A bit of this, a bit of that...: October 2009

Lisa Connelly.

This textiles piece instantly drew me over as I was interested in the technique used to create such eye catching illustrations. To me it fascinates me how these would have been constructed, from layers of thread, using hand and machine embroidery. From seeing this technique used, and it being able to create a great stylised image, it encourages me to think about using stitching in my own illustrations. This works to develop a much more unique and texturised design.

Kerry Mosley - 'Through the eye.'

These are just amazing. On first look from afar I did indeed think they were drawn or painted, but on closer inspection I saw how they were embroidered and embellished to draw out the shape, form and tonal areas. The skill I see in these pieces is brilliant, and it encourages me to think more about textile techniques and the varying ways in which you can use them. Until I came to the show this year, I hadn't comprehended how textiles can be used so widely to form works of art.

Rosie James - 'Waiting for the 7:23 to Victoria.'

This was one of the first pieces that grabbed my attention fully. This shows just a section of the piece, in whole it is about three or fours times this length. I was drawn to it by the simplistic linear quality of the figures, and saw it instantly as great inspiration for trying out on illustrations of my own. There was great intricacy with the details on the figures and how Rosie James had overlapped each individual figure to create the composition of a crowd waiting for a tube was fantastic.

Susie Vickery.

This women had her work on show as well as her sketchbooks. I loved how she had made her sketchbook completely using fabric, which had been printed on to, and embroidery. They were really amazing as everything was very well thought out, with tape measures used to note the page numbers and as a page marker. Her textile pieces were also very intricate with detailing and how limbs and various elements of each figure were attached using buttons and over locking. Her style, to me, was very quirky and eccentric, mixing embellishment techniques with found imagery to create a very unique style. I want to try this year in my own sketchbooks to make them more tactile and visually exciting, by experimenting with different techniques of presentation and materials. The work I saw of Vickery's has definately inspired me to use more embellishment in my sketchbooks to achieve my aim.

Jill Flower - 'Lady Ruff.'

This was really cool how the different layers had been made from a mixture of fabric and paper, stitched in to and embellished upon to create texture and contrast between each layer. As well as this, Jill Flowers had brooches and bracelets made in a similar fashion. I really loved the tactility of the piece and how it was quite raw looking, with loose threads and a mish mash of colours and patterns.

Patimarkon Tangsakul.

The details on these garments are really delicate and create very pretty and feminine patterns, which compliment the pastel shades and fine stripes. I really like how the black contrasts with the softer shades to accentuate the pattern, and give definition to the edging.

Laura Wooding.

The texture and conceptualness of this dress are really exciting, as it is more of a piece if art rather than a easy to wear garment. It interests me the many ways you can manipulate wool, to develop various textures and visualy exciting forms. The layers add another dynamic, as they encourage the wool to sit in ripples and create shadows within eachother.

Lois Porte.

Te-Chien Chen.

With the two images above, I enjoyed the material and texture that had been created. Particularly the chunky knit of the wool, and the folds in Te-Chien Chen's top, as they create shadows and new shapes and form when they hang on the body. Again the use of wool interests me, as seeing the various garments over today I have learnt and been inspired by the amount of different techniques there are, and the ability of the wool to be manipulated.

George Strood.

I think this dress is beautiful, as I love how the ruffles are folded and in contrast to the simplicity of the dresses structure. The tactility of the wool excites me, and how patterns can be created in how the wool is knitted together, particularly in the bust area.

Overall the knitting and stitching show has inspired me with ideas and possible techniques to use in the future, and opened my eyes to different ways of embellishing fabrics. I want to try and explore these in future projects, so I can develop further understandings of techniques and, hopefully, far more stimulating sketchbooks.

This collection also impacted me as I love the ruffled, pleated and ruched elements. The colour palette is very feminine with the use of pastels, but I enjoy how it is cut with black to add some contrast and to emphasis the structured areas of the jackets and dresses. The over exaggeration of the ruffles makes, for me, the garments really exciting. I particularly love how the models head is enveloped by the lilac folds, and how this neckline leads to the ruffles falling down the arms and body. I really enjoy how Vitor and Rolf take simplistic, structured pieces and add layers and innovative ideas to create amazing, individual designs.