Textile Technology 12
Grid-Based Designs
Many fabrics are inherently grid based. Woven fabrics have weft and warp threads aligned at right angles to each other
creating a natural grid pattern, especially in plain weave (over-under-over-under, etc.) The way the stitches in knits are
arranged into rows and columns creates a natural grid, and some crochet stitches produce a grid as well. Bead weaving
usually arranges the beads into rows and columns. Decorative needlework traditions such as cross stitch, needlepoint,
and Hardanger lace use the grid of plain weave fabric as the basis for their designs. Many quilts are also grid based.
Designing attractive grid-based designs is a long-standing and continuing skill in textile design.
Hardanger lace
Cross Stitch
http://sinister-craftiness.com/category/hardanger/
http://drsparc.deviantart.com/art/Cartman-cross-stitch-113587617
Needlepoint
Needelpoint
http://www.needlepointsofview.com/gallery.html
http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=10-2262
Crochet
Crochet
http://www.free-craft-patterns.com/antique-crochet-patterns.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftcreativity/389100018/
Bead Weaving
Bead Weaving
http://sdoople.info/arts-and-crafts/beading/page/6/
http://www.beadedpatterns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=738
Knitting
Knitting
http://www.urbanyarnsblog.com/
http://www.backcountry.com/dale-of-norway-peace-sweater-womens
Knitting (Skirt)
Knitting
http://whattowearblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/aw11-trends-nu-rave.html
http://whattowearblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/aw11-trends-nu-rave.html
Weaving
http://anniesue.wordpress.com/2009/07/
http://www.weavingtoday.com/forums/t/465.aspx
Weaving
http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/
(same website reference)
Grid-Based Design Assignment
You will explore grid-based design, its strengths and limitations, both in black-and-white and in colour.
Motif Development
1. Using regular sized graph paper, plot out a simple heart design on graph paper. Use pencil. For the sake of efficiency,
rather than filling in each square as desired, simply mark it with an X. Try out several ideas. Here is an example using a
bat motif instead of a heart (so I don’t give away any ideas ).
http://www.highcountryknitwear.com/
2. Now make a second motif incorporating three or more hearts. They don’t have to be all the same size. Consider
arrays, reflections, rotations, bilateral symmetry, radial symmetry and other tessellations as possible ways to arrange
your hearts.
Bilateral Symmetry
Would you call this bilateral or radial?
Radial Symmetry
http://crochet.about.com/library/blfdlbag.htm
http://www.makingmagazine.com/page.asp?p=84
http://yarn-visions.blogspot.com/2009/01/eye-of-ra-stargate-knitting-chart.html
Use tiny grid graph paper for all the following steps.
3. Make a third motif using one or more hearts and adding other items such as swirls, diamonds, leaves, stars,
snowflakes, dots, circles, etc.
http://www.highcountryknitwear.com/
http://kincavelkrosses.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/quaker-christmas-ornament.jpg
Pattern Development
4. Designers sometimes have to create repeating or tessellating patterns either to fill a large space such as a sheet of
fabric (called an all-over pattern) or to make a linear pattern to use on narrow fabric or borders. For this step, you can
use either of the designs from steps 2 and 3 or you can create a new heart motif. If you are making an all-over pattern,
repeat your motif until the graph paper is filled. If you are making a border, make it go the full length of the paper (turn
the paper to landscape orientation so that you are making the border as long as possible). For the sake of speed you can
use a marker to dot in each square, but beware of mistakes. Use black.
All-over Pattern
Border
http://helenkosings.livejournal.com/63290.html
http://mac.downloadatoz.com/knit-visualizer/screenshot.html
5. At this stage you may notice that repeating your motif makes other shapes emerge. This is one of the interesting
features of this kind of design. If adding to or modifying your motif would make the emerging shapes more attractive do
it now.
Colourway Development
6. Now that you have black-and-white design, it is time to consider the impact of colour. Notice how the snowflake
motif in the following design looks somewhat different depending on whether the motif or the ground is dark. (Ground
means background in the context of design.)
http://thereluctantbloggerknits.blogspot.com/2006/12/sugarplums.html
In the sweater below, notice how the coloured design is richer and warmer but at the same time less striking than the
white panel. (Also notice how the pictures inside the vertical “window” sections of the white design vary although the
frames remain the same. This combination of repetition and novelty makes a very sophisticated design that holds the
eye better than a design with less variety.)
http://blog.knitfinder.com/2010/11/knitted-text-why-how-plus-inspiration.html
On a new sheet of graph paper, recreate your motif (not your whole repeating design) three times using using at least
three colours each time as follows:
a) white ground with three colours used in motif;
b) dark ground with two or more light colours used in motif. Do not use white.
c) your choice of ground and motif colours that create a very different effect than you achieved in
samples a and b. White can be used but at least three other colours must be used as well.
7. On a new sheet of tiny graph paper, recreate the same design as you made in step 4/5, using at least three colours.
You may use one of the colourways developed in step 6 or you may try something else (testing first is strongly
recommended!). Colour carefully and with appropriate colour saturation.
Textile Technology 12
Name
Grid-Based Design
What to submit:
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How to submit your work:
Self-marked rubric.
Motif development from steps 1 to 3, numbered.
Pattern development from steps 4 and 5, numbered.
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Tape completed rubric to inside right side of file folder.
Make sure your name is on the bottom right of each sheet.
Put sheets file folder in order. Do not staple.
Colourway development from steps 6 and 7, numbered.
Place folder in collection tray. Be happy.
Work submitted incorrectly will be returned unmarked.
Due on or before
.
Terminal deadline: work submitted after
will receive a mark of ZERO.
0
1
2
Not
completed
Instructions ignored, sloppy,
careless, incomplete and/or
incorrect.
Motif too simplistic - needs
more originality or detail to
make it interesting.
3
4
Motif adequately developed.
Reasonable execution.
Very well done. Motif
idea well developed. Carefully
executed.
1. Single Heart
2. Three or More Hearts
3. Heart(s) Plus Other Details
4/5. Border or All-Over Pattern
6 a. White ground with three colours (Motif only.)
6 b. Dark ground with two or more light colours used in
motif. No white. (Motif only.)
6 c. Choice of ground and motif colours that create a very
different effect than you achieved in samples a and b.
White can be used but at least three other colours must
be used as well. (Motif only.)
0
7. Final Coloured Design (all-over or border)
Time Management
Self-marked score out of 44:
More than 6
days late
1
Very poor:
obvious,
simplistic,
common,
boring
6 days late
2
3
4
5
6
7
Poor
Weak
Not Good
Good
Very Good
Excellent
5 days late
4 days late
3 days late
2 days late
1 day late
On time
Final score out of 44:
8
Superb:
complex,
detailed,
attractive,
interesting
Early