today as when they first appeared.'

http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=289,608984&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL 

 margaret cannon and roger limbrick for hull traders.

possible theme exploration;
- design inspiration; looking at observational drawings from nature and the landscape as inspiration for fabric designs.
- pattern and print; looking at the relationship between fabric design and painting. particularly abstract expressionism, op art and pop art.
- design goes pop; looking at the sixties aesthetic and use of colour, pattern and shape in the home; fabrics and furniture.

(OP ART: is a style of visual art that makes use of optical illusions.)

st lawrence textile centre.

by exploring norwich, i came across this amazing church down st benedicts street that houses a variety of vintage and craft stools.

specialising in all things handmade; knitted scarfs, hats, gloves, dresses, jumpers, jewellary and accessories. each stool is owned by a different artist/designer, displaying a business card or using the space as an active studio. they also had a corner selling vintage clothing and objects. and the steps of coloured yarns!

i enquired about having a space to sell my earrings, and got offered a table! but i don't think it's very efficient to be doing anything like that just yet... maybe in the future :)