3 TINS part 3

MAKING THE WORKS 2

Once I'd decided to use a duster inside the POLISH tin the rest followed easily. Various ways to get the text onto it were considered and sampled but the automated machine embroidery gave clarity plus a degree of gravitas that seemed fitting for ministerial pronouncements. Thread colour echoes the duster edging. I'll probably impregnate it with some polish to add smell if I can find any at the back of the cupboard.


Sampling: machine embroidery

I've chosen to use an assortment of plasters and fonts in the AID tin to suggest an uncoordinated approach. I quite like the amateurish look of the texts on these. To start with I wasn't sure stitching over the lettering would add anything but now 'stitching things together' is in my mind and the idea that a lot of effort doesn't always achieve anything useful. Mainly, I hope it will add in a suggestion of the feelings of care, comfort and nurture that trigger donations to emergency aid. So it has to be hand stitched. Also it might help tick the 'textile' box which I was beginning to worry was not obvious enough!

Two strands or three? Sampling stitching on plasters was a real pain because the glue gums up needle and thread. A baby wipe helps but stopping every other stitch or so to deal with it breaks the sewing rhythm. Will I have the stamina to stitch them all?

UNIVERSAL SALVE is the most difficult piece to make decisions on. The original plan was to include a zig-zag book of circles to emulate the fold-out directions found on some products. I like the sculptural look of these - a bit like a slinky.

Paper seems too flimsy to stay standing up; card is not easy to fold neatly. This structure might be hard to read when displayed.

Using ribbon to string the circles together is a possibility as is this interesting arrangement in the Schraubthaler or Coin Book:

Although I'd lose the 'slinky' structure, this sort of book would be easy to open out for display and facilitate reading. Ribbon spacing would need to accommodate thickness of one or more pages.

I'm currently thinking of printing the text onto fabric, stiffening with Lutradur and joining discs with ribbon. Will it attach to the tin (Velcro?) or be free standing? Will I include images? The order in which the 'pages' open might determine placement of text. Will it be double sided? Is there a simpler solution?

Now wishing I'd started sooner!