con·cin·ni·ty: n. harmony in the arrangement or interarrangement of parts with respect to the whole; internal beauty, fr. concinnus, skillfully put together, beautiful.
How does one define Free Form? It's almost impossible, but sufficient to say that the work you create is exactly what you imagine.
Of the many styles of Free Form, most of them seek to unify seemingly disparate techniques, stitches, textures, and colors into a single work with near-perfect concinnity.
As an art form, free form is most comparable to painting. The "canvas" can be many different things -- from canvas-cloth to a crocheted background, to no background at all. The "paint" is yarn, or fabric, or other fiber that is manipulated through crochet, knitting, sewing, embroidery, weaving, or other techniques to create the composition. Design, texture, and color are the primary foci, creating nooks and pockets, hiding secrets, and adding new dimensions.
Some artists prefer to use a background of fabric, and "fill it in" with chains and chains of fiber attached with thread. Others create a free form picture and attach it to canvas to make it easier to frame and display. Still other artists use a technique called "tapestry crochet," preferring to crochet on the surface of mesh used for making rugs.
Most free form, however, is crocheted or knitted in small pieces about the size of your hand, called scrumbles. Scrumbles are then joined together using a variety of techniques to make a larger piece. View free form work in progress.
Free form liberates the mind and soul and allows ultimate creativity within the realm of fiber arts. And though it may take a little time to adjust to the lack of a pattern, the opportunity for unbridled creativity is too valuable to dismiss.
Free form is nothing without creativity, and that, perhaps, is the best definition of "Free Form."