I think I am nearly half way through my free machine drawing - it is very addictive and I just can't manage to get any other uni work done - although I am thinking and planning textile ideas in my head.
Here are some more images, first a close up of the embroidered drawing with the work in progress
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| The Bristol, 16th Jan |
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| The Bristol, 20th Jan |
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| The Bristol, 22nd Jan |
During this process several people, including my tutor at uni, have suggested not finishing the drawing and to perhaps to make a second piece based on the blue lines - i.e. a line drawing that might come straight from a car maintenance manual. But I really want to complete the Bristol Straight 6 because that is part of my challenge. Can I work fast enough and how will a large piece respond when I get it wet to remove the dissolvable fabric? Will I be able to complete this stage or will I be too concerned about the potential loss of structure and accuracy? I don't think I would be able to answer these questions if it was not a completed drawing.
During the making of the engine I spend a lot of time wondering why I am achieving such a sense of satisfaction in drawing a masculine object. I know part of it is the enormity of the challenge but also it is about my feelings of myself - my determination but also my insecurities as I have tried to manage my unexpected roles - all will be reflected when the water washes away the structure and I have to decide how I feel about the end result. But it is not just about my ability to manage the roles that once belonged to a man - it is also about the strengths of others who have also been left to manage in an environment that they had not planned - having to take on roles that were not expected from life. This quote from 'The Subversive Stitch, embroidery and the making of the feminine (Parker, R. 1996) possibly reflects this
"The embroiderer sees a positive reflection of herself in her work and, importantly, in the reception of her work by others"
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