Cups Jacket

Cups

The Cups range was dyed with Madder.

Cups Handbag

Gills and Cells Jacket

Gills and Cells

The Gills and Cells range was dyed with Dyers’ Chamomile.

Gills and Cells Handbag

Gills and Cells Scarf

Clusters Jacket

Three Themes

I am planning to make three ranges of items based on themes drawn from my studies of toadstools and mushrooms. These are:Cups

 Gills and Cells

and Clusters.

Dyed in the Wool

After considerable experimentation I have chosen to work with the following colour ranges, which are based on my fungi studies.

Sanderswood

Dyers’ Chamomile

Madder

Time to Stand and Stare

A much clearer vision of my work is emerging. I am beginning to find a way to combine my love of nature, use of natural materials and exploration of traditional processes.

At the same time I can see a way to reuse preloved items and reference my desire to see a move away from mass produced materialism towards cherishing carefully selected handmade and more precious items.

I hope in my own small way to encourage people to spend more time in looking at their environment more carefully and considering the benefits of creating items with their own hands.

I think this poem by WH Davies says it all:

“LEISURE”

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Harris Tweed Plus

Trying to refine the blend between knit and weave – now using naturally dyed wool samples and pieces of precious Harris Tweed. Think something is really developing here – beginning to feel excited.

Wool weave and knit unite

Now I am happy with the dyeing results and knitted and manipulated forms the challenge is to combine them. I keep thinking about how the fungi grow on trees and fallen logs. Can I make my constructed textile fungi grow on my tweedy surfaces?

Early samples on ordinary wool weaves (and using existing acid dyed knit samples) – need to ration my precious Harris Tweed resources.