The Process Of Making
I work in my home studio, on the outskirts of Beverley in East Yorkshire. I am surrounded by fields and also live a close distance from the coast, which has a strong influence on my work.
Often when I begin a new project, I start by taking photographs and these images are then developed into mixed-media collages in a sketch book. Without directly copying these pieces, it feeds into my design work.
Hand Spinning
As a hand spinner, I start with a raw fleece from a rare breed sheep or alpaca. The processes of washing, carding and spinning the fleece are essential prerequisites before the weaving can begin. By hand spinning fleece and using end of run commercial yarn for the warps, I significantly slow down my making. However, it does give my woven cloth a character and energy, which would be difficult to achieve with machine processed yarn. Each product is bespoke due to the variations of colour found in the fleece and the slubby texture of the hand spun yarn.
Hand Loom Weaving
I work on a mixture of table top sample looms and a large Swedish floor loom. Each loom is threaded according to the design and after completion of the woven cloth, it is cut off the loom and hand washed. The finishing stages of constructing the cushion, making the buttons or twisting tassels is also done by hand in my studio.
Plant Dyed Yarns
The colour of the cloth is predominantly achieved through the natural colours of the fleece. However, fleece and yarns are also plant dyed, in order to create highlights in the decorative bands. Madder, weld ,indigo, coreopsis and onion are examples of the foraged plants, which are used to create the soft shades of colour.