Collaborating with Dot One . . .

Last year I embarked on an intriguing commission with product designer Iona Inglesby for her Masters show at the Royal College of Art.  Iona had taken her families DNA and transformed it into a series of bright colour block designs which I then wove using a double cloth.

Now Iona has now set up Dot One, offering up her unique design services for commissions.

Dot One translates your genetic data into understandable colour patterns creating your own DNA 'tartan'. The design embeds trends of inheritance, similarities between siblings or records the merging of two families. All you need to do is a simple cheek swab and let your DNA do the designing!

Iona and I recently met up in London to talk about her latest commission and are now hatching a plan to combine our design skills to produce some limited edition products collaboratively.  Sampling is currently taking place and we hope to have more information about this exciting work very shortly, so watch this space!

 Images courtesy of Dot One

Collaborating with Sheep of Steel . . .

Earlier this year I was delighted to be contacted by Irem Arig, owner of Sheep of Steel, to see if I would be interested in making some collaborative scarves with her. Irem spins the most fantastic yarns and has an amazing sense of colour, so there was an proposition I couldn't possibly refuse!

After design meetings with Irem I set up a large sampling warp ready to test out all our ideas and possible colour combinations.  By the time I'd finished all the commission pieces in July we were ready to pick our favourites and get weaving the full size sample scarves.

But picking just 4 designs for our first batch of scarves was no easy task! We had ideas for hundreds so we really had to rein ourselves in.

So without further ado I would like to introduce to the chosen 4, Holoholo, Shamaye, Kwele and Ekoi.  And where do those names come from you may ask, well honing in on our African inspiration we picked the names of African tribes.  The scarves are all handwoven in small batches by myself.

With our first sale heading across the pond to a customer in New York if you'd like get your hands on one for yourself you can order your very own handwoven beauty via either Irem's or my own online shop for £200.  If you'd like to have a chance to try one on, Irem will be showing the collection at Handmade in Britain 2014 from the 14th - 16th of November at Chelsea Old Town Hall.  Likewise if you're in the Shrewsbury area you're welcome to pop by my studio for a peek!

New Stitch Collaboration . . .

Last week I embarked on a new collaborative project with photographer, fine artist and editor Christophe Dillinger.  I've been collecting stitch samplers for the last couple of years from antiques fairs and charity shops.  What attracted me to them was an intention to add in some stitch graffiti (such as I'd done with my 'great tits rule' cushion) but having had no time until now they have ended up sitting in a drawer at the studio doing nothing.  When I dug them back out again recently I found myself procrastinating about what to do instead of getting started.

Christophe's newest work had been popping up in my facebook news feed, a series of collected plates which he had 'graffitied' onto using sticky labels or tippex. I thought the tapestries could be just up his street to add another dimension to this new body of work.  Here's a few examples of his plate series . . .

We had our 1st meeting on Friday to discuss our options.  As my usual practice is very labour intensive and time consuming, Christophe's approach of making simple alterations with the impermanence of stickers is going to take some getting used to for me. We've come up with some interesting 1st ideas though and Christophe is so keen on the pieces he intends to include them in an exhibition of his work in Athens this March.  We are inviting your input though for the piece shown below, which is just crying out to have a caption added.  The best suggestion will get stitched on by myself in time for the exhibition.  Looks like I'm going to have to do some speedy stitching!

To suggest you caption click here