Watery Weaves.

This project was based on water, and looked at different artists and the way they portrayed water. I looked at Monet, Alfred Sisley and the Impressionists style of painting, Katsushika Hokusai and the Great Wave Woodcut, and also David Hockney, and his swimming pools.
The designs were done for use in the care home enviroment with the aim of improving the lives of the elderly residents. A soothing colour palette was selected but I also included texture into the weave to provide stimulation to touch for the dementia suffers.
I used 'new' fibres of bamboo, ramie, soya bean, milk protein fibres and recycled plastic bottles which with wool and alpaca, I spun into yarns.
I selected the 'new' fibres as many of these have antibacterial properties and feel good to touch.
The feedback from residents at a home was very positive and that they would like to see some of the textiles available at the home. See Presentation

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Studies of water surface pattern, in style of David Hockney.

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Samples of lightweight fabric, suggested use for bedding.

Warp used - tencel, warped at 20epc.

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Space dyed warp in stripes of white, small patterns to give impression of water.










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Space dyed warp with various wefts, with inlay threads to create waves.












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Experiments with techniques, needle felting and bobbin lace inserted into weaving.




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Samples woven for blankets. warp was in stripes, with pale cotton which had been space dyed before weaving. Samples woven with hand spun weft.

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Blanket weave weight in honeycomb.

Woven in handspun alpaca and wool.

Pollen Proliferation

This brief was to look at the textures surfaces o f pollen grains to design a range of textured fabrics for use in interiors. The range was to include throws and cushions.

The weaving was done using a 24 shaft computer dobby loom, in double cloth and used contrasting cotton and wool in the warp to give differential shrinkage. The aim to give texture was achieved also by stuffing some of the shapes with wool to give a raised surface. Also floats were used in some patterns and then cut afterwards to give the tufts found on some pollen grain surfaces.

Throw shown in progress on the loom.

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Study of pollen surface and flower seed pods.








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Various images after computer manipulation.

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Display of art work at assessment.

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Raised spots stuffed with hand dyed roving and then tufts pulled out after weaving.



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Orange weft is a bamboo yarn which gives a slightly silky feel to the fabric.

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Fabric sample which was subsequently selected to produce two throws in.

Warp is cotton and wool in stripes which when washed gave a slight texture to the surface, with differential shrinkage.

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Large spots padded to give texture to surface of fabric.

Cushion with contrasting flap and buttons.

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Range of buttons produced to compliment the cushions. Worked in cottons and wools, and then deliberately shrunk to give texture, before dyeing.

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