Time to Smell the Flowers

Time to Smell the Flowers

 As the end nears, spring has sprung and summer is forging through. The light at the end of the tunnels has brightened to the point of hypnotically blinding. The air smells fresh and light again whilst pure joy is on the horizon.

Over the last semester of the Textile Degree I have endeavoured to create a persona that (if I chose to go public) would represent me strongly and accurately. I have chosen to keep it quite informal and more about where I look for inspiration and what I choose to surround myself with to keep my motivated and my eyes pleased. I love beauty, given the choice I would choose classic beauty over grotesque individualism. I admire peoples search for the new and untouched yet have resigned myself to the realisation that nothing is really that new anymore in 2012- what is new is peoples interpretations of the past and their willingness to improve on this for the future, using the expanding knowledge and wealth of information that is available to us today.

Sustainability and the awareness of our carbon footprint are key factors to this growing understanding of good design v’s high fashion or fast turn over. Creativity has been given a new lease of life through people’s exploration of past and traditional techniques in a modern world, generating a greater appreciation for hand crafted and up cycled objects. These aspects combined with our advances in technology and people’s grasp that knowledge is power, happiness is health and wealth is not necessarily financial, I feel indicates the movement to a happier and healthier future. I am not unrealistic and do not think this will occur in the nearest of futures however I do think it is a growing trend and an increasing backlash on the current social state and status.

As generations come through with this vast understanding to their individual impact on their world, their surroundings, they will be leaps and bounds ahead of past generations in which were taught that money is everything and quality of life is meaningless hence encouraging a lack of respect for themselves and their roles within society.

It is with this knowledge that I embark on the transition from education to reality and I have made a promise to myself that I will continue to increase my positive impact of my local community by minimising my carbon footprint where possible and sharing the knowledge that I have learnt and the habits I have been taught in relation to good and sustainable design. Start local go Global….

A Good Ol' Yarn

A Good Ol' Yarn

Such a lovely textile shot and it sums me up beautifully, I feel. A neutral colour palette highlighted with flashed of bright fashion colours. The variation is yarn weight and texture is what got me interested and keeps me interested in knit. I feel the image is poignant to me as a designer and mimics my organised chaotic thoughts, work process and approach.

These are some of the yarns that I have experimented with for my Design Project #2 'Spontaneous Optimism'. The slubbed alpaca yarns were far from ideal for the domestic knitting machine standard gauge so I am going to have to develop a hand knitting project to use them up- that beanie that has been in the thought process for months now but hasn't really developed further. Perhaps a summer project while I sit on my dad's balcony listening to the waves crashing on the sandy shore with a cold wine or chilled cider close at hand. I am so excited to have some well deserved down time......a little off topic....

Back to the images above...... I wanted to experiment with various yarn types and techniques that were not overly complicated but extremely effective in the outcome. Slubbed yarns have been in my vision for a while, I love the way a simple stitch becomes another entity through the use of a dimensional varying yarn. The yarn is just soooo tactile while the colours are a result of the natural fibre of alpaca and ties beautifully back to my staple colour palette. I have had to move on from these yarns for the purpose of this project (as I said the machine did not like them). So I have worked with a couple of slubbed linen blends that also given an interesting result yet the machine can handle the yarn effectively. 

More to come on the process and development of this project. 

Love a getaway

'Love a Getaway'

I love Australia, I love the sunshine and I love the get away that allows you a renewed inspiration and appreciation for your homeland. I don't feel like I have had the chance to appreciate Australia since I have been back from the UK, I haven't really had the chance to get away and see some of the beautiful sights that Australia has to offer but last weekend I had no excuse not to so Skot and I went down the Mornington Peninsula to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Saturday was spectacular weather so we decided to venture past Portsea and down to Point Nepean exploring Fort Nepean. We did the walk along the beach to Fort Nepean. The walk was so motivating taking in the sunshine and savoring some amazing sights (and thank god to always having the iPhone handy being able to capture them). These images are the classic combination of man-made meeting nature and the beauty mother nature creates purely by herself, a recurring theme through my digital photo albums.  

The sun was so warm and invigorating, I got down to a singlet and got a substantial (and very necessary) dose of Vitamin D. All these factors combined are the essence of Australia and make me so excited for the upcoming summer (after 3 winters in a row) and more opportunities to get away and explore this amazing country I call home. 

My Surroundings

'My Surroundings'

Some snap shots of my cleaner areas in my work space. They capture my working environment perfectly, organised chaos. I love to have a lot of things surrounding me, as I have chatted about in previous blog entries. Our walls are filled with Skot's art and the shelves and other surfaces are filled with my knick knacks. These pictures capture some of the things that I love to (well cant help to) clutter my space with. They also show where my inspirations come from- books, nature, travel and family nostalgia to name a few. The head pieces on the foam head are creations of mine from my time in the Textile diploma 'Experimental Textiles' subject. I love the contrast from the natural textures in the foreground of the bottom shot to the more industrial and coloured feel of the head pieces while the frame of the image almost captures the process from inception of an idea to the actualisation of the idea.

Colour and Texture

'Colour & Texture'

These are a couple of images I have come across during my recent research for up coming projects. They both caught my attention for the use of colour and texture through height and layering.

The colour mix in both images is aesthetically pleasing to me, one being more primary palette and the other pastel. The depth and contrast in the primary palette evokes a darker emotion whilst the pastel captures summer, fun and happiness- dreamy happiness. 

The ambiguity within the images allows the focus to be on the colour usage, instilling the importance on the beauty within colour placement.

Natural Beauty

'Natural Beauty'

I have an obsession with flora and the dried results of collected flora, from stick to pods, hydrangea's and roses to eucalyptus leaves and gum nuts. I love how the colour changes and results in naturally interesting textures. I love the way my collection breaks up the starkness of what would otherwise be empty and devoid surfaces. It makes me happy to look at the collective colour combinations of my natural objects that sit beautifully with my textile samples and vintage and contemporary objects that positively clutter my personal space. It is through my obsession with the natural beauties and my love of knitwear that I decided to study textile design. I needed a way to express myself creatively through a surface application that interested me- fabric or fashion.   

Home is where the Heart is....

'Home is where my Heart is'

Pictured is a three panel collage that Skot created for me whilst I was on a month long holiday in the USA, 2004. He has collected and compiled things that are important to us both individually and collectively from my mother who passed away when I was 6, my childhood horse, me as a child, Skot as a gorgeous redheaded kid, a clip of another artwork he created for me, a map of Richmond, David Bowie, Puma shoes (for him), the Flat Iron Building NY, to name a few. 
The main focus of the panel is a enlarged photocopy of Skot and myself. Our apartments wall are filled with Skots artwork while the shelves and surfaces are stacked with my knick knacks and things I love. I have a compelling need to surround myself with vintage and contemporary eclectic 'things'. I believe that an empty space represents and empty mind- hence why there is so many higglety pigglety objects in my home. I believe in surrounding myself with beauty in colour, texture, tactility and overall object. 

Recent hand generated Work

 Recent Hand generated work

These are to progress pictures taken during the arduous 'Ladelle' project recently completed in my final year of my BA- Textile Design. It was an industry project creating designs to be incorporated into kitchen accessories (apron, tea towels, pot holder, double glove and oven glove).
I really enjoyed (in the end) the hand generated process because ultimately these designs would be scanned and reworked in Photoshop. This knowledge of the design approach for the final outcome allowed more freedom and room for further development without the pressure of definitive mark making. 
I feel I really reiterated my ability to take an aesthetically pleasing design for me and developing this into a highly commercial pattern repeat. 
The final outcome of this project was definitely something I would not wear or buy, however I was happy and creatively proud with what I achieved. I learnt that I have the ability to create commercially viable designs without completely selling my soul.
I received positive feedback from the design team at Ladelle, that they saw the progression through my croquis into commercially applicable designs.
In hindsight I learnt a lot from this project both personally and professionally.

Actualisation of a dream.....

 Paris December 2011, I had a moment………After visiting Chanel’s first boutique, on Rue Cambon, and buying myself a Christmas present of Chanel No. 5 (showing discipline through the temptation of the bags and sunglasses I opted to keep my present classic and simple- Chanel summarised) …… I had an aah haa moment. I stood at the bottom of the stairs of Chanel. Stairs that I have seen photographed repeatedly through my reading and discovering of Coco Chanel.

The staff were amazingly accommodating to me after I enquired about the infamous staircase, I think they were intrigued that I asked, that I knew of it. A security guard kindly took me to a secured/private entrance which revealed the mirrored staircase, I was mesmorised and felt inspired and overwhelmed by the idea that I was in the same staircase that Chanel sat on many times during her years designing. Every fashion show she secretly observed, from the top of the staircase through the fragmented mirrors, the reactions of her guests. I tentatively asked to take a photo, thinking I would be immediately dismissed but to my pleasure and surprise I was allowed, the security guard even offering to take a photo of me. I was in heaven and walking on clouds.

Chanel has always intrigued me as a woman and a designer, as a progressive thinker and a boundary pusher. I have always admired Chanel’s tenacity and audacious manner in her approach to life and her aspirations. She was proudly opinionated and unbelievably driven in a time when women were taking their first steps of independence, it can be fairly said she even pathed a path in the revolution of woman's wear  .

I had been to Paris before and I have thoroughly enjoyed both visits, however I would have to say my moment at Chanel was a real epiphany of what is possible if you believe in yourself and push yourself against the drudgery of what life can be. I will always be intrigued by the enigma of Coco Chanel and the legacy she has left behind. I admire and respect her as a woman and a designer. She is one woman I would certainly love to sit and have a deep conversation with if time travel were ever possible…….

Spin Expo Shanghai

During my time at NTU, I was asked to participate in collaboration with Sophie Stella who is renown knit trend forecaster and swatch developer in the UK. Her studio has been running a project with NTU Fashion and Knitted Design students for years (she is a graduate of the course). The collaboration involved choosing a trend, decided by Sophie Stella, for Spring Summer 2012/13 and develop at least 4 swatches to then have 2 of those chosen to be shown at Spin Expo in Shanghai. My decided trend was ‘Cosmic Transformation’ which focused on very 60’s feeling colour palette with bright, fun and pop colours that were synonymous with the psychedelic colours available through new fibre production.

I produced multiple swatches in various colour proportions from my Stohl power knit design that I had created initially for my 4 garments to be accessed. I then screen-printed a line detail over a couple, left some plain and knitted the 4^th colour in (the line detail).

This was all very rushed as it was my last week of study at NTU and we still had 4 garments to complete and a fashion show to organise, however it was an opportunity to good to pass up ……

I am really pleased with the result and I’m proud that an image of my swatches on display is used as the cover image for my chosen trend on a Spin Expo link (provided below- password = trend). I am really happy that I have had swatches displayed in such a prestigious expo with approximately 20,00 visitors over 3days. Over all I was extremely satisfied with all the work I accomplished during my 5 month stay in the UK and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

 http://sophiesteller.dphoto.com/folder/33cfdn
 www.spinexpo.com

Pitti Filatti, Florence has been a dream of mine to visit. I did it this year in January with NTU as a school excursion. To be honest I was a little disappointed because it was the Spring Summer exhibition that we visited. The yarns were amazing quality and tactility was paramount, however the knit structures and diversity were somewhat limited and it was explained that the Autumn Winter exhibition was much more exciting to visit. All the same I found the 'Future Trends' area highly inspirational as it was much more youth and trend focused. The pictures shown are from the 'Future Trends' stand and through the imagery it is evident that appreciation of land and the hand crafted (feel) was coming to the forefront of trend analysis. The stand had tractors and farming machinery to support the trend definition while the mannequins had an Amish feel with simple yet interestingly constructed pieces being displayed.   

I found the whole experience of Pitti Filatti interesting as I had over thought the whole experience after hearing so much from many sources. Inspirationally it was great with various interpretations of upcoming trends from yarn choice in weight, fibre, ply and yarn colour and ways to use the yarns. Texture and colour have become the relevance of upcoming development with the incorporation of mixing patterns, colour and texture within the one garment. The weight of the cottons, silks, linens and especially the merino has developed greatly, with merinos now in super fine (finer as a silk and blended with various fibres for more superior results). Development in the yarn fibre area felt paramount at the expo with an underlying tone to the importance of environmental sustainability.

 

However, many of the students, found the stallholders were disappointing in their approach to us as students. There was only one stallholder that followed the belief that we were the new generation of designers and should be treated with the same respect as existing designer; he was of Asian origins, with a less discriminate approach to business. The negativity from store holders really made you feel uncomfortable and less willing to participate in the exhibition once you were in Industry. Their loss, I feel.

Overall, I would love to visit Florence again however this time visit the Autumn/Winter exhibition to experience the difference between the two seasons and allow myself to make a more informed decision on the relevance and importance of the exhibition (it is argued the Spin Expo- Shanghai has taken over in size and relevance to Industry, it is also more local to us in Australia). 

WHERE I STARTED AND WHERE I AM GOING- HOPEFULLY......

In 2004 , I visited the USA for the first time. I stayed with a very close friend in San Francisco and travelled with her to New York. It was in the states that I really started to take notice of knit wear, as they are known for their sports wear consisting of luxe knits of beautiful yarn quality and simple/classic design style, my attention was captured. 
It was in Neiman Marcus, SF, that I saw the Stella McCartney knit pictured left. I was captivated and in awe of the colour, quality and quite simply it's being.... I wanted it.... I couldn't have it...... it was from the love at first sight with this timeless garment that my love for knit grew.
As I child my mum used to knit us jumpers, ones we used to wear to firecracker night (Guy Falkes night). I have more vivid memories of the stiff and scratchy wool that the jumpers were made of rather than the visual feast that was bursting into the sky. From these memories I didn't dare venture near knitted items for EVER.....until approximately 20 years later I discovered 'THE' Stella McCartney knit. A relationship was reborn.
I was working in the fashion industry in Australia at the time of my visit to the USA, and was surrounded by creativity on a daily basis however I was in a sales role, I had been questioning being in customer service for the rest of my life yet didn't know what I wanted to do...... 
My attention was pointed toward the Diploma in Textile Design at RMIT, they offered knit, which is what I wanted to discover and explore. I continued on with the Diploma for 2.5 years. At first, I was part time while I worked full time then unfortunately with the changes of manufacturing in Australia, I was made redundant. I joined the Diploma full time yet before completing the Diploma I decided to see if I could get accepted in to the Degree, as I had heard so many great things about the course (within Industry) and knew of the accreditation the course held within Industry. I was accepted, THANK GOD, and the rest is history. 
My main passion in knit, the tactility of the fabrics and yarns, however I have also discovered a love for playing and exploring colour, pattern and texture. 
As I approach the end of the Degree and the (daunting) prospect of the workforce, I have resolved I would (ultimately and hopefully) like to start in a large/r commercial fashion company in which they have systems and procedures in place. I would like to obtain a position where I have a clear role and job description, allowing me to focus on my new role as a designer. I want to be part of a big team and test the corporate waters........

RECENTLY CREATED....

Above are images taken on a photo shoot of the finished garments I created during my time a Nottingham Trent University (NTU). Our brief was we had to choose from 5 trends allocated to the 2^nd years by the teachers, based on trends from WGSN.com, spring summer 2012/13. We were to take the trends and create our own interpretation; the trend I chose was 'Future Modern' and my concept within this trend was organic graffiti- drawing inspiration from images of Lichen I had taken whilst on holidays in Australia. I was drawn to the texture and uniqueness (and colour) of lichen and found it a great place to start generating my idea's. Early in the process I decided I wanted to experiment with print on knit and organic patterning on the power machines (Shima Seiki or Stoll). I knitted every panel, all (except the Gilet which was knitted on a Stoll 14 gauge machine) on Dubied machines, 7 and 10 gauge (pictured below), which was long and laborious. I then screen printed on the panels I needed to- I actually really enjoyed this process but still wonder  about the environmental viability of screen-print as there just seems to be so much water wastage. Anyway......

After all the panels were complete, I had to construct 4 garments; toiles were constructed first to confirm the measurement for the garments from the initial paper pattern.

The whole experience was fantastic for me; I feel I really discovered myself and what is my real passion- fashion knitwear. I feel I grew as a designer and learnt how to believe in my concepts, my ideas and myself. The facilities at NTU were amazing with both teacher and technical support in all areas. There were permanent technicians in the knit rooms and make-up room (construction). The steam BEDS were amazing and a real novelty to me and as you can see (from the top image of the knit room) machines were in abundance varying from 5-14 gauge. Having access to fine gauge machines was incredible and I think I will miss that in 3^rd year, the feel of the fine weight knits was divine but mostly having the ability to play with so many various gauges was inspiring.

I am so pleased that I did the semester exchange and would quite happily do it again. However saying that I am really looking forward to tackling the year ahead and creating some beautiful knits that express myself as a designer and encapsulate my design aesthetic which will hopefully lead to me achieving employment in a commercial and fashionable knitwear company.

New Experiences- Ruddington Knit Museum

 Having the opportunity to travel to the UK for a semester study has been such an amazing, liberating and eye-opening experience. Nottingham itself was not the loveliest places in the UK as it is really a shell of the industrial history that once boomed, it was a major player in the past knitting industry of the UK. What I found inspiring was the access to technology and industry experience in the knitting field that has become so difficult to find in Australia.

While reading the 'What's Nottingham' guide book I was intrigued to find that there was a frame knitters museum in Ruddington- a 30min bus ride from Nottingham's town centre. Off I went to discover a little gem. The museum was a working example of a frame knitters factory of Victorian times. 

What is there to see and do?

• A short introductory video
• Walk through the cottages to see how knitters' families lived in 1850 and 1900. Peep inside the cottages.
• Explore the outbuildings and washhouse.
• See the frameshop with the machines crowded together as they were originally. Look at the machines.
• Learn about Rev. William Lee who invented the first knitting machine in 1589
• Experience a demonstration of framework knitting
• Try your hand at knitting on a nineteenth-century sock machine
• See examples of the best of the knitters' art
• Visit our shop
• Enjoy a cup of tea

 The museum gives an amazing insight to how difficult things were in the 1800's-1900's, yet how much pride and care was taken to produce the goods and earn a measly living. Here I was also lucky enough to explore draws full of various knit samples of socks and stockings from this era, stockings were made here for Queen Victoria- fine silk stockings with the Royal emblem hand embroidered at the sides.

The pictures I have taken somewhat capture the development of technology through the main production period of this factory with working circular knitters (the oldest dating to late 1700's if I remember correctly, pictured left). These machines were either found on sight and saved, with the buildings, from demolition or donated by locals who's ancestors had been part of the very proud and local industry.

The next image (above) is of one of the first 'Frame knitting' machines at which a man would sit at for no less than 14 hours a day in a room with no carpet or rugs to help adsorb the sound, industrial deafness a definite at a very early age if blindness didn't get them first as they worked by candle light before dawn and after sunset (in winter the sun is very late to rise and very early to set). This machine was awe inspiring as you could see the makers marks on the leather strapping seat and within different parts of the machine. It really helped me to understand the progress of industrial knitting machines yet you could still really see the relationship and similarities between this machine and the Dubied machines that we worked on at NTU.

These pictures (above and below) really capture the essence of the work room and the conditions that the workers endured, I think the colours are fantastic and apart from identifying a very different time and working conditions the images are just beautiful in their rawness. I think I will always look back at this collection of images and feel inspired in knit.

The lighting of the workroom........

This is the first power knit machine for stockings, the image is not the clearest as the machine is in a case of perspex yet I feel it still really indicates the progression in the, by then, booming industry. The colours set on the machine are lovely also helping to capture the mood and fashions happening at the time of this development.

I couldn't resist this picture as this was a companion for me whilst wondering through the museum and homesickness was evident in these early stages of my journey (missing my baby, cat, more than my man) and the face on this little one just reminded me of my littlen when he is milking (pardon the pun) my emotional side for food or pats.

All in all this was such a fantastic day (the weather was still very mild for this time of year in England) that myself and my dutch buddy ventured out to Ruddington again a couple of weeks later just to re-immerse ourselves in the history of our chosen creative path.

Ruddington Frame Knitters Museum website- http://www.rfkm.org/