The Carnival Lantern panels and Development Process

The 12 domestic knitted panels each took roughly 10 hours, 7-8 hours of partial knitting and 2-3 hours of finishing, stuffing and decorating.

I started by knitted a 60cm square on the domestic machine, having only to cut and sew a few before linking the panels together.

The panels were linked together in rows vertically. 4 of the linked panels were made up of one domestic, one monster, one domestic, the other one monster, one domestic, one monster. Creating a checkerboard pattern of monsters moving around the lantern. Watching everyone as they wait to be appeased.

The panels are all placed around the lantern based on the colour progression traveling around, reds and golds to more blues to the rainbow.

After linking the panels of three in to pairs, I then had a long process of taking each pair of now 6 panels down to the frame, hanging in the decorative arts department, and pin it to a cotton, non stretch fabric, around the top of the frame, to make sure the panel measurements and placement are as accurate as possible. It was a frustrating long process because of the location of the frame and the time it took to pin and hang each panel but it was the only way to be sure of an accurate placement.

After linking the panels into 6, I had two seams to link, due to the size of the fabric now it was extremely difficult to link it, a slow but successful method.

Once the outer layer was sewn together, I attached velcro to the top and bottom of the inside cover using the lock stitch machine. I then made woollen ruffles for the top and bottom hoops on the frame. It took 8 pieces to cover the top and 8 on the bottom, I made the ruffles on a base of the cotton fabric to avoid the knitted fabric stretching once hung. The cotton fabric was sewn in-between the two layers of knitted fabric, with velcro, creating a tube which attaches to the inside fabric, the frame being hidden inside.

Now sewn together at the top and bottom of each layer of fabric, the over all weight increased and the hanging was a really hard process which took 3 people. It was a hard process which was really about learning as we went, trying to shape and adjust each cover around the frame.

Once adjusted the covers fitted the frame perfectly. The inside panels needed to be adjusted slightly to avoid the seams being seen above the frame, that was done by adding poppers to the frame covers and attaching that to hold the panel in place.

The ruffles were not big enough as the weight of the knitted fabric pulled the cotton down, making it visible. I added 8 to the outside of the top and 8 on the bottom and the same on the inside, 32 in total. It really made the difference was attached to the cover and became a great feature.

The bell hanging for inside the frame has been made from sari scraps, a beaded elephant hanging from Bangkok, cow bells from France, beaded ribbon from the Victoria Market, and decorative recycled fabrics. It has extra decorative, small bells to add to the jingle as the lantern rotates.