Initial Experiments

Ticket attached to vintage jumper by safety pin.

Handkerchief square folded and attached to safety pin.

Numerous safety pins attached together creating "chains".

Safety pin chains hanging after being sprayed with vinegar.

While myself and Sara prepare for our initial swap of materials by gathering items both vintage and "every-day" (ie saftey pins, tacs, paper clips etc), I decided to start some basic experiments to familiarise myself with the materials and techniques we hope to use. Sara's final year project involved rusting staples stapled into fabric so I decided to try out the rusting process. Although rusting is something I'd like to either expand on or use in conjunction with other destructive processes I decided to learn about it as a basic foundation for Re-worked. I was inspired by a ticket I found attached to a vintage jumper by a safety pin which had obviously gone through the wash and had a nice crumbled texture. I started using plain handkerchiefs as a "beginners-introduction" to working with textiles and used vinegar, on Sara's suggestion, to rust the safety pins which then "dyes" the material. Sara also advised applying vinegar regularly to accelerate the process so they are currently tacked up to the outside of my shed - exposed to the elements and regular vinegar applications. I enjoyed this first basic experiment as it has already highlighted some ideas I would like to expand on and experiment with further.