Colour

Today I have been messing about with paint. I've been trying to work out what my colour palette will be for my final major project. It is not an easy task.

Reflective journal - Week one

So...I'm supposed to start my reflective journal. ONLY 15 weeks left until I finish my degree. Sad and excited all at the same time. Sad at leaving the optimistic, creative and inspiring environment that the art college provides BUT excited by new opportunities and embarking on a new chapter in my life.

Here is goes.....Week one



I meet up with a group of knitters every Wednesday. I've been going to knit night for almost 3 years now. It is very important to me and it is often the highlight of the week. We go on outings - to rock concerts and cocktails bars. Some nights knit night are very special - there is something very powerful about a group of women from different backgrounds, ages and life experiences coming together and offering support, advice and encouragement to each other.

BUT what has knit night got to do with my uni work. Well....it's good "time out". I say time out - that is not strictly true as it is 'KNIT' night afterall and I often take uni work with me to finish off - but it offers me time to listen to different conversations, see projects that the other people are working on and become more inspired. It's fun to talk about knitting that isn't related to my uni work and discuss the lastest pattern book someone has got off Amazon or marvel at which knitting stitch or project someone trying out this week or coo over someones yarn purchase. It sounds a little mad I know - BUT I love knit night and today is Wednesday - HOORAAAH!!!!

Water Ways

For the last 5 weeks I have been working on a project entitled 'Water Ways'. This project has been inspired by the colours, patterns and shapes associated with the British Water Ways in particular the ‘Narrowboat’ and canal life of the late 1800’s early 1900’s.

I have had many childhood holidays on canal boats and since then I have been fascinated by the many different colours, patterns, crafts and stories related to the canals. The canal folk would proudly decorate everything to do with their boat. Every panel on the boat would be painted in different colours. Enamel buckets, watering cans and other accessories associated with the boat would be embellished with fairytale imagery of castles and flowers (roses are the most predominant painted flower). Inside the cabins would be swathed in crocheted blankets, lace tablecloths and tatted porthole curtains. In this project I wanted to capture the Edwardian boatmen’s love of bright and bold colours and look at the fashion of the women who lived on the canal and look into their use of domestic crafts.



The shape of my garment has been inspired by the blouses worn by the boat women and decorated with red and black roses (taken from the enamel buckets). The pattern structure of the skirt has been informed by the patterns found in lace making and tatting. In keeping with the boatmen’s tradition of making the panels of the boat different I have tried to encapsulate this by making each section (the skirt, sleeves and neck pieces) different in colour and texture.

Designers such as Gudrun Sjoden, Kenzo, Saltwater, Eley Kishimoto, Balenciaga and Etro have helped inspire my work as I feel their collections emphasise with folkloric style to which I am so drawn.