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.
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!
