Knit week 2

I am understanding the hard labour of knit, as each technique we learn takes more and more time. I feel I have grasped a better understanding of the machine, and developed technical skills in stripe, tuck, and ladder affects, yet I am still frustrated by the amount of samples that have fallen off the machine. 

I'm beginning to think knit isn't for me, I feel limited in how we can translate our research and despite going into knit in every session and on days off they keep falling apart. I can't seem to grasp the techniques, but shall perceiver for my technical file. 

Knit week 1

 Our first week of knit has been an intense introduction; for the start of the week we had to compile a mood board for construct, meaning we have something to base our work off of and jump right in. I have been drawing to the colours and qualities of Ancient Egypt, especially the tones of tourquoise, ochre and crimson together. As I have been doing research,  I have seen connections between the work of abstract artist Rothko, and the importance of colour symbolism in Ancient Egypt.

The knitting has been very fast paced, and as there are seemingly constant tutorials from Sue and Amy time management will be key in knit. I have enjoyed the sessions so far, yet I can feel myself getting quite frustrated with the act of machine knit. I do not find it easy to translate my research (other than colour) into construct, as I am much more figuratively based. 

Contextual Research

Kevin Kramp is a high-concept knitwear designer pushing the boundaries of menswear knit. The mix machine and hand knit, of unorthodox shape and colour, with exciting stitch style, Kramp's maverick designs mix both ideas of the modern man, with a heavy nomadic boho influence. Contrasts in colour and texture make you almost want to touch the computer screen in the hope to feel the luxury fibres of his work. 

Research week

This week I visited the Manchester Museum in order to gather visual resources for the coming project. As we were asked to consider our journeys and how we can record them I made lists and collections of data of my own. Firstly I used a pedometer app on my phone to map out my journey throughout the day, by screen-shoting the maps I then further investigated possible line qualities from the images. I was also struck by the distance I had traveled, from Withington through to the first half of my museum visit, which was '5.47miles'; there after I used '5.47' as a 'limitation' to work with, using a time limit of either '5.47mins' or '54mins 07secs' to draw and develop some visual recordings both in the museum and at home.

I found the shorter limit forced me to work quickly, gathering key impressions and qualities which caught my eye at the museum, whilst the longer limit allowed me to reassess my research at home, and both develop and abstract form and colour in different ways.
On my way to the museum I made a list of every establishment I passed, attracted to the colourful shop fronts, although it all had to be alphabetical. Work from A to Z is quite manageable with words, but I then decided to apply that to my journey through the museum as I had no clear direction of what sort of animals/objects/qualities I wanted to look at. It forced me to consider exhibits I would otherwise have ignored. Therefore all my time limit drawings were also limited by the alphabet sequence, up until 'S', when I discovered the Ancient Egyptian Shabtis. I am drawn to the etherial turquoise of the clay ornaments, and interested in compiling a colour pallet based on the colours of ancient Egypt.

Data | Collections | Lists

As a starting point for our new project 'Data, Collections, Lists' we have been prompted to visit the Manchester Museum, the Holden Gallery and the Visual Resource Centre (Grosvenor room G22) to gather as much visual research as we can to give us a strong foundation for our new rotations. I'm beginning this project in Construct, therefore have been asked to concentrate on developing colour drawings from our research. We have also been asked to really consider how we record our journeys (physical journey and inspirational journey). In preparation I've started to think about interesting ways this can be achieved; I think the physical mapping of my journey could create some interesting lines, therefore I plan to use a pedometer map app on my phone on the way to the Manchester Museum. I love found objects, so perhaps I will collect whatever lost treasures (most likely trash) left behind by pedestrians on the Manchester streets and then create a 'collection' of my own. I am interested in how all the senses can over lap and inform visual development, so maybe I will record sounds with my phone every 5 minutes and from it develop a series of drawings from these recordings (both realistic and abstract); it also gives me the chance to play with the element of memory as I will be drawing from my head - and what bigger collection does mankind have other than memory? Perhaps I will make a list of businesses and establishments I see on the way to the museum, sorting them alphabetically. Im interested in what I can document on my way home from my visit, armed with the information I have learned and recorded in the gallery, I hope the research i gather will be able to inform my trip home and develop another element to my lists.
Im excited about this new project, and after my feedback from the Origins unit on Tuesday I can consciously work to improve the aspects of my work and practice which were not as string in the last unit. I need to remember the importance of sketchbook development and running with an idea until I can get everything out of it. Im also eager to push my idea of drawing in this project and how I document and develop.

Origins Evaluation

My experience of the origins unit is quite unique to most of my peers. About 2 weeks ago I successfully made the move from 2nd year Fashion to 1st year Textiles in Practice, and what a crazy 2 weeks it has been. My decision to transition from Fashion to Textiles was a long thinking process; admittedly from well to the start of my first year of uni I and many doubts about my 'passion for fashion'. When I started my course I felt as though it wasn't for me, but would always push such thoughts aside and dismiss them. Then 2nd year fashion came and I thought enough was enough; too long had I longed to get back into a textiles based approach that I had been used to in foundation. I was hating my course, and with a bite of the bullet I emailed Teresa Holtom and organised a meeting.

The work I had been producing in fashion was enjoyable to a point; I love research, discovering new artists, designers, subcultures and historical scenarios has always interested me, but when it came to designing, and worse, pattern-cutting (shudder) I just couldn't work it out. In foundation I was used to creating/manipulating the fabric and letting it tell me what to do with it instead of the other way round. My project from Fashion this year was based on the idea of 'Generic Garments' in which we were asked to study 3 generic items of clothing and research the shape, fabric and historical and social context of the clothing. I happened upon a Crombie coat, a pair of Oxford Bags, a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a grandfather shirt. Through illustration, photography and dissection of the garments I studied them in and out to inform my future design decisions. This was an interesting approach, but by this point my heart was no longer in fashion design.


My first week of TIP was a bit odd; the day after my interview with Teresa I began my first day of textiles and I was met by a welcoming class and tutor. The work on illustrator was difficult at first and is still something I am working on to develop. Understanding of vectors and such is a tricky business, but I believe with more time and on line tutorials my skills will improve.

Since I have began the course I have missed 2 days of uni due to illness, but I have tried my best to get caught up on the work I have missed. The Friday drawing day i did attend was an interesting class; it pushed me out of my comfort zone to no longer think about a final over all piece but to simply enjoy the experimentation process. I understand now that it is better to be brave and take risks during the journey than to second-guess just for the sake of a final outcome. I feel I have gotten a lot freer with my drawing and I'm excited for future Fridays.

My artist research, drawings of my objects and paper folding have started to come together, as I have explored mixing of materials to illustrate some of the crystal drawings (which were my favourite).
The laser cutting induction session was an informative class as I got to understand what we were exploring a bit more. This has informed my experiments with folding paper and material selection, which I will put to use tomorrow in my laser cutting session (it was unfortunately the only one I could book). Yet the time i have had to reflect and analyse my time in Origins has been great opportunity to realise what I need to work on.

Contextual Reference. Lucy Orta.

Lucy Orta's Refuge Wear series questions human spacial awareness and interaction through high-tech expedition materials. Using PVC, Polar fleece and aluminium polyamides, to name but a few, Orta creates wearable personal refuge spaces which question social interactions and space. This piece from 1993 titled 'Habitant' was developed with the homeless in mind, asking how as a textile artist/designr can she affect the situation of homelessness; could fabrics be the way forward to reintegrate the homeless back into society instead of traditional means of architecture and housing. I love Orta's work as it merges art, design and social awareness. Her creations have the ability to isolate or include.

Contextual Reference. Roger Hiorns.

Goldsmiths graduate Roger Hiorns uses materials and chemical reactions to transform found objects and to explore social encounters and urban situations. Using crystal formulae, melted plastics and burnings he creates evocative pieces of work. This project from 2008 titled 'Seizure' saw Hiorns pump 75,000 litres of solution into a London council flat to cover the floors, walls and roof in a copper sulphate crystalline growth. Hiorns takes the mundane and makes it glitter and shine with these chemical growths. Similar to Latino's work, I'm really interested in developing my work with crystal like shapes.

Contextual Reference. Lucy McRae.

Lucy McRae is an artist/designer who explores similar themes to that of Tilbury. Her work centres more around extensions and prosthetics of the body and how the natural silhouette can be morphed. McRae uses substances like foam, feathers, paper, and wood to construct extensions to the human form. Her jagged flesh-blade hybrid shapes caught my eye the most; it reminds me of the structures Jonathan Latino was creating but applied to the human form. The deformed bodies intrigue the viewer whilst also making us feel a little unnerved. These mutations could be replicated using laser cutting and 3D printing approaches.

Contextual References. Jonathan Latino.

Jonathan Latino's work explores space and extension through his beautifully formed crystal structures. Latino his BA in Studio Art from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvanian in 2006 and his Masters in Fine Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2012. This piece 'Emerge' clearly questions spacial awareness and scale. The artist has created something which looks organically beautiful whilst also retaining a structured body. The crystals which would form naturallly in caves has been intentionally placed in that exhibition space, juxtaposing the organic chance of the crystals with man-made intentions.  I am interested in creating similar shapes in my own work with alternate materials and fabrics. 

Contextual Reference. Nancy Tilbury.

A designer I've always had a fascination with is Nancy Tilbury. Tilbury is a pioneer in the world of fashion and textiles, pushing the boundaries in accepted thoughts of what defines a textile and how the field will evolve with technology. Tilbury that believes in the modern age it is paramount that fashion/textiles develop with it, and she envisions a future where apparel will be an ephemeral and effortless experience. Her work focuses on the relationship between what is digital and what is physical. Her work explores ideas of digital skin being able to grow at our will from our bodies, giving us the ability to change our appearance with digital impulses or ingestion of reactive chemicals which change the texture, colour and shape of our skin. The picture above depict how genetics could one day be engineered to develop foot wear or jewellery. I am inspired by her way of considering the body and the materials used as one combined unit. These depictions are beautifully thought out and excited me to try out projection, liquids and latex in my own work.

Laser Cutting Induction

This week we were inducted into the 3D CAD room, where Adan the technician demonstrated the 3D printer and laser cutting services. We got an overview of the machines and were told what programmes to use to digitally render our creations, like Solid-Works, CAD and Illustrator. We learned that when using illustrator to prepare for the laser cutter that red lines would be processed as a cut and blue lines would be processed as an engraving. Today we got a chance to practice the laser cutting on some 15x15cm plywood tiles. The session was very informative and I know now to perhaps develop and push my 3D thinking a bit more and also practice on my Adobe Illustrator skills. 

Ch..ch..changes.. My Transition from Fashion to Textiles

To most, changing course is a scary and risky move, and thats usually in your first year of uni; so the shock and concern on some peoples faces when I said I was switching course in second year made me feel like a bit of a mad man. To me however the transition from Fashion to Textiles has been a fluid one, reassuring that I am the right track, or more so 'a' right track. Something that I've come to learn is that there isn't one smooth go; there's bumps and turns in the road something you just have to embrace instead of sitting in auto-pilot all your life. So I made the wrong decision, so I wasn't enjoying my course. Do I look at the past year with regret and disappointment, or do I take it in my stride and simply accept that it was a year in which I learned a lot about myself. Looking back at my work from Foundation in college my I can see my work was a lot more about generating fabrics and materials aimed towards fashion, opposed to fashion work for fashion. I can also see a lot more passion and joy in what I was doing opposed to feeling the need to tailor my work to fit a Fashion Design syllabus. Textiles in Practice is such a broad and open-ended course, offering teaching for skills that lend to a variety of fields. Textiles for the body is definitely something I've always had an interest in, but I have not yet fully explored textiles applied to an installation context, which is something which interests me a lot. Im excited to embark on this new chapter of my life. 

Developing my toile for the top piece of my design.

Hall of Mirrors - Design Development Ideas

As part of my design development I took the idea of the 'work clothes'  and boiler suits and decided to dress myself in one, but in keeping with skewering proportions and placement notions I put the legs of the suit on my arms. This helped me generate some interesting garment ideas. I also like the idea of a pocket placed on the shoulder or even on the front of the chest. I would like to work the high vis vest into my design, perhaps in the legs. 

 I like this design idea using the shapes generated from the boiler suit. I would like to create a vertical neckline like the one I've drawn (a neckline not very common in menswear). I also plan on using the idea of the pocket on the shoulder and the use of eyelets along the front.

 I carried through the 'drop-crotch' 'baby-grow' idea from previous development. I like the idea of work breeches, but incorporating the shape and construction of the sleeve taken from the tweed jacket.

'No Fun at the Funfair' - Workwear Research

In my research so far I have been drawn to the idea of 'work wear' within the theme of 'Fairgrounds'. I like the rough 'n' ready look of the workers, and the idea of durable design and fabric use. I looked at brands like Dickie's and a vintage 70's Wrangler denim jacket for research and inspiration. I experimented with jean buttons and eyelets and hope to use these ideas in my designs. 

Drawing from back in March. Caravans & workers at Plattfields Funfair.

Wrangler denim jacket, brass button, pencil sketch. 

Introduction to denim button machine. 

Researching denim as a 'work' fabric, and pockets. 

Drawing of Dickies work jacket and high-vis vest.

Boiler suit flats.

Research into traditional workwear. Experimenting with eyelet puncher on hessian and denim. 

Research into dungarees and denim. Images from HBO show 'Carnivale'.

Research - Cullens Fun Fair, Derry, 'Not All Fun and Games'

On a recent trip back to my hometown, Derry, I was able to access a travelling funfair, ‘Cullen’s’  as it was just about to be opened. It was a great chance to see the hard work and graft that goes into making the fun fair, well, ‘fun’. I was attracted to the high-vis vests and waterproof work wear of these rough ‘n’ ready workers. I am interested in exploring this side of the fair further. Instead of going for the obvious bright lights and show costumes of the circus, perhaps I could look instead at the durable work wear of those who construct the rides and the tents.

Designer: Alan Taylor

Alan Taylor, graduate of NCAD in Dublin, was approached by Simone Rocha, with whom he worked closely for 3 years before venturing out on his own and developing his own brand. Alan Taylor now shows in the London MEN Collections, showcasing new young menswear designers pushing the boundaries within such a typically restrictive market. Taylor's work is based on creative pattern cutting, taking preconceived notions of garment construction and throwing them on their head.

Technical drawing and Illustrator exercise

In class one day during our garment drawing research lessons we were asked to technically record the shape and measurements of an old riding style jacket using graph paper. This was quite a challenging excercise for me as I am not the most acurite and technical of thinkers. Together in pairs we had to record the jacket exactly how it was onto graph paper; the outcome was very rewarding as we were pleased with our representation of the jacket. Then using Adobe Illustrator I scanned in the drawing and developed the drawing further on Illustrator, getting to grips with layers, drawing with a cursor and adding colour etc. I am quite pleased with my outcome.

I also experimented marring both the deconstructed jacket work and the accurate observation of the riding jacket. 

Hall of Mirrors - Jacket Deconstruction, placement

Some sketches illustrating ideas developed from the jacket deconstruction. I quite like this idea of a dropped-crotch, 'baby-grow' kind of feature.