Soft Structures: “Design in Nature”

Museum Research:

I was attracted to the toy stuffed tiger from ancient Asian culture gallery, because it reminded me of my childhood.

I also liked the jellyfish model hanging on the ceiling in the biodiversity gallery- I think the shape and form of the model is really beautifully created.

I decided to go with the stuffed tiger idea. I simplified the shape similar to a rounded trapezoid, and embroidered on the fabrics. The design is definitely unsatisfactory to me since it doesn’t mimic the shape of a tiger well, and there’s a lot of room for improvement. I think I oversimplified the design pattern, and ended up with the stuffed animal looking more like a flimsy cat. I enjoyed doing the embroidery on the fabric, however, and I definitely see improvements as I go along- I learn that I can move faster with more precision.

Pattern for design:

Muslin model (unstuffed):

When I was sewing the muslin mock-up, I realized I accidentally sewed the tail to the front of the design, and made note of it, so I wouldn’t make the same mistake in the final product.

 

Final Design:

Embroidery practice: