As each of the panels was to be quite small (less than 15cms high) I was unable to fit more than one of the arches onto each panel, so I decided to make each panel transparent so that the others would be seen behind.

Coloured organza in blues and black were layered with blue, red and gold paper lame and machined together with a tiny satin stitch. The top layers were then burned back with a soldering iron so more of the various colours showed through. These panels were then stitched to painted florists wire. The tassels were made from folded pentagons of the same fabrics.

The cover of my sketchbook [right] was also made from layers of organzas and metallic fabrics, this time laid onto felt and embroidered with hand and machine stitching.

Jewellery Casket

The brief for my panel was to make a container for a precious piece of jewellery given to my client by an old Iranian friend. I therefore decided to take Islamic architecture as the starting point for my research.

Source material was harder to obtain than it had been for the pottery I used in the 3D item, however a visit to the Indian gallery at the V&A and lots of library books had to suffice.

I based my design on the Great Mosque in Cordoba, Spain. I was inspired by the bright azure blues and turquoise of some islamic tiles I had seen in the V&A and the use of gold decoration in the mosque itself.

I found the mathematics used in the architecture of the mosque particularly fascinating. The proportions of the arches relative to the height of the columns have special meanings to the architects in that they represent the relationship between heaven and earth.

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