As a designer, one of my particular personal skills and interests is nature photography. You can often find me wandering around the countryside with my camera, in search of natural inspiration. I use this imagery to draw highly detailed artwork which I then modify through hand and digital print processes to create textile designs.

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Contrasting with my usual medium choice of highly detailed pen drawings, I experimented with watercolour which can be converted into a halftone screen for printing. It became clear, however, that while some designs were effective, in most cases the detail of the artwork was lost. Therefore I chose to progress the collection further using pen drawings, allowing a much higher level of detail to be achieved whilst printing.

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One of my previous collections inspired by feathers and birds led me to explore a bird’s environment and settle upon woodland nature as a new subject for my designs. Fungi, flowers, tree bark and plants for example, have such beautiful forms and textures that I aim to reflect within my fabrics. Inspired by woodland, nature and its vast textures, this collection, called ‘through the glade’ portrays a calming but fresh colour palette, ranging from comforting and warming dusky pinks to light and refreshing greens. Being designed for interiors and inspired by nature, the collection brings the outside in; creating a refreshing natural feel.

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Particularly focused within bedroom interiors, high density fabrics, ranging in texture and weight provide the base cloths within the collection. Linen and heavy weight cotton and satin fabrics will add a more textured feel for upholstered items, such as a bedroom chair or bed headboard. Pillow cotton is a lighter weight fabric which is ideal when designing bedding, as it is smooth and comfortable, dyes well and displays the clear detail of my drawings when printed on. To add a more luxurious feel to the fabric collection I am also including Shantung silk and velvet. A velvet cushion settled amongst a billowing bed of cotton and silk would add a subtle touch of luxury and soft texture within a bedroom setting.

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‘Through the Glade’ is aimed towards clients who appreciate a subtle artistic and textured touch within printed interior fabrics. The collection would sit amongst the higher end of the interior textiles market. Harlequin, Sanderson and John Lewis are examples of companies which create high quality, printed fabrics often embellished with embroidery; features which my collection would accompany well.

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Having specialised in embroidery during my first year, I have a particular affinity for the use of stitch within textiles and love to incorporate it into my work. Free motion embroidery in particular is a favourite technique of mine and drawing with stitch is a skill that allows the addition of subtle but highly detailed texture and another layer to my textiles.

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Specialising in print, I am now accomplished in both digital and screen printing with skills and a love of dyeing. Using a combination of printing methods allows me to express a handmade quality within my work as well as being able to maintain the detail of my drawings within each print design.

 

The final stage of my degree has allowed me to learn and explore new textile processes and techniques to improve my collection and develop further as a textile designer. I have advanced my skills in screen printing, enabling me to create lengths of fabric printed in several colours.

 

Exploring laser etching and cutting has also lead towards learning new skills which have given the collection more variety of texture, giving it a more artistic feel and more to look at in closer detail. Laser etching into the pile of velvet and laser cutting detailed moths in polyester are specific techniques which give the collection its artistic edge.