Fabric Manipulation...

Part of the attraction of developing fibre art works based on fabric manipulation techniques is based on the unpredictable and very dramatic results that can be achieved simply by twisting and folding fabrics in ways that are either sympathetic to or ‘work against’ the existing warp and weft of a woven fabric, a length of woven fabric ‘cut on the bias’, or a length of knitted or crocheted fabric that that can stretched in a range of different ways.

Fibre manipulations and fibre supports...

Fibre supports such as shaped cards or interfacing can help to support sections of fibre fold and pleats. Some folds and pleats can be stretched and expanded in unexpected ways and then mounted fabric manipulations can be joined together and overlapped in order to create new shadows.

Fibre manipulation, folds and pleating...

I often look to traditional smocking and pleating techniques as initial guides for my own fabric manipulations with calico and cotton fabrics. An examination of regular folds and pleats can then be varied and twisted into new and unexpected combinations.

Fabric Manipulation...Stitches

Fabric manipulation can be achieved by the use of stitching techniques that are discrete or hidden from view. A stitching technique can also become a prominent feature on a textile artwork that depends on fabric manipulation methods. When I began to use fabric manipulation methods, I used natural coloured threads that matched the neutral tones of my calico fabrics.

Fabric Manipulation...Starting with shapes and shadows

The use of a single neutral coloured cloth can help to build fabric manipulation skills. Shapes and shadows are emphasised, and forms can be easily evaluated. My own early experiments with fabric manipulation techniques used natural calico fabrics, and I used a combination of hand stitches and machine stitches.

Fabric manipulation...

The manipulation of lengths of fabric, either man-made or commercially produced, can produce very valuable results. Raised sections and gathered, twisted or folded areas can highlight shadows and textures as well as shapes and lines. I have found the following book to be very useful:
Colette Wolff, The art of manipulating fabric Iola, Wisconsin: Krause, 1996.

Crochet and flexible fibre design...

I find that some specialist books on specific fibre techniques can provide pathways to new ways of thinking about fibreart compositions, as well as design problems and solutions. Crochet can be a very useful fibre technique because sections of a fibrework can be started and finished in a very spontaneous and flexible manner. Different sections of crochet can also be joined together, or combined with elements created through the use of other fibre techniques such as knitting, weaving, basketry or sewing. Here is an early text that advocated the development of “free” forms of crochet:

Del Pitt Feldman, Crochet discovery and design New York: Doubleday & Company, 1972.