Unit X evaluation

I feel this unit has been a good progression from practice.

I wanted to solely use natural dyes, which has been challenging but rewarding. Although it has been a time consuming process I am pleased that I persevered and am happy with the results; I feel I have managed to achieve a good colour balance across my collection.

The addition and removal of colour with bleach and overdyeing and the layering of foil are other aspects that I have spent time developing. As a refinement to the use of lace in my work I have explored stencilling foil to add feminine details. I really like the effect of this technique although I feel it is still not fully resolved and could be extended to make more of an impact.

Using the finer gauge dubied has allowed me to broaden the qualities of the fabrics in my collection. The fine knit viscose has a lovely drape and sheen to it, providing a good contrast to the heavier/ flatter wools. Embellishing different fabrics together has also worked nicely and has good potential for further development.

I have focused mainly on developing garments this unit, working on the stand to explore different shapes and ideas, building on what I learnt in practice. Although I was pushed for time at the end I managed to produce the two garments I outlined in my learning agreement. I am not entirely happy with the tunic garment, as it does not hang as well on the body as I would like. I think this is due to the viscose being heavier than the fabric I toiled with. As I did not foresee this I have not had time to re-knit the side panels to correct it, better planning and time management was needed here. I do like the details on the garment though and am pleased with how well it works with the garment I made in practice.

I worked more intuitively with the 2^nd jumper style garment and produced it in a shorter amount of time but I feel it is the more successful. It has a good impact of scale and I like the balance between the weight and silhouette and the more delicate detailing on it.

The photoshoot was another key element to developing a professional finish to my work. I kept the styling simple and let the shoot flow naturally, reflecting my overall concept. The model and photographer were both very helpful as well with ideas for the shoot and I am really happy with the photos. Having done this photoshoot I feel much more confident with the styling and direction of my work.

I have kept in mind the context for my work throughout the unit, looking to other designers working unconventionally in Menswear for inspiration. Bethany Williams and Suzanna James are both young designers who work sustainably within a menswear context, I admire both of them as their work is innovative and contemporary but is underpinned with conscious design. This is how I would like my own practice to develop and I think the work from this unit has been a good step forward to achieving this.

Development_ Indigo dyeing

This weeks tutorial we focused on how I might refine my samples and start to bring everything together. I have been incorporating lace into my work in various ways but I have found it has never quite worked as it tends to look too heavy and messy, so this week I have tried to address this.

In the sample below I used a stencil I created from the lace to bleach the sample and then to foil over the top. I think this has a better finish to it as it uses the idea of the lace but feels more natural to the sample. I will continue to explore this technique with different kinds of lace/ stencils and play with the scale of it within a sample.

The indigo dyeing has been a time consuming process but I am glad I have percervered with it as it gives a depth and richness of colour, unlike synthetic dyes. For unit x I decided to set up my own natural indigo dye vat so that I could have more control over it and experiment a bit more. I tried two different kinds of indigo, Tamil is a traditional indigo which gave a nice shade but I found the vat was exhausted quickly meaning I couldn’t dye as much yarn. 

This week I switched to a Mayan indigo which promised a darker shade and found this to be more successful for the depth of colour I wanted. I consulted Zoe on the best technique with indigo dyeing. For the deepest shade, the fibre needs to be re-dipped several times in the vat to build up the layers of colour. 

I have experimented with dyeing both yarn and piece dying samples after knitting. I like the results of both, the dyed yarn knits up with a slight marled effect, where as pice dyeing gives a flatter colour but  can be graduated more organically through a sample.

(Indigo dyeing process)

Development

During this weeks tutorial we discussed garment ideas. I found that my earlier illustrations where not quite communicating what I intended when I showed them to Laura so I have been developing a consistent style for illustrations that reflects my sketchbook and overall feel of the collection. This is something I am still not completely confident with but having thought back to Julie's sessions and experimenting with a few different ways, I feel I am on the right track now and my illustrations are more effective.

(garment illustrations from sketchbook)

I kept the figures very simple, using a gestural outline to suggest a body. I like the texture of using collaged papers which also reflects my work in my sketchbook. I will continue to refine the illustrations as I go, perhaps combining digital design with the collage. 

I have also been sampling to inform garment details/ structure. The sample below is an idea for a sleeve shape. I like the volume created by the drop stitch and am pleased with how the onion skin dyed yarn works with the indigo. I dip dyed the sample in indigo after knitting and then bleached bits out to play with the addition and removal of colour, I think this has been successful however if I was more sensitive with the bleach I could achieve a more subtle gradient of colour and a refined finish.

I also dyed the sample below after knitting, using different shades of wool to achieve the striped effect. I have found embellishing the wool to be really effective at creating movement and structure within a sample and I could imagine it working well on a garment to highlight details or areas of the body. I am keen to try this technique with others and to develop it further.

Development_ Portfolio day

This week I have been developing samples further, trying to achieve a sensitivity with colour and bringing techniques together more.

Here I knitted the piece, using different coloured yarns, and then overdyed it with indigo. I like the movement created through the sample and the subtle differences in tone from the dyeing process. 

I have been experimenting with the drop stitch technique in order to distort lines. I think it is successful on the 10G machines (as I've used here) and like the effect it creates. I used a pale blue yarn with the navy but i think it would have been better with a more subtle difference in colour, to prevent it being too stripey. 

I feel these two samples mimic each other in a way, which is something i will carry on exploring; looking at how i can combine techniques and play with scale and placement within a sample and across the collection. 

We also had the portfolio day which provided an opportunity to speak to TIP alumni about their practice and gain advice on portfolio preparation. It was really nice to catch up with Elnaz who I helped in first year for her degree show. It is encouraging to see how she has maintained and developed her style of work after graduating. Speaking to Zoe who specialises in sustainable design and British wool was also really helpful and gave me some good ideas on how to show my process and highlight the sustainable aspects in my portfolio. 

Reflections on New York

Our recent trip to New York was a fantastic experience and I really valued the opportunity to visit practicing studios. I found the Maharam textile studio visit the most inspiring, in both the designs they are producing, which are beautiful and unique and the way they operate as a company.

I was particularly interested in their environmental policies and how they work to reduce the environmental impact of production across the company.
The fact that their ethos was less trend led but combined innovation and tradition to create timeless designs was also refreshing and inspiring to see.

Collaboration with other designers and artists was something I noticed across a few of the studios. Maharam, the Rug Company and Flavour Paper all worked with different artists and designers to bring outside ideas and designs into their work and collections. This is something I had previously not given much consideration to but having visited the studios I think its a really interesting way of working as it builds and reinforces the connections between art, fashion and textiles.

I was very intrigued by Flavour Paper, the Brooklyn based studio/ workshop felt very fresh and fun. I admire the fact that they were making everything in house and had a commitment to quality and innovation, doing their own thing, very well.

New York has been a fantastically immersive city to explore with the range and contrast of buildings and districts providing constant captivation. In a slightly whirlwind week, I enjoyed how distinct the different districts were and valued getting to see the city from different perspectives from the Rockafella Building and Staten Island; with the High Line and Central Park providing sanctuary from the pace of the city. I found plenty of inspiration in the layers of architecture and lines and found many quirks to inspire this project.

(the financial district/ 9/11 memorial)

(view from Staten Island ferry)

Research/ Development

Following tutorial advice I have been working on developing my ideas and samples. The feeling was that I need to make more of an impact of scale within my samples and to look at combining techniques more as I have been a bit too tentative so far. 

Weaving in strips of scrap denim provides nice texture and weight. The sample on the left is felted, which i found made the denim stand out more and gave a nice contrast in feel within the sample. I am curious to explore the potential of this technique by integrating it into different samples alongside other techniques.

I have been working on the 10 gauge dubied this week, producing some fabrics to juxtapose the heavier domestic samples. Both of the samples above have been dip dyed in indigo after knitting, which gives a nice subtle difference in hue through out the sample. By layering the samples, i can see how they might work on a garment and play around with composition. I like the structure/ uniformity of the pleats coupled with the drop stitch and more organic dye.

I have also began working on garment ideas. Building on the basic tunic shape I achieved at the end of the last unit, I have been experimenting with adding some pleat/ draped detail to soften the silhouette and play with distorting proportions. 

(pages from garment development sketchbook)

Unit X_Research

Unit X will be a continuation of ideas from practice. I will take forward the strongest aspects to develop and refine, continuing to explore techniques and garment shapes.

To begin with I have been out and about finding some new inspiration to refresh and add to my research. Looking out for unusual quirks, that I might re-present or manipulate so that they could be perceived in a different way.

(research photography and sketch book page: A3)

Reviewing my work from practice, I felt I could have explored a wider variety of yarn to create greater extremes in scale and contrast of texture. For unit X I will use more cottons and finer yarns alongside the wool, as well as incorporating some recycled materials. I will also experiment with the finer gauge dubied machines.

I have evolved my colour pallete from practice, refreshing it with flashes of yellows that I found around the city and focusing more on the shades of indigo to form a base for the palette. 

I have also been looking into other natural dyes as I am keen to show how natural dyes can be incorporated into a contemporary collection. Experimenting with turmeric and onion skins, I have tested the dyes on a variety of yarns to identify how they take the dye and what combinations work well together. So far I have had mixed results but have found some lovely colours/ shades can be achieved which work really nicely with the indigo. Wools and the milk yarn (protein fibres) take the dyes really well where as I have found the cellulose based ones are much paler; achieving consistent colours is something to work on over the next week.

(right: turmeric dye pot, left: different yarns with turmeric dye)

Practice unit evaluation

I feel I have progressed well over the unit as a whole, developing my strengths as a designer whilst also exploring new territories.

I have had a strong concept and set of values to underpin my work across the unit, which have been informed by the work I did over the summer. Although I have not felt limited by this, in hindsight a different brief or source of inspiration could have provided greater variety to my portfolio.

My work this year has been much more fashion focussed, I was a little concerned about my capabilities, as I have not had much experience of garment making. However I feel I have progressed enormously during this unit in terms of audience awareness and garment visualisation and illustration. I have actually found it helpful to have a clear idea of context to work towards with my samples and I feel they are more informed as a result of this.  

Making a garment was a steep learning curve for me. I found the process very rewarding, although the outcome was not exactly as I had envisaged and I now have a much better understanding of garment construction. I am disappointed I did not have time to make a 2^nd garment as I could envisage the outcome clearly and it would have made my collection feel more complete. Better management of time and quicker decision-making on my part would have facilitated this. I am keen to explore garment construction more in unit x though, so can use all my research and development to inform this.

The three briefs I have worked on have a unified aesthetic, but are distinct from one another and I think I have managed to address different aspects of my concept in each. I regret not starting the Batsford prize brief earlier as I am aware the work is not developed enough. Working with found materials was much more challenging than I had anticipated and I felt frustrated at times given the limited time frame I had to work in. I have made some interesting discoveries though and have enjoyed working in a more experimental way; the use of recycled materials in provocative way is something I would like to explore and expand on in unit x.

Using sustainable processes and materials was something I strived towards during this unit. I am pleased that I followed through with this to a certain extent as I feel it gives my work greater integrity. It has meant I have had to make certain compromises, particularly on yarn quality, I could have looked further into sourcing different sustainable yarns and worked more on finishing processes to overcome some of these limitations, this is something to develop in unit x. I feel the use of indigo and rust dyeing has been a success and will continue to explore natural dyes in the next unit.

The knit and hand finishing processes I have explored and refined in this unit have given my work a sensitivity and I am keen to develop them further to create a signature style to my work. 

Sixteen

My final collection has come together this week. I have been working on balancing colour and yarn qualities, mimicking details and playing with scale to build a harmonious yet varied collection.

(rust and indigo dyed samples)

I have been using Indigo and a rust dyeing technique throughout the unit, both processes give quite varied results as seen in the image above. I have explored both dyeing yarn with rust and dyeing whole samples. I found the colour comes through more strongly by dyeing the yarn and so this is what i decided to use for my final samples. (Final sample shown on the right)

examples from final collection

 (right: weaving in technique, left: domestic ladder sample, manipulated with the embellisher)

(left: domestic sample with elongated stitch, right: dubied sample)

Fifteen

At the beginning of the week I reviewed my samples, picking out the best to develop into finals. During my tutorial we discussed how to combine techniques and achieve the subtleties within my sketchbook. I have been using foiling on some of my knit but i'm not sure if it is working; I think it needs to be more sensitively applied or I might eliminate it from the final collection, as the sample below doesn't really need it. 

(weaving in sample, with foil detail) 

I have also made progress with the Batsford project, using the heat press and gold paint to manipulate the contact lens cases. They now have a more antique and precious look and I think will work better in the knit. I have found the latex gloves, when shredded and woven in are quite successful too, providing an unusual texture.

(Spray painted latex gloves, woven in)

Fourteen

Following the completion of my first garment I have been developing samples for a final collection. I had a lot of ideas that I wanted to test out and can now begin to resolve them and build on the strengths.

(Front and back of dubied sample)

I tried a new technique in the above sample, knitting the front and back separately, joining at intervals. The front provides a nice example of concealed colour, with just hints of the copper and turquoise coming through. I also quite like the contrast with the much more graphic and bold back, which could have potential for an interesting double sided fabric/ garment.

(left: embroidered rib, right: needle felted domestic sample)

Working into my samples after knitting has provided some interesting results. I have been focusing on picking out the details and stitches in my knit and layering colour to soften lines. Both the above samples could be developed further and would work well on a larger scale.

Thirteen_ live brief

For my live brief I am doing a project for the Batsford Prize, with the theme "Reuse, Recycle, Reclaim"

This project will be an extension of my self initiated brief as I am keen to really explore ideas surrounding sustainability in my work this year. I want to take quite a playful approach to this project, using and manipulating collected 'waste' items and working in a more experimental way to my self initiated project.

Over the Christmas break I started to gather items and find contextual and visual inspiration. Bethany Williams is a designer who uses recycled materials in her collections to comment on social and environmental issues. I am inspired by how she uses waste materials and the balance between playful and high-end aesthetic that her work has.

(Bethany Williams a/w16)

I have begun working with my collected items, which include, disposable contact lenses and cases, sweet wrappers and latex gloves. During this weeks tutorial we discussed my ideas but found my work lacks direction, which is making it difficult for me to develop it. I also need to manipulate the materials I am using more to elevate them from their intended uses and make you question what you are looking at.

(spray painted contact lens cases)

(dubied samples using contact cases and latex gloves)