Victoria and Albert Museum

This website has the most amazing catalogue of objects in the museums collection with lots of information and excellent quality images. An awesome resource and time stealer so be careful!

Here are a few textile pieces that caught my eye....

Lyon, France 1763

This design is a preparatory technical drawing for a patterned silk. It acted as instructions for the weaver about how to tie up the threads on the loom and then weave in the pattern. More

England, 1851- 1900

An appliqué coverlet of printed cotton silhouettes on a cotton ground, including both animate and inanimate objects: houses, socks, men on horseback, trees, scissors and a range of animals. At the centre is an octagonal ready-printed panel showing flowers on a pale-yellow ground. On either side are appliqued silhouettes of 'The Greek Slave' in printed cotton. Round the outer edge is a striped blue, white and yellow cotton border, cut into a zig-zag at its inner edge.More

Gujarat, India 15th century-16th century

This fragment is one of many hundreds of printed cotton fabrics from Gujarat which have been recovered from several sites in Egypt. This one (like the others in the V&A's collection) reputedly came from Fostat, the former capital of Egypt, which has given its name to the whole group, which are often referred to as 'Fostat fragments'. more

Shapes...

Experimenting with drawing shapes for a wall hanging. It didn't eventuate but I'm still quite taken with these shapes. 

Productivity and the Universe.

I've been pretty productive this past week, had some break throughs, discovered some new as well as some old techniques that I really enjoy. I've been making a lot without thinking too much or worrying about what the work means. I feel as though I need to get this out of my system and then I will go back to conceptual work. I'm also considering starting a lengthy new project that should last about a year. We will see.

Anyway, here is an image of a Kirra Jamison painting because I love these abstract forms and she is a genius with colour.

Universe 2012 acrylic and vinyl on polyester, 213 x183 cm

Just keep making....

(detail image of another unfinished work I must go back to!)

I've developed a bad habit of boiling the kettle and never making the tea. sadface.

Experiments...

An experiment I did at the start of this year to see how the crochet grid behaved when stitched onto paper. I wanted to discern whether it would provide a workable parameter for paper embroidery. It didn't turn out like I imagined (which happens more often than not) but was still satisfying to carry out. I'm still really interested in the grid and this distortion is very exciting!

Tying up loose ends.

Today is a day for finishing half completed works. If I have a new idea, I'll write it down and let it stew instead of launching into it straight. Productivity becomes me! (hopefully)

xx

gone but not forgotten

Work in progress.. this piece is taking far too long to complete, I feel as though I have left it behind and moved onto other things. I must complete it... and all the other pieces I've left behind.