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How I was seduced by Instagram

I was introduced to Instagram during a remote Scottish textile retreat. I was seduced by its quickness and flexibility and have been using it instead of writing this blog. Sorry.! How did this happen? In November I went to a workshop with India Flint on the Ardtornish Estate. The Ardtornish Estate is a wonderful, beautiful and remote location, as I hope the photos below show. The workshop was fantastic. We stitched, drew, collected leaves, wrote poetry and eco printed. We did more, we explored the countryside and brought it into our work. Here are some of the pieces I made. Of course, I also chatted to all the other workshop participants. That was when I heard that most of my fellow textile artists, were big fans of Instagram. Why I asked? Overwhelmingly the answer was that it was easy and so much more friendly than other social media options. So…

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17/01/2019

Armley Mill / IFA / Natural dyeing / Wet felting / Wool / Yorkshire

My fantastic time at Armley Mills as artist in residence

I have recently spent a fantastic week as artist in residence at Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills. When I first visited the museum with the IFA in April 2017 I did not think that I would enjoy the luxury of a week in the museum , dyeing and felting. How lucky I have been. Armley Mills , was once the world’s biggest woolen mill. It is therefore a very appropriate venue for an artist in residence with a love of wool and a passion for felting with naturally dyed materials. I am fascinated by most machines, but especially those which process wool. My felt pictures using commercially dyed wool inspired by the machines are in the current exhibition at Armley Mills. As artist in residence, I wanted to take this work further. But also limit myself to using naturally dyed wool fibres. A…

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23/08/2018

Wet felting

How to felt a Hebridean vegetarian fleece rug

First question what is a vegetarian fleece rug ? Its like a sheepskin rug, but has been made from the fleece of the sheep by felting and the sheep lives to eat some more grass. Whether using animal products at all is acceptable to vegetarians is of course questionable. My friend Margaret leant how to felt Gotland fleeces into vegetarian fleece rug at the IFA conference this year in Sweden. Her tutor was Erik Torstenson the ' Man of wool ". The unwashed rug accompanied us to Copenhagen and dried on our very small hotel balcony. It looked so lovely I wanted to make one for myself. So when I went to Woolfest , I was looking for a Gotland fleece. However even being there very very early I still could not find one to buy. So I bought a Shetland fleece and a Hebredian Hogg fleece instead. What was a Hogg…

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03/08/2018

Wet felting

Can Hebridean fibre make beautiful felt ?

I few months ago I was given a Hebredian fleece. It came from the small flock Hebridean sheep that live in the field behind my house. I would like to use more local fibre in my felting, so this fleece is a bit special , but it is also a bit challenging . First I felted a sample. Firm bouncy and hairy and very brown. OK so I can felt Hebridean fibre but can I make anything attractive from it ? I was doubtful. At Woolfest a couple of weeks ago , I went to the Hebridean Sheep Society stall looking for inspiration. No felting to be seen but there was some rather attractive knitted mittens and purses. I enquired how they were made and was told it wasamix of Hebridean and Shetland wool. This gave me an idea , maybe combining Hebredian fibres…

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15/07/2018

Eco Dyeing / IFA / Wet felting / Woolfest

Now is the time for some contemplating

For the last few months I don’t seem to have found much time for felting or dyeing or even contemplating it. Shame I haven’t even found time for blog writing ! But why ? Spring in the garden and a plan to grow a lot of vegetables is one reason. Family time and holidays another. Time to reflect and really contemplate on where I am going and what to do next. What better place to do this than in All Saints church , Helmsley I am here all day anyway as I am looking after the Brigantia exhibition which is here until the 24th June. Sitting here, quietly thinking, and contemplating maybe things aren’t so bleak. I did go to the IFA AGM and here I attended a wonderful workshop…

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20/06/2018

fibre / Fibres / Wet felting

Can we exploit physics in wet felting ?

The question can I exploit the physics in wet felting has been running through my mind in the last few weeks. I think it was sparked by the fascinating TV series called from ‘From Ice to Fire’ . This made me start to recall the facts I learnt at a highly technical and fascinating felting workshop with Lisa klakulak . Long before I was a felter I was an engineer working on chemical manufacturing processes. What you might ask has that got to do with wet felting . Well professionally as an engineer I was involved with changing the physical state of materials in an efficient and environmentally friendly way. By more fundamentally understanding the physics of the process we could become more efficient. As an example finding a way to keep the water flow turbulent to make the heat transfer more efficient and use less energy. Exactly the reserve of…

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11/03/2018

Fabric / fibre / Wet felting

How I know my precious fabric will felt ?

Over the years I have collected lots of fabric. Completley randomly at one time, just because I loved them, but now always with an eye to felting or dyeing. But and its a big BUT I am not always sure that my precious fabrics will felt well. Of course I know chiffon and pongee and organza will felt . But what about an old heavy silk scarf from Thailand and silk fabric from a market in Rotterdam, or some embossed silk sari from India, or some recycle fabric from a charity shop. Knitters are always advised to knit a tension square. As a knitter I rarely do. I just know it will turn out all right.Mostly I am correct. You could take the same attitude with felting. With felting I am far less cavalier. Knitting can always be pulled…

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25/02/2018

Armley Mill / machine stitching / Photography / Stitches / Textile art / Wet felting / Yorkshire

Why my love of textile machines is inspiring me.

In a dark mouldy area on the ground floor of Armley mill there are three fulling machines, textile machines, in a room that once housed many. The machines were driven by water and large hammers smashed the wet woven cloth , shrinking it and making it warmer and water resistant. On the more airy first floor of the mill amongst the warping, carding and spinning machines stand two jacquard head textile machines. These complex, intricate machines allowed the automation of the weaving process and were at the very start of the development of computers. Each machine contians hundreds of threads and beautiful cast levers, cogs and wheels. Two totally amazing and totally different textile machines both key to the development of the woollen textile industry. Armley Mill is the industrial museum of Leeds , containing not only textile machines, but a cinema and photography equipment exhibits. Plus lots of artefacts relating to…

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07/01/2018

Wet felting

Excited by my garden dye material harvest

After a number of months being very busy with my family, I have managed finally to get into my studio this week. What a mess. There were flowers and leaves drying everywhere, such quite a bumper harvest from my garden this year. Coreopsis Harvest My coreopsis plant has really settled in , and I have cut blooms all summer long. The dried flowers are light as a feather and I have just over 100g in storage. Adjacent to it my rudbeckia plant is not nearly so happy. The harvest of flowers is very poor less than 25g. I think I will probably dig it up and relocate it. ' French Marigold bumper harvest In the spring I was given some small French marigold plants, and they have done very well. They were not the same variety as I grew last year, so I hope they will be as successful at producing a…

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26/11/2017

Natural dyeing

My inspiring day at the fascinating Couleur Garance

It rarely happens to me, that I am just in the right place at the right time. Months ago we were asked if we would help some French friends harvest their grapes. It seemed like a good idea to us and we thought we could roll this assistance into an Autumn holiday. Not long after all these plans were laid, I realised we would be staying not so far from the gardens at Lauris managed by Couleur Garance. It then transpired that whilst we were there Couleur Garance were holding a natural dye forum and fair. What perfect timing ! Couleur Garance was founded about 20 years ago in part of the terraced gardens of Lauris castle in southern France. The garden's main aim is to inform everyone about natural dye plants. Plants from around the world are assembled to tell the science of plant dyes, along with how the plants…

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08/10/2017