This week's assignment for Art 60 was to make a "gratifying object": something that makes you feel happy to hold. In preparation for making this object, I needed to go out and spend time carefully feeling at least 100 objects and document this exploration process in my lab notebook. After some thought, I decided to use my favorite texture as a child, the ruffle on my stuffed clown, as an inspiration for my object. I wanted to create an adult version of the sensation of the ruffles between my fingers. I explored many fabric options, finding my final choices at Austin's Silk Road Fabrics, place specializing in exquisite fabrics. I was overwhelmed by my options, but managed to narrow it down to a few final contenders.
After much trial and error (and good bit of sewing advice from my mom) I ended up with the coffee cup cosy shown below. It has four layers: an inner layer that stretches tight around the cup, a polar fleece layer for cushion and a lining layer to allow the top layer of silk to move freely. The "handle" is not structural, but meant to make the back of your hand feel nice, too. The ruffles are a nod to the stuffed clown I had as a child.
