Colours

Whilst dyeing yarns recently I decided to experiment with dropping the dyes onto a page of my sketchbook, to show the variety of colours.
I'v just cropped down a few photos to an abstract scale. I quite like the effect:

Fabric

I love the feeling of weaving something that looks like real fabric.
I need to make some mock-ups of these moss/fungus growth pieces. It's going to be a long weekend!

This coming month = a very steep hill

I've so much to do, so this is just a quick progress post!

Some pintucks and subtle colour changes

Ruth Laskey

Whilst doing some artist research last week, I came across Ruth Laskey, a textile artist who creates these really delicate and beautiful pieces.







Her use of colour, and the way it subtly gradates, has become really inspirational to the way that I dye my yarns and plan the stripes within my warp.

Oh la la.

Such a long and tiring day today. I'm ready for bed, but I feel the urge to do some drawing. Though as I can barely sit up properly, I don't think I'll last very long.
I'm so proud of what I did today. I havent photographed it properly. I think tomorrow, or at the weekend, I'll photograph everything properly, and just do a huge post full of photos.
But for now....



warps dyed and ready


I love the colours and tones...I'll be doing this again!


wound and threaded


I'm so happy with this. I haven't woven anything that feels like real fabric for a while. I'll be sticking with the fine wools now!


this is the back...I was too lazy to lift all the shafts I needed, so the pattern is on the back


beautiful colour gradation throughout the samples...it makes me so happy!


this is what the front side looks like...the colours are off because i took it from under the loom and edited it lighter.


beautifully productive day!

Not the earliest morning...

I awarded myself an accidental lie-in. I just couldn't stay awake at 7am.
I'm waiting for the bathroom to free up, so I thought I'd post the update on my weaving so far...

First warp:




my entire set of pintucked samples!


I crammed and spaced the warp and painted it...the colours are beautiful!






the denser and lighter areas of warp give really interesting textures and varying depths and intensity of colour, I'm so pleased that I painted it!


I've yet to photograph this one in it's finished state!



Now for this weeks warp! I've only completed one sample, but I've been learning techniques, which I shall explain later, or tomorrow, as I've left all the photocopies under the loom! I think theyre called Danish Medallions though? (a quick google says I'm right!)








detail of the rope twisting


textural.

An injection of colour

I can't believe I forgot to post pictures of my recent trip to Kew Gardens. I've been looking forward to that for some time, it's perhaps the most enjoyable day out in winter! Of course, the actual gardens are pretty dull in winter, but the delights inside the greenhouses are what I always go there for!


We said these leaves were patterned like dinosaurs.


Yes....it's slightly immature...but still amusing.


This plant was, honestly, huge. It also looked like a triffid and scared me.


I was struck by the resemblance of many plants to genitalia...I love nature and it's strange ways.


The tropical room in it's entirety.


A display of various orchids and other plants (my horticultural knowledge is pretty slim).


The size of the trees is quite astounding, despite the rusting metal walkways making me increasingly nervous.


I love the 19th century construction.


If there is one thing I must have in my house, it is an over-grown white metal spiral staircase with wooden handrail!

Perhaps my favourite room of this visit: The orchid house.
So much colour and life, it was so refreshing on a cold, rainy winter day!








This is most definately my favourite photograph, I love the way that the orchids look as if they're clamouring to be photographed, like children...very Alice in Wonderland haha.