Final Visualisations

The 3 figures have been hand drawn using Adobe Illustrator & the styles of jacket are from various designers that I looked at (referenced in my sketchbook) during the research process of the project.

Rather than using photographs & trying to get my fabric to look real against them, I decided to draw the figures, keep them black & white & just use simple scans of my samples to make the jackets. Leaving out facial features & just adding a moustache or glasses was something I thought added a quirky edge to the images. :)

Click to enlarge.

Washing Many Samples...

Although they might not look particularly attractive in the photo below, I am actually really pleased with how all my samples have turned out. Once they are all dry, I'll be trimming & choosing 3 favourites to help create visualisations of how the fabric would look as outerwear.

Contrast

Cutting my samples is always a worry for me. Even though I know they will look better as samples rather than one massive strip. I always enjoy looking a few together before cutting though, the contrast between these 3 samples is really interesting.

Finishing

For the samples I have cut off along the way, I have been washing them in hot, soapy water & leaving them to dry gently on the radiator. Some I may have agitated a little too much & the fibres have felted more than I would have liked, however for the most part, it has left my samples feeling softer & more structured.

Because of the sportswear element included within the Dashing Tweeds brief, I decided to use some really thin, 1 ply wools to give the fabric a more breathable quality. These samples have turned out to be some of my favourites once washed.

Sampling Progress

After what seems like the slowest possible start to a project, progress has finally been made.

I have gotten to grips with the ARM machine & I'm really enjoying working on it. & my samples have also started to come together. I have got my head around using structures that relate to my paintings & photographs & I'm happy with the results that are appearing.

Further Painting

In order to make a link between photographs & weaving structures, I thought more painting work was necessary. It helps me establish shapes & patterns that may be able to translate into my weaving.

Masking fluid is something I have used quite often during this project. Used lightly it adds texture & used more heavily it helps to determine shapes clearly.

Starting to Weave

It has actually been quite a slow start to weaving, as I have been getting my head around the ARM. At first it seemed really complicated & I had to come up with a new system of how I work out programs in my head. Usually I would write out the numbers of the shafts that needed to be lifted for each pick, but with this machine the options are only up or down (0 or 1). So I worked out a way of drawing structures out larger & using a little hand made 'viewfinder' to read each row/pick more clearly.

Now that I have started to get the hang of the loom, hopefully I will able to start moving a lot faster.

Setting Up

This week I have been setting up on my loom & threading, ready to start weaving as soon as possible.

Last time I was weaving, it was my first time on an electronic Texel loom, this time I'm using an ARM, so there might be a slow start as I am unfamiliar with the machine. But I thought it would be best to learn how to use both & then I can determine which one I like better.

I have also threaded up on a pointed draft this time which I have never done before.