Encoded Cloth from the Future

Part 1: Imagining the Future
due: Tuesday, Nov. 2

Part 2: Generating 100 Ideas
due: Thursday, Nov. 4

Part 3: Repeat-Pattern Design
due: Tuesday, Nov. 9

Part 4: Creating your Project
due: Thursday, Nov. 18

Overview

Imagine you come upon a time machine. You use this time machine to travel 50 years into the future. What do you see? What is life like in 2070? While you are there, you look for something to bring back to present time. You choose something made of cloth that will help you tell a story of what life is like 10 years in the future.

For this assignment, you will work with a partner to create an encoded cloth that communicates something essential about you and/or the world in the year 2070. Additionally, you and your partner will create a design to contribute to a repeat-pattern hand-printed fabric we will make as a class.

You are in full control of what life in the year 2070 looks like. When you imagine the year 2070, it can be “realistic”, fantasy, or anywhere in between. The first part of this assignment is to let an image of the future develop in your imagination.

Your encoded cloth can be a story quilt, a piece of fashion, or a cloth replica of an object from the future that we have never seen. You may use any technique you deem suitable for constructing your “encoded” cloth including, but not limited to, techniques we have or will learn in class: sewing, piecing, embroidery, quilting, appliqué, dyeing, and printing on fabric techniques.

Things to consider:

  • Consider how the design, construction, embellishment techniques, and materials contribute to our “reading” of your work.  How do these elements affect the encoded meaning?
  • Consider the form that your cloth takes and how that helps you tell your story: is it a flag, a coverlet, a quilt, a jacket, wall hanging, table cloth, or other wearable?
  • Consider how your installation or presentation contributes to our understanding as well: how do we interact with it, see it or experience your work?

Inspiration Slideshow

Part 1: Imagining the Future (due: Tues. 11/2)

Spend time imaging the year 2070. What does it feel, smell, sound, or look like? How do people travel? How do people interact? What do people eat, wear, or spend time doing? What are the environment and cities like? Do we have more technology or less? What happened between now and the next 10 years to make 2070 the way it is?

What kind of project would you like to make about 2070?

Everyone is going to share their ideas about the future year 2070 and also share about the kind of project that interests them. Think of this as a kind of pitch that we will use for matching interests to find our teams.

Create a blog post on this WordPress site to document what you image for the year 2070:

  1. Categorize your post with this WordPress category: Encoded Cloth from the Future
  2. Embed clear, quality images or scans of some sketches/collages/photos of what you imagine 2070 will be like. (Make sure to use the “tiles” block for your images)
  3. Write text about what you imagine the year 2070 will be like.

Part 2: Generating 100 Ideas (due: Thur. 11/4)

Generate 100 ideas of encoded cloths you could bring back from the future to communicate something essential about you and/or the world in the year 2070.

Create one shared blog post on this WordPress site to document your 100 ideas.

  1. Categorize your post with this WordPress category: Encoded Cloth from the Future
  2. List your 100 ideas.
  3. Identify which idea is your group’s favorite on the list.

Part 3: Repeat Pattern Design (due 11/9)

Our entire class is going to create a piece of cloth with a collage of repeating patterns about what we imagine 2070 will be like. With your partner, create an element that can be used as part of a repeat pattern to be printed in class. Your design should be inspired by what you are creating for your Encoded Cloth project. It can be a design for a screen print or a block print element. Use the methods shown in class on how to design a repeat pattern for screen or block print.

On the due date you should bring with you a drawing of your design, plus your screen or block for printing ready to go. You will be shown in class how to prep a screen and how to construct a block.

Part 4: Creating your Project (due 11/18)

Choose your favorite of your 100 ideas and develop it further by actually creating it out of cloth. Allow your project to grow and take on its own life as you make it.

Create a blog post on this WordPress site to document your final cloth project you created.

  • Categorize your post with this WordPress category: Encoded Cloth from the Future
  • Write a brief paragraph outlining your explorations: intended effects, surprises, discoveries, challenges, successes.
  • Embed clear, quality images of your Encoded Cloth in the blog post.