ARtist StAtemENT

For the green design project I decided to use dryer sheets. I brainstormed a lot about materials but this inspired me because i had somewhat experimented with it before. I had only touched on it but hadn't really gotten far. Dryer sheets are thrown away and end up in landfills. They can also be found in abundance in almost every home. The smell of dryer sheets remind me of my mom and home. It gives me and others a sense of security and comfort. I like how much a material can give off an emotion with everyone. There were so many possibilities with dryer sheets that I wish I had more time work on it. The dying process alone has so many variations like what kind of dye, how you apply it, how long you let it sit, and so on. I chose to use Easter egg tablets my mom had saved. I experimented with how long they sat in the dye and what would happen if i dripped it on. I also used some sewing but that ended up taking a lot longer than I had expected. Because the dryer sheets are so thin and delicate, the sewing machine would constantly get jammed or it would pucker the fabric. So, I did a little hand embroidery but that process took too long for production pieces. I liked the way it looked but India ink with a brush worked much faster. Once I had a several sheets dyed, and sewn, I started to cut out different shapes and lengths. I liked the long skinny rectangles the best. The pieces were then grommeted together then attached to an ear wire. Since I had cut down the time, I got to make more pairs of earrings than i thought. It was fun exploring color and shape combinations. I'd like for my project to put ordinary objects on a pedestal. Let the materials that you throw away get some recognition. I want people to take a closer look at the earrings and find out what the material is after touching it. It would be nice for the wearer to be able to smell it and get that comforted feeling. Green design can be fun, innovation, and unexpected.
Creative Caffeine: I worked at least ten ways of manipulating the dryer sheets with various sewing techniques (hand and machine) and dying methods. A lot of time went into different ways to use the material.
box of dryer sheets- $3

easter egg kit- $1

time: 2 hrs- brainstorming

6 hrs- experimenting

3 hrs- putting together