FINAL MAJOR PROJECT: A few weaves ....

Honeycomb Structure - Copper Wire

I began my weaving experiments by experimenting with different thicknesses of wire, structure and colour. As my main inspiration for using metals within my work was how the metals changed colour when heated and produced very vivid and luxurious colours. I began to realise that the white was dilluting the rich colours of the metals, and so I dyed a few black, but then felt this was too stark against the copper as well.

Undulated Twill - Brass wire

My first jacquard weave for the project, i really liked using the jacquard as it helped me mix the wires and the outcome was really beautiful. I also loved the weight of the fabric, its so heavy! Something I am defiantley try again as I think that it could help me further my weave and sketchbook development and fuse them together. Something which I am struggling with at the moment.

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT: Exploring the Colouration of Metal

So far I have been investigating and exploring the colours that are produced on brass, copper, stainless steel and tin with heat, the unpredictability of this colour is the most exciting part of the project, I enjoy the fact I cannot control this. I have also explored mixing and blending colour with ink and paint on a variety of surfaces, as this gives me a little more control, yet the outcome is very different to how I could imagine it, another exciting factor.

ROMA Final Designs

Roma

At the beginning of third year, we collaborated with Global Colour, a company that specialises in forecasting trends within Interiors. There were four main trends: CONTOUR, OPAL, PUNCH and ROMA, each shows a very different 'story' through their colour way.

I was given the trend ROMA (as seen above), the trend is described as folk meets punk, in that is is very colourful and expressive much like folk/gypsy style as well as narrow boats and it also has a much edgier side to it also. I felt this project was very challenging to myself as I am not used to working with so many colours at one time, and so the initial ideas stage and process was a difficult one to initiate. For inspiration I used both the tartan side of the trend and also lace, as I was keen to show how a delicate fabric could be very striking. To generate ideas I spray painted lace, weaved using a leno warp, combined my own woven tartan with lace using photoshop, and also used stitching to emphasise parts of my designs.

By combining lace and tartan with one another I produced many different effects, with the above being quite literal I needed to explore ways in order to stop my work being a little too repetitive, I also began to rely on the black a little too much, so I had to go back to the colour palette again and reinvestigate it. This is when I found myself using my own cups to generate colour ideas to see what colours worked best next to each other, this then began a mini project by itself but really allowed me to push forward with my ideas.

Occassion Cards

In my spare time I create a lot of occassion cards, ranging from Christmas, Birthdays, Easter and also Weddings. I don't particularly vary in the media i use, but try to be unique as possible, I tend to use card and coloured papers, as well as my own drawings and own work and I am predominately inspired by the person who I am creating the card for.

Here are just a few samples of some of the cards i have created:

Casino Wallpaper

During my second year, we were given the opportunity to work on a brief in groups with fellow peers, the project was to be called 'cityism' as well as working with the wallpaper company 'Tektura'. The idea of this, was to experience what it may feel like it the real design world working with others, and having to overcome certain obstacles together. The final outcome of the project was to produce a piece of wallpaper that was to be printed off by 'Tektura' and an interior object that would fit within the environment of which we were designing for. I was very fortunate enough to work with some great girls, and produce a really outstanding project together!! We set out first researching our own interests within the city of Birmingham, and then showed each other what we found. We decided on the theme of a casino with ours, and that we must create a wall paper very sophsiticated and modern, like that of a casino! We worked for a number of weeks, coming up with different arrangements and objects that inspired us, and decided upon out final piece being more of a feature wall rather than an actual wallpaper, and the black and white really emphasises the beauty and detail within the design.

Deatil of final design

Interior Object: Chandelier, created with beading, paper origami and knitted black viscose with wire woven into it to give it shape and manipulation.

Exhibition of final wallpaper and interior object at University's End of Year Show

Millinery

During my second year at university, we are given an opportunity to explore another course that we would not normally have been able to do as well or instead of our own course. It gives you a chance to incorporate the skills you have learnt in your speciailism to use them within your elective, this is exactly what i did. I wanted to create a head piece that was worthy enough to wear to Ascot Races, I wanted to create something beautiful but not conventional to that of Ascot.

My headpiece was basic yet it looks exactly how I envisaged it when I was initially thinking about the concept. I created it using my own knitted wool, which i used a double bedded Dubied knitting machine to create, some organdie, raw silk and gold sequins. Whilst the shapes are basic circles, I feel the layering of these really helped to bring in different textures and tonal varieties, which in not doing so could have made the final creation somewhat plain.