I found the Simple Geo Print workshop with Robert incredibly helpful last week therefore I decided to develop my skills further using the same steps but putting my own twist on them. I had to use trial and error to teach myself more skills in Illustartor but I found myself beginning to create really interesting patterns.

Beginning my pattern Experimenting with line and colour (further developing from my initial pattern) Experimenting with colour ways, using my SADACC visit as colour inspiration (first sample). I also layered over the line pattern to develop the pattern and texture (last sample).

For our reports project we began researching trends for a starting point. I began looking on WGSN and saved the forecasts that caught my eye or influenced me. I really liked the 'vintage' second hand patchwork trend. It intrigued me and I had an urge to reach into the computer screen to feel the textures. I researched further into "make do and mend" looking at how it is used now and how it used be used WW2. This then encouraged me to research into secondhand/charity/vintage as these are becoming increasingly popular; even so that high street brands are copying the "vintage trend".

Make Do and Mend John Lewis pamphlet WGSN
Artful Patchwork 1 WGSN
Artful Patchwork 2 WGSN
Patched Pattern WGSN
Charity Shops During Recession
The Modern Make Do and Mend BBC News
Charity Shop Tips
Make Do and Mend IWM
Clothes Rationing IWM

Today we were informed on the importance of research which made me think I must do this more to help me with Project 2. Visits to archives, museums and exhibitions are so important as we learnt in first year so I am planning a visit to London in the next 2 weeks to visit the V&A Fabric of India Exhibition.

We were also informed about the resources online so I have spent some time exploring WGSN, Athens and the NUA library, searching through trend reports, ebooks and e-journals.

I found a very suited e-resource by Rosalyn Crosthwaite (below) which I have found incredibly useful towards my work linked with SADACC and indian textiles. She explores the use of traditional indian textile techniques as well as the changes made and influences from digital processes.

Crosthwaite, R. (2014) Preserving traditional Indian textile techniques from the effects of large-scale 21st century manufacturing [Online resource].

I signed up to an external workshop at the Norwich Castle Museum, Build your own: Tools for sharing. This was based on the special exhibition they have currently from the 3rd of October to 3rd of January. This workshop was for creative people to extend their employability skills and other creative skills and tools.
We had lectures/workshops from 3 makers; Pete Mosley, Rita Parniczky, Seb Butcher.

Personally I found Pete Mosley's the most helpful as he spoke a lot about building your own creative business in the future. He gave so many tips and smalls steps I can start making towards life after my degree. I am determined to make the most of the resources I have now at university and explore other resources like social media and e-books. I now understand how to advertise my self and connect with people. I intend to buy Pete's book, The Art of Shouting Quietly, where he explains how creative people are shy and introvert but must get their self known to be successful. To find out what your market prefers etc Pete suggested to use blogger and track popularity and see what the audience prefers. I feel like Pete touched on things that were close to home with me and I found myself agreeing to things he said and inspired by tips he mentioned.
I spoke to Pete one to one where we discussed my hometown, Northamptonshire. He visits there for workshops and I was unaware that there were any resources to explore.
Places to consider for inspiration and workshops:
-Corby Cube
-Art trails Northants
-Portfolio innovation centre at Northampton university
-Fermyn Woods



I also spoke to Rita Parniczky who is a textile artist who creates woven hangings with translucent yarn. She gave me lots of tips to stay motivated and go to London exhibitions and shops to gain inspiration. She advised me to experiment now I can as I won't always have the chance after my degree. She told us to look at other artists and their CVs to see what they did after their degree to become influenced by them. I realised that I should not miss out on opportunities and I should gain knowledge when I can to become certain on what I like and don't like! I must gain experience when I can and do not limit myself to textile design, look into architecture, fine art, psychology etc. Take risks and interview my self to find out things you didn't know before.

Because London is quite expensive to travel to I want to make the most of the resources here in Norwich and in my home town, Northamptonshire to gain the best experiences possible.

Today my group printed our repeat pattern. We set up the stoppers, t-bars and repeat distance which was faster and easier than I anticipated. I feel like I have learnt a lot about time management and working under pressure today as well as learning about the basics of repeat screen printing.

Working as a team was another skill that I felt that I built on. In our group there was 4 of us which worked well when holding the screen and moving the squeegee across the screen. We evolved a system which worked well; we all mixed up one dye colour (which we had learnt to do when testing our colours a couple of weeks ago), we would take it in turns to pour the dye on to the screen, hold the squeegee and turn the hair dryers on to dry the print whilst others washed the screens. I think this is how we managed to get our print done in such good time. We managed to finish it in 5 hours which meant we had enough time for our individual colour ways. I was unsure whether I would get this done in time today because our table was booked by third years from 5 o'clock onwards. This would have meant I would have had to get our screens re exposed at a later date, luckily this was not the case. Whilst our length was being steamed we worked on our individual colours.

Group 3 metre repeat print.

I was still unsure on my colours because I had tested them out last night and was unhappy with the way they over layed each other. I had an idea of changing the layers about, I started thinking about the colours too much and was adamant the bee on our design should be yellow. I decided to change around the colours of the layers and I found that it worked quite well. Instead of sticking to the same kind of colours (for example keeping a yellow tone on the original yellow screen with the bees and flowers) I completely changed my way of thinking to make a more investing abstract print. I really love the way this has turned out and I would love to experiment more. Unfortunately there was limited time and we could only have our large group screens for the one day but the kodatraces will be kept so I can use them to create another screen to try out and experiment with unique colour combinations. I recognised that the colours of mine and my peers prints really changed the way the print looked. Prints with bolder colours really stood out to me and were much more striking.
Whilst mixing up my dyes for my individual colour way our 3 metre group print came out of the steamer and was ready to wash. Unfortunately the yellow on our print had speckled because the dye had not dissolved properly, we did try to overcome this by blending up the dye to break down the particles, we tested the dye. unfortunately is was only when the fabric was steamed, the speckles formed. This is an issue that probably could have been resolved by boiling the dye up too. Luckily, I found this out just before i printed my own colour way (which was using a similar yellow) I boiled up the dye on the hop and then blitzed it up with he had blended just to make sure!

My own colour way

Trying to prevent speckling in the yellow dye by dissolving the powder up by boiling and blending.

If I could do this again I would have filled the print up more so there were less spaces, using block colours as backgrounds behind drawings and using more abstract mark making drawing. Being part of a group meant that everyone had to input their ideas which meant not everyone's ideas were listed to entirely. Group work has taught me many things and I feel more confident and happy to be part of a team again.

Quick visual research using pinterest and WGSN in preparation of our session with Robert

Textiles Première Vision Designs S/S 16 – Print & Pattern 02.19.15 ... Première Vision Designs S/S 16 – Print & Pattern Retro Geos S/S 16 Textiles By Product Category ... are revived with retro geometric patterns  inspired by 1960s and 1970s fashion prints. Tricolour geos ...

Colour testing for my individual colour way was difficult this evening and I could not get the colours correct. The print room was packed and very busy we had to queue up to weigh and mix our dyes.
Because I was using our test screen there was block colour in some layers for the fill of the flowers, this meant that colours would overlap. For my personal colours this would not work. I was trying to test out the right yellow which would not be too similar to the salmon shade and compliment the other colours too. If it was too dark the salmon colour would not show up over the top and I found that it made a 'muddy' colour. I found creating consistent colours hard because the scales are inaccurate when weighing such small amounts of dye.

Colour testing, particularly yellow shades, trying antique gold, acid yellow and lemon yellow and mixing them together.

I recognised that many of the samples from SADACC had been dyed using natural dyes, this is one of my main interests overall in textiles and I thought I could incorporate this in my work for Project 2. My knowledge on natural dye isn't brilliant so doing some research will really help me in achieving naturally dyed fabrics.

The Chemistry behind Natural Dyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwk1B66dvAM
Natural dyes and dyeing from woodland plants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUS1uPn3vao
Natural dyes basics: http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/naturaldyes.shtml
Natural Dyeing: http://www.diynatural.com/natural-fabric-dyes/

Substantive (direct) dyes
Substantive dyes are used by combining the dyestuff, normally the amount equal to or twice the amount of the weight of the fibre. Then it must be strained then simmered for a while. For example turmeric (working on cotton as well as wool), onion skins, walnut husks, and tea.

Digital printer:
Uses procion and acid dyes

Prints with dyes, steamed as washed as normal (intensifies colours)
A good quality image is needed on memory stick ready to print
Can only print with Neil on Tues/Weds/Thurs
Print has to cover width of fabric
Maximum 10 days turnover (at busiest
Can use photoshop/illustrator but AVA is best
AVA is a textile repeat software
Layers must be flattened and it must be saved as a TIF file
1 metre of printing takes 45 minutes and price varies on different fabrics

Possibilities:
Print on devore fabric
Linen creates a faded, aged look
Organza can be printed on
Print some intricate parts using digital but leave spaces blank to go in and hand print
Spray on water before steamed and set, add discharge paste?

Sublimation Printer:
Uses disperse dyes

Synthetic fibres
Print from any file, print onto 60 cm wide fabric and the heat press
£13= 1 metre

I found a great book after searching in the library for books with pattern ideas etc in. The Experimental Pattern Sourcebook has great patterns from so many different artists that I have never come across before. This has given me a starting point for project 2 as it has given me some visual stimulus as well as given me artists to research further. I am fond of the fact that the artists are from different places around the world as this creates a diverse collection of artists for me to research which all have different styles and ideas.

Experimental pattern sourcebook : 300 inspired designs from around the world.  Herald, J. (2010) Experimental pattern sourcebook : 300 inspired designs from around the world. Beverly, Mass.: Rockport Publishers.

Indian textiles by John Gillow and Nicholas Barnard  Gillow, J. and Barnard, N. (2008) Indian textiles. [New edn.]. London: Thames & Hudson.

Banjar Embroidery
Eastern Sind- Saami (patchwork cotton quilt page 117)

Follow Amelia's board BANJARA EMBROIDERY on Pinterest. Follow Amelia's board DESIGN FOR INTERIORS PROJECT on Pinterest.

Our group decided to trial out our print using our colours. We created a mini kodatrace collection for the 4 different colours. We found out different problems that occurred and were glad that we tested it out before the final 3 metre print on the 20th. We found that the colours work quite well, although they do not overlay to make a new colour (like yellow and blue would overlay and make a green) but not much overlaps anyway. They do not make muddy colours anyhow. We discovered that the flowers had a lot of fine detail which meant that the detail was lost when the dye was applied, the dye also bled a lot. This could have been down to the amount of pulls we did with the squeegee but we have adjusted our print design just in case. We changed the amount of lines we have in the flowers as the lines just merged into one 'splodge' of colour and the yellow block colour underneath was not visible. The line detail will be finer and more considered.