Deconstruct/Reconstruct

For my textiles project, Transition, we had a workshop with week in pattern cutting and deconstructing and reconstructing clothing.

I bought a jacket from a charity shop and so did my pair Daniella so we decided to mix these up. We have thought about putting the jackets together, once they are completed separately to create a reverse jacket design.

Daniella's Jacket Before

My jacket with mixed sleaves.
Here we are just starting out and trying out the reversable idea



Me with Daniella's jacket and my sleave



I added a box pleat and decided to add this pannel.

I tried out extending the lepels and moved the button

A little bit about the History of Embroidery

For part of my essay and presentation, I want to focus on when, how and why embroidery started. There are a few theories I’d like to explore dating back to the tutor time and beyond.  One theory is to investigate looking at embroidery as a power symbol. Decorative fashion communicated that you were an influential player of the time and only the wealthiest men and woman who went to court owned such elaborate clothing. This would suggest that the person who was wearing the most luxurious embroidered textiles was the most important person in the room.  

Embroidery Magazine: May/June 2010

Another theory is to look at the Church and how priests decorated their clothing.  The chasuble worn in the Christian Church has been embroidered from around 1200. Embroidery was used here to dictate the stories of Christ and Kings. They often show scenes of the crucifixion and the Virgin child and some pieces are quite gothic.  

Embroidery reserach: Janet Haigh

A rather spooky form of embroidery can be seen in Janet Haigh’s work. I found an article about work she was commissioned to complete in the Embroidery magazine, issue May/June 2010.  

I find this piece shocking at first and slightly disturbing. She has created embroidery around the shape of a dead monkey. The monkey had been bred for research purposes and Haigh took a cast of the body. She used a plasticized material which would allow her to stitch in surface embellishment.

She then started to embroidery the monkey in mainly white silk with shades of blue and green using straight stitching. By embroidering the whole surface of the body Haigh sees this as protecting the monkey and giving it innocence. It’s meant to question our appreciation for these animals and how they have died for us.

I find her work very moving. It definitely has a sadness about it and I almost feel a ‘mothering’ instinct as if I want to protect the monkey. Having it completely in white gives a very peaceful feeling towards its form.