In addition to the basic ways of making patterns, there are certain basic pattern structures. Children will discover many of these for themselves, given the opportunity and encouragement, but a suggestion about a new way of putting a pattern together may reveal a host of new possibilities. The two simplest forms are probably the pattern based on spirals or concentric circles, and the band or stripe pattern. The first of these can be started at the outside edge of the paper or the centre, and consists of circles of patterns going in to the centre or out to the edge. Each pattern is different from the preceding one. In this way, the work offers opportunity for a variety of invention, without the tedium of too much repetition. It also demands that the parts of the pattern balance well with the right amounts of patterns and solids. Band and stripe patterns, as the name implies, are a series of different patterns going across or down the page. Again we have some repetition, but not enough to become tedious. Again we have the problem of balance. Another pattern of the same sort, which can be carried out in paint, is that based on a series of shapes placed side by side. Start by folding the paper into a series of rectangles. Place a large, fairly simple shape in each, which touches all the sides. Fill in each of the first four or so with something different and repeat the fillings on the next row. Quite effective patterns can also be made with a different filling in each shape. This is basically a "side-by-side" pattern. Other side-by-side patterns can be made using printing methods and collage. A variation on the side-by-side pattern which children soon discover when working with sticky paper shapes is that of half drop or brick pattern, in which the unit of pattern is stepped down or sideways in each succeeding row of pattern. They will also discover the interchange pattern, in which a light shape on a dark ground alternates with the same shape in a dark colour on a light ground. By turning the shapes and arranging them in different ways they will discover also turn round and reversing patterns.

Pattern based on concentric circles

Band or stripe pattern

Side-by-side pattern

Side-by-side pattern with alternating motifs

Half drop pattern

Interchange pattern

These are merely the basic structures. The variations are endless. It will be noted, however, that while most of them can be introduced in some media at an early stage, they are not suitable teaching material for all ages in all media. An interchange pattern in paint, for example, requires careful and exact repetition in each unit and is probably not suitable for primary children of any age. When the work is done in cut paper, however, the pattern takes care of itself. It is probably a good idea to remember that if you use paint it should be used in such a way that the brush-stroke can contribute to it. In general it is better to use paint on a fairly large scale and to encourage the children to use their brushes with vigour, repeating a shape or line by getting a feeling for the rhythm of it. A pattern in which you cannot do this is probably better carried out in another medium.

While I think it valuable and necessary to explore patterns for their own sake, there is a wide field of craftwork which is closely connected. In bookcraft, for example, we shall often have the opportunity to use the patterns we have printed or painted. The most natural progression is to fabric printing, especially when there has been experimental work in printing on paper. We can, in fact, move directly from printing on paper to printing on material with no change at all in the other materials or the way of working. Fabric can be printed quite reasonably with powder colour. This is impermanent, but quite useful for printing things like dressing-up clothes and puppet dresses. A more satisfactory but still impermanent medium is watercolour printing ink, which can be obtained from most craft suppliers. This comes in tubes, is easily mixed to the colour desired, gives a more satisfactory print than powder colour, and is cleaned away with water, which is a great advantage.

More permanent results can be obtained with oil-based printing inks, but these have the obvious disadvantage of being equally permanent when someone accidentally gets them on his clothes. They will need to be thinned with turpentine if they are to be used with the vegetable, string, rubber and felt blocks suggested earlier. They can then be used in the same way as the powder colour, but turpentine or paraffin will be needed for cleaning up. They are easy to mix and use and are obtainable, like the water-colour inks, from most craft suppliers.

An alternative to printing inks which is much more satisfactory, once you have overcome the initial problems, is the use of printing dyes. These actually become part of the material, instead of remaining on the surface as the inks do. There are many kinds of fabric dyes and the difficulty about using many of them in school is that they require steaming to fix the colours. There are now some on the market, the Bedafin and

Procion dyes, which can be fixed by ironing or heating in an ordinary domestic oven.

Further work could follow with top Juniors, using lino. I usually find a good way of beginning this is to encourage each child to make a striped block, using the tools in as many ways as possible. We can then make a block starting from the edge and working inwards with bands of pattern, or the reverse. With these two, a tremendous variety of patterns is possible, and it is a good idea to try out a number of them on paper before printing on material. The cutting of the block can be carried out with the cutting tools sold by craft suppliers for the purpose, or with knives. Whichever you use, make sure that children hold the block so that there is no danger of their cutting themselves if the tool slips. If you are printing with inks on material, you will need the special rollers obtainable from the craft dealers. If you print with dyes, you will need to coat the blocks with flocking powder, again obtainable from the craft dealer. This enables the block to hold the dye.

I said earlier that fabric printing and pattern making should make children more aware of pattern in the world around them. I think this link must be consciously made, through discussion and by looking at materials. A great deal can be learnt from a collection of printed materials. We can try to deduce the methods used to obtain the pattern and some of these can be tried out in other patterns. It is also sometimes possible to see how the pattern is repeated. Such a collection can be used also as a basis of discussion on what looks well with what, and why.

There is an important place for exhibitions of all kinds in school. Interest in pattern and texture might be fostered by a display of pattern as we see it in fabrics and in natural things such as shells, leaves, feathers, seed heads and so on.

10-year-olds. Potato-printed traycloths

(Chapter 13)

7-year-old. Pattern made by spattering and printing with felt blocks

(Chapter 13)

10-year-old. Picture in which particular interest in pattern has been shown (Chapter 14)