Washing out the dissolvable fabric.

I have completed the stitching for the front of the Stuart casket and now have to remove the the dissolvable backing fabric. The work feels quite dense so I think it will hold quite well. 

The first stage in the process is to remove the excess fabric by cutting close to the drawing leaving border that is approximately 1cm all around.  Next, the drawings are carefully pinned onto some pieces of thick foam and then held under running water.  

Drawing pinned onto foam board.

Drawing held under running water.

A second wash

Left to dry...

Sometimes a second wash is required - it is important to make sure that enough of the fabric has been removed otherwise the work will be dark because the colours can be darkened by the glue. But, it is also helpful for some glue to be left in the work to help stiffen it for mounting purposes.

Stuart Casket - my workroom desk...

Below are some images of how I work. I have a busy desk with all my threads at easy reach and the bobbins carefully placed in the bobbin case otherwise the mass of threads makes working tricky. 

The image has been loosely traced with a blue water-soluble pen and then the fine detail and colour are reproduced through careful copying of the drawing which is shown on the iMac.

Work in progress

Here is a close up of me sewing - the work is slow and meticulous and I think harder than the Bristol 2 Litre Engine that I made in 2014.

The right side in progress, the blue pen marks can be seen on the dissolvable fabric.

Throughout the process I am constantly think about the next stage of the project: perhaps i might just draw the front of the Stuart Casket and then I can make sure that I have time to complete the image of today's teenage play. Should I keep to a similar colour palette so that the pieces might work better together or simply be to true to the time and keep the colours real?

Drawn Stuart Stumpwork Box; the work so far...

I have now finished the second piece of the Stuart Casket as can be seen in the first image.

      

Newly completed left front

Right front completed in November

The fascination with the project is strong; the idea that the work of young women, possibly teenagers, is worthy of obsessive and meticulous free machine drawing, even though the original is so faded and damaged. And my boys, hours spent playing on line with nothing to show for the hours of gaming - but they are completely absorbed and have lots of fun communicating with their friends over the challenges they face.

But, the work is very hard to do and therefor it is growing slowly and I am worried about completing the work before the exhibition at Newark Park in June. However I might try to hurry the process I am unable to miss any of the detail - something that may or will become lost when the backing fabric is finally dissolved with water. For now, I will make the final part of the front and then try to decide on the best way to take the project forward. 

The original Stuart Casket