Since my last post about the Lace Weave Workshop the date has changed. It is now Saturday and Sunday 3 and 4 December. So if you were interested but couldn't make the date in September you've another change to join us. The contact details are the same, Janet Ellison, of Fibre East.
I'm really looking forward to tutoring this workshop, so hopefully I'll see you there.
Friday, September 02, 2016
Lace Weave Workshop
Since my last post about the Lace Weave Workshop the date has changed. It is now Saturday and Sunday 3 and 4 December. So if you were interested but couldn't make the date in September you've another change to join us. The contact details are the same, Janet Ellison, of Fibre East.
I'm really looking forward to tutoring this workshop, so hopefully I'll see you there.
I'm really looking forward to tutoring this workshop, so hopefully I'll see you there.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Lace Weave Workshop in September
After the success of the Block Weave workshop in June, the lovely Fibre East team have booked me for another workshop, this time Lace Weaves, in September. This workshop explores up to five lace weaves in either cotton or wool (yes, wool!), so if you're interested in the beautiful Scandinavian textiles that use these structures then why not book on this course?
Yes, wool! Most lace weave fabrics are woven in linen, cotton or a mix of them both, but it's equally beautiful in wool for soft draped scarves, striking cushions, blankets, etc. Don't let your pre-conceived ideas prevent you from having a go at weaving them in wool, the UK's most versatile fibres. The course is designed so that every student will pre-warp their own loom in one of the structures and in the workshop will share their looms with each other, in a "round robin", so that everyone goes home with swatches in each structure, some in cotton and some in wool.
Below are two shawls I was commissioned to make a few years ago, in Huck Lace. Both are hand woven in silk and cashmere.
Yes, wool! Most lace weave fabrics are woven in linen, cotton or a mix of them both, but it's equally beautiful in wool for soft draped scarves, striking cushions, blankets, etc. Don't let your pre-conceived ideas prevent you from having a go at weaving them in wool, the UK's most versatile fibres. The course is designed so that every student will pre-warp their own loom in one of the structures and in the workshop will share their looms with each other, in a "round robin", so that everyone goes home with swatches in each structure, some in cotton and some in wool.
Below are two shawls I was commissioned to make a few years ago, in Huck Lace. Both are hand woven in silk and cashmere.
Thursday, June 09, 2016
The Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers
My copy of The Journal arrived just before I went off the Flitwick on Friday, so didn't have time to look through it even though I'd taken it with me to peruse. Tuesday morning while sitting in the garden having my breakfast I decided to have a quick look and to my surprise there was an article in "Guild Highlights" section about the workshop I tutored last year at the Mid-Essex Guild.
The workshop was on Art Yarn and was obviously very well received, so I am thrilled! The Mid-Essex Guild was very welcoming and I really enjoyed tutoring it, so thank you to them for ending such a lovely review to The Journal.
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| The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers |
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| Guild Highlights with my course review |
The workshop was on Art Yarn and was obviously very well received, so I am thrilled! The Mid-Essex Guild was very welcoming and I really enjoyed tutoring it, so thank you to them for ending such a lovely review to The Journal.
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
Fibre East Block Weave Workshop Week-End
Last week-end I tutored a successful workshop in Flitwick. Fibre East organised a two day workshop studying Block Weaves and 10 weavers shared their looms and warps so that they could experience Monks Belt, Honeycomb, Overshot, Crackle and Summer and Winter. Here are a selection of images of all the swatches they produced over the two days.
I am extremely proud of how the tackled the course, some new to weaving, and some with only two years experience. Well done everyone!
I am extremely proud of how the tackled the course, some new to weaving, and some with only two years experience. Well done everyone!
Derby University Textile Design - The Big Show
I spent a lovely morning at Derby University today taking a look at the current batch of 2016 graduates of the BA (Hons) Textile Design. I've not had any work placement students over the last three years so I've got a little out of touch with what's going on in the University world and I was pleasantly surprised!
The woven and knitted textiles were superb, although I was a little disappointed in the print. My most favourite work was from Sophia Reed, who'd interpreted Polish folk art into the most beautiful knitted textiles.
Sophia's coat was so beautiful, with the motifs graduating to nothing from the bottom to the top. I can see her charming little scarves sold in Liberty's, too!
Katie Mills' knitted scarves, inspired by mushrooms, were very interesting, using different weights of yarn to create areas of texture.
Other designers I liked were Jan Bell's 'Morocco' inspired woven textiles, Sammy Bertrams' 'Night Night Sleep Tight' childrens fabrics, Miriam Murgatroyd's 'Under the Microscope' knitted textiles and Florence Carr's brightly coloured knits, 'Coastal Roaming'.
The woven and knitted textiles were superb, although I was a little disappointed in the print. My most favourite work was from Sophia Reed, who'd interpreted Polish folk art into the most beautiful knitted textiles.
Sophia's coat was so beautiful, with the motifs graduating to nothing from the bottom to the top. I can see her charming little scarves sold in Liberty's, too!
Katie Mills' knitted scarves, inspired by mushrooms, were very interesting, using different weights of yarn to create areas of texture.
Other designers I liked were Jan Bell's 'Morocco' inspired woven textiles, Sammy Bertrams' 'Night Night Sleep Tight' childrens fabrics, Miriam Murgatroyd's 'Under the Microscope' knitted textiles and Florence Carr's brightly coloured knits, 'Coastal Roaming'.
Monday, June 06, 2016
Eglise du Château
The church that the Michel Degand tapestries were exhibited in was as inspiring as the tapestries themselves, the windows were stunning as was the roof and the carvings. It was a stunning, light church and a perfect place to exhibit the tapestries.
Aubusson and Felliton
After the Echo and Iris workshop Jane and I went to Aubusson and Felletin to see the tapestry weavers. Aubusson is famous for it's low warp tapestries or use of horizontal looms.
It was rather late in the day when we arrived so we couldn't go to see Manufacturer St Jean and sadly the Museum was closed for the change over from the old museum to the brand new Museum to celebrate the status of International city of Tapestry. So we went to see the weavers at Studio A2 where we purchased a beautiful little tapestry beater.
We had been recommended by the Tourist Information Office to go to Felletin to see the exhibition in the Church of the Chateau and we weren't disappointed. The tapestries designed by Michel Degard were on display with a few others by Sonia Delauney, Henri Guérin, Le Corbusier and Alexander Calder. All were woven by the Pinton Studio situated in Felletin.
Below are just a sample of the amazing selection of tapestries we saw with details of some of them. What I particularly liked were the different setts that were used in the same tapestries.
It was rather late in the day when we arrived so we couldn't go to see Manufacturer St Jean and sadly the Museum was closed for the change over from the old museum to the brand new Museum to celebrate the status of International city of Tapestry. So we went to see the weavers at Studio A2 where we purchased a beautiful little tapestry beater.
We had been recommended by the Tourist Information Office to go to Felletin to see the exhibition in the Church of the Chateau and we weren't disappointed. The tapestries designed by Michel Degard were on display with a few others by Sonia Delauney, Henri Guérin, Le Corbusier and Alexander Calder. All were woven by the Pinton Studio situated in Felletin.
Below are just a sample of the amazing selection of tapestries we saw with details of some of them. What I particularly liked were the different setts that were used in the same tapestries.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Marian Stubenitsky Workshop No. 2
I'm just back from a wonderful few days in France with Jane Deane.
The first three days were on the Marian Stubenitsky Workshop exploring double weave with Echo & Iris.
After designing our design line we started weaving but I had some threading mistakes, so after eventually sorting them out I had an interesting first sample. The weft lifts are "drawn as threaded".
This swatch is an Echo & Iris double cloth, and the distinct square blocks are the true double cloth areas.
Double cloth can have varying ratio's of interlacement of the colour on the front and back and this swatch shows these ratio's and how it affects the amount of colour on the front of the swatch.
By selecting an area where the double cloth is most obvious and only weaving this area a crinkle effect can be achieved with cotton in one pick and Colcolastic in the other. This is what it looks like before the Colcolastic is washed.
Weaving the design line in Turned Taquete gives the great effect! This swatch uses a 4/4 twill lift interspersed with plain weave lifts. I was worried that the purple in the weft was too dull, but against the orange in the weft it looks ok...
This Turned Taquete swatch gives a much more crisp pattern using 3/2/1/2 twill lifts interspersed with plain weave. Again I used the orange weft and then the purple weft.
With the double weave sett a repp weave can be produced when using a thick and thin pick. I only used a small section of the lifts based on the design line, but you can see the repp effect.
There is so much potential in these experiments, I'm really looking forward to exploring more. Thanks to Marian for developing these ideas and passing them on to us.
The first three days were on the Marian Stubenitsky Workshop exploring double weave with Echo & Iris.
After designing our design line we started weaving but I had some threading mistakes, so after eventually sorting them out I had an interesting first sample. The weft lifts are "drawn as threaded".
This swatch is an Echo & Iris double cloth, and the distinct square blocks are the true double cloth areas.
Double cloth can have varying ratio's of interlacement of the colour on the front and back and this swatch shows these ratio's and how it affects the amount of colour on the front of the swatch.
By selecting an area where the double cloth is most obvious and only weaving this area a crinkle effect can be achieved with cotton in one pick and Colcolastic in the other. This is what it looks like before the Colcolastic is washed.
Weaving the design line in Turned Taquete gives the great effect! This swatch uses a 4/4 twill lift interspersed with plain weave lifts. I was worried that the purple in the weft was too dull, but against the orange in the weft it looks ok...
This Turned Taquete swatch gives a much more crisp pattern using 3/2/1/2 twill lifts interspersed with plain weave. Again I used the orange weft and then the purple weft.
With the double weave sett a repp weave can be produced when using a thick and thin pick. I only used a small section of the lifts based on the design line, but you can see the repp effect.
There is so much potential in these experiments, I'm really looking forward to exploring more. Thanks to Marian for developing these ideas and passing them on to us.
Tuesday, March 08, 2016
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