Dash and Miller- Week Three..

As dyeing became a big part of my previous work, it was an easy and obvious choice for me to continue this into the Dash and Miller project. Working with the Royal Blue acid dyes I already had mixed from my ‘Self Developed’ project I carefully designed my samples in relation to which fibres would have the dye applied. After washing, brushing, teasing and constructing, dyeing was the final process in my woven collection for the Dash and Miller project.

 

 

Dash and Miller- Week Two..

Reflecting on the brief composed by weave and design company Dash and Miller, I chose Interior Designers 'Harlequin' as my main source of inspiration to guide me through this next project; for my colour palette and for my weaving design work too. The range that has particularly inspired me is called ‘Amazilia’  and consists of velvet fabrics for both soft and hard furnishings. The colour palette that I’ve selected from their range strongly reflects the colours of a peacocks feather, something I’ve never selected before. As my samples are on a smaller scale this time, the concept for this brief will be for boarders for any interior based items e.g. curtains, cushions, throws etc, in a similar way to Nina Campbell’s wide woven boarders. Her ideas of edging, boarders and trimmings really inspired me and has taken me in a different direction with my work; not only weaving flat structures, but the idea of roaching them together as well as placing them together to really mix and match the designs. Being playful with these could be the key to success.

 

 

 

 

Dash and Miller- Week One..

Using the same warp from my Self-Initiated brief, I decided to develop this further into the Dash and Miller Live project; by working with what I already had it allowed me to save time, and to expand and experiment more with the work I had already done.

I started off by re-reeding the warp allowing me to split up the warp into two halves, creating two six inch samples with a small gap in the middle. I would then have the choice to either cut the samples into two or keep them as a larger sample with a non-woven float in the middle. On one half of the warp I tied in a variety of yarns including mohair, glitter lycras and 2/16s cotton.

Using both thick and thin yarns and plain weave I tightly beated down my samples to create high density samples. My selections of yarn allowed me to create both style and movement within my work.

Self Initiated- Week four..

I began with a plain cream 2/20s woollen warp, threaded very plainly and simply on the loom. The concept was for Interior Design and in particular for living spaces. I decided I didn't want to focus too much on my structures for this collection and would just be focusing the whole project on plain weaving and piece dying my samples. To lay my own identity onto my sampling, I used a wide variety of different yarns, some cream and some white, but all the yarns with so many different qualities. My experimenting with different yarn choices at this point has really gone crazy! My reason for this was to see which yarn would take the dye the best, and this also seemed to give my samples more of a personal quality and different finish. 

With my colour palette now chosen, I went into the dye lab to mix up my colours, all using acid dyes to make six strong colours to paint directly onto my samples when off the loom.

I considered that each colour would take to each yarn very differently. Luckily I was able to get my colour palette as close to my drawing work as possible which is clearly a very important part of the process.

After my dying was complete I went back to my drawing work and zoomed in on areas that I had bleached out. I focused on certain parts at one time and did similar types of marks on my sampling by discharging the dye away, a technique I had never tried before. It was a much more challenging task than I thought and it took a number of attempts to finally get right. After this first process with a selected amount of samples I decided to take them one step further by adding on a variety of embellishments including many new processes such as flocking and tufting. To finish off all of my samples I steamed them to lock in all the colour, dye and process, then sewed and tied in all my edges, as well as pressing and mounting them up all ready to be handed in. 

 

 

 

 

My Final Collection of Samples are tailored towards quirky living room décor including throws and cushions.

 

 

Self Initiated- Week Three..

Ptolomy Mann has been a huge inspiration for my Self-Initiated brief, not only the choice of bold and vibrant colour palettes that run throughout the woven collections, but the colour blending and dying skills that are included within the weaving too. The marks and movement in each of the designs indicates a unique quality. This is such a beautiful look to the work and makes it stand out. I’m not sure I know of anyone else with such designs in the woven world. I certainly think I need to explore this method a little more in my own work.

 

 

Both images below are designs by Ptolomy Mann. The colour palette is similar to my own, and with that close to mind, I do feel as if this a direction that I  can see myself exploring further.

 

Georgia Fisher has also been an inspiration for this project, in more ways than just her brushing styles. Even though her colour palette is quite the opposite to my own her marks are very similar and this was something I picked up on straight away. I will continue to use this as a reference.

 

Self Initiated- Week Two..

Before I became too focused on weaving at the loom I decided that now was my time to do some real experimenting in other areas of the course. I chose to look closely at the very first drawing I did for this project, along with a few others. I decided to do a collection of iron on transfer samples, on a synthetic cotton material which allowed the colours to be more vibrant on the surface of the fabric - just the look I was aiming for. 

To push my samples on further I then went on to the embellishing machine, and gathered together specific areas of the weave. I did this by pulling the fibres together,  which in turn created movement in the fabric. This was something I felt worked really well and will be a technique I will be including in my woven sampling.  

Self Initiated- Week One..

Continuing from my Summer project and onto the Bradford Brief I decided to look back on my catalogue of photographs and I picked out the one I felt most inspired me. I have chosen to base the next project on the incredible colour and tones and the amazing marks and pattern that is encapsulated in that one image. I feel very confident in its potential.

Selecting two parts of this image, the lively colour palette and the movement from the photograph, I was able to come up with a number of mark making drawings expressing exactly what my work was all about.
Unpicking the positive feedback from my two tutor critical presentations, I made a decision to stay away from 'chalky looking' media and designed a whole development folder of work using brusho, ink and bleach, giving my work a flatter and wetter appearance. This allowed me to see what worked best with both my
pattern and composition, and I began to do some tester work on thick cotton fabric to see what kind of dying ideas I could use for my sampling. I dyed and played around with a number of samples, the bottom image is the best outcome.