Month: May 2016

The Society of Designer Craftsmen

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Designer Crafts at the Mall 2016
Designer Crafts at the Mall 2016

Yes, I’m there! (well I will be there)

As a new Graduate Licentiate Member, I have been invited to exhibit at The Society of Designer Craftsmen’s show in the prestigious Mall Galleries in London.

The Society is undergoing some social media updating to give them a presence on Twitter and Facebook, so please follow.

Also the improved website will enable us members to promote our activities, show images of our work and to be contacted directly from the SDC web site, so watch this space as they say!

Inkle Band hand-woven for Percussionist’s whistle

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A very personal commission completed for the percussionist who has occupied the studio next to mine since I moved in last year. He will leaving shortly for a new job and travelling to exotic destinations! It has been truly magical to hear his music practice whilst I work. I designed this strap for a special Brazilian whistle he uses and hand-wove it on an Old English Inkle loom – I hope he will take pleasure in using it and telling the story of its origins.IMG_4251 IMG_4253

Cotswold AONB Sheep and Wool Day 2016

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Demonstration of weaving on my folding floor loom.
Demonstration of weaving on my folding floor loom.

The Cotswold AONB’s 2nd Sheep and Wool Day took place at their Visitors Centre in Northleach on Bank Holiday Monday. I was invited, along with my folding floor loom, to demonstrate the craft of weaving.

Local groups and businesses supported the event, bringing spinning wheels, home grown wool yarn and of course some Cotswold Sheep. To showcase local wools, I warped my loom with Lleyn from Abbey Home Farm’s flock and wove with Cotswold from Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm

Always popular with children (and adults too), I brought a little loom so they could do some weaving which they could take home. The loom of choice for beginners, the rigid heddle and back-strap, was warped up ready to weave and many visitors had a go, amazing themselves at how good their weaving was!

I will be leading one of the Cotswold AONB’s 50th Anniversary Weekend Creative Courses in June, which will include weaving and natural dyeing.

 

 

Bradford Textile Society Design Competition 2016 – Award Winners Ceremony and Exhibition

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At the Award Winners Exhibition. The final design and development samples of my handwoven fabric.
At the Award Winners Exhibition. The final design and development samples of my handwoven fabric.

I travelled up to Bradford with friend and fellow Bath Spa University Alumni, Rosie Smith, for the Bradford Textile Society Design Awards on 6th May. Entering the annual competition for the first time as Independent Designers, we both received a Commendation for our woven designs in British Wool.

In my designs I used wool from different sheep breeds in a range of thicknesses to weave fabric for ‘throws’ in two weights. The colours developed from working with a variety of natural yellow, red and grey dyes which I extracted from plant (or other) substances, layering one over another.

The samples were woven in my studio, by hand (and feet!) on my restored old wooden floor loom.

More information and images here