We are currently testing an undulating twill pattern using black and white variegated Bamboo yarn for the warp and all sorts of rich color hues in Tencel for the weft. It appears to have a similar look as an ikat. The weft colors are tricky. The colors I thought would look the best didn't.. and the colors that I didn't think would work did work. And that's the beauty of handweaving!
I go to the library a lot. I actually have secret stashes in all my favorite libraries.. BPL , ACC , FIT , NYPL .. So I hunt for the best books in the library then gather them into a corner where I know no one will ever go. That way, I don't lose out on all of my treasures when I return. Many people ask me, "How do you come up with new ideas and designs all the time?" Hello people! There is inspiration everywhere you look. I will never ever not be able to create something new, and you can too, you just have to learn how to use your resources around you.
Here are some tips that can get you started on looking out of the box.
Use your local resources.
You don't have a pay a penny to go to your local library, book store, fabric store or boutiques. Take a notebook, or better yet an iphone to document what draws your eye to colors, fabrics and silhouettes. Two of my favorite books right now. Must reads for textile and graphic design enthusiasts.
Look beyond the image.
It's not about the image in front of you. Even if you would never ever wear that hideous sweater below, what do you like about it? Is it the stitching technique? The colors? What could you change about it to make it new and fresh? Make sure you write this all down.
Document everything.
Gather pictures, swatches, trim.. anything that inspires you and paste it into a notebook. Do this constantly and over time you will learn a lot about yourself and what you like. Plus you will have books and books of inspiration that you can refer back to if ever you're feeling uninspired.
We've been experimenting with the idea of trying to get numerous different scarves on the same threading. We tried a simple pointed threading combined with a more complicated treadling. Thanks to our AVL loom and Weavepoint, we are able to play around with the position of patterns and colors. This allows us to create an illusion of patterns morphing into one another. For the warp, we chose a 5/2 Cotton and for the weft Bamboo. The colors are very natural. When worn against the skin, it complements any skintone very elegently. I am loving wearing these scarves around town.. With a mix of Bamboo/Cotton, they are perfect for the cool Spring nights.
Here is what a weaving pattern looks like for the top left scarf. By changing the weft colors, we were able to match up the pattern and the colors to create interesting stripes filled with patterns.
Photographed by the amazing Kareem Black. I have lots of new work and a photo shoot coming soon! Can't wait!
Baltimore wasn't as dirty and grimy as everyone told me it would be.. at least the four block radius where I visited last week during the American Craft Show put on by the American Craft Council.
We have a new 100% Bamboo scarf that will be in stores next fall. This scarf turned heads at the show, at 12 feet long, and soft colors of gold, grey and white. We also have a Holiday handwoven leather collection including a tote, clutch and wallet.
Check out some of the talented jewelry designers I met below.
I was browsing through the Westford Museum checking out my mother's work, textile designer Josephine Rivers.. I couldn't help but notice the amazing old weaving and spinning equipment below. After Textile manufacturing hit in the 1900s, hand made machines such as the ones below were thrown out to be replaced by mass production.
The Shop Floor Project is an online shop based in the UK that carries some of the most cutting edge designer products out there including furniture, shoes, millinery, cermaics, limited edition prints, bags, scarves, books and jewelry. Check out my Hand Crochet StarFish Necklace. Owner Samantha Allen picked some colors exclusive for the shop.
The spinning machine shown here was made in Lowell in the 1830s. A spinning machine is used to convert fiber into yarn. Many different types of yarn can be created by varying the tension and technique being used. The small machine on the right hand side is powered by foot. It is what people used before machines came into play. Many people still use the foot powered machine to spin luxurious and innovative yarns. It's also an amazing form of meditation believe it or not.
FutureCraft has been weaving up some beautiful pinwheel patterned scarves made with Bamboo yarn. Our signature black and white yarns really bring out the bold pattern on this design. We are also testing different yarn colors to substitute the black.. chocolate brown anyone?
The Future Craft Studio teaches the art of weaving to children at an elementary school in Western Massachusetts.
It was such a great experience sharing weaving with a young generation and seeing their excitement as they turned scraps of yarn into beautiful works of art. The young lady on the right is creating a weaving similar to a tapestry, where an assortment of yarns and fibers create an image, like a landscape.
Before we decide to weave a lot of yardage on the loom, we design a weaving sample. This is a very fun process. We get to experiment with different types of yarn fibers and sizes. It's amazing how quickly the textiles change depending on the color, size and texture of the yarn. Sometimes there's too many great options!
The Future Craft Weaving Loom is a 16-harness AVL Loom. The more harnesses you have, the more detailed of a textile pattern you can weave. Here we are weaving a star pattern using all 16 harnesses with bamboo and cotton yarn. Bamboo is a silky, sustainable fiber that is breathable as well as luxurious. The star pattern was then cut and sewn into the Bamboo Star Hat, the Bamboo Star Cropped Jacket and the Bamboo Star Jacket.
Its always fun to see your work published in books. Check out some work of mine in Pattern Design by Rockport Press.
And also Fashion Unfolding by Victionary.
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