HND Textiles Achieved!

It's been a long time since I've posted an update but in the meantime I've been busy completing my final modules and in June I received my HND Textiles qualification. It's been a lot of hard work but a lot of fun too, I've loved every minute of it.

Look at all those Units on the detailed record! Phew! I know I did them all but it seems an incredible amount when listed like that. It really was a very busy two years! The photo might be too small to read so here are the Units completed:

Graded Unit 1 ~ Graded Unit 2 ~Art and Design Project ~ Creative Project for Artists and Designers ~ Digital Imaging Project ~ Observational Drawing Portfolio ~ Printed Textiles: Advanced ~ Surface Decoration for Textiles: Advanced ~ Textile Techniques: Advanced ~ Textiles for Commission:Advanced ~ Design Semantics ~ Designing and Producing a Fashion Garment: Introduction ~ Digital Imaging ~ Fine Art Textiles: Introduction ~ Life Drawing ~ Millinery: Introduction ~ Observational Drawing ~ Performance Costume: Introduction ~ Portfolio Production ~ Printed Textiles: Introduction ~ Professional Design Practice ~ Surface Decoration for Textiles: Introduction ~ Textile Techniques: Introduction ~ Textiles for Commission: Introduction

In addition I managed three other major achievements for which I am incredibly pleased and grateful, they are:

1) The dress I designed and made being included in the Fashion Futures Fashion show at the closing ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 

2) The Nine Trades of Dundee Tailor Trade Award

3) An unconditional offer for a place on the BA Design and Creativity course run by Grays School of Art, Robert Gordon University.

I start on 1st September and am really looking forward to it although I know it will be an incredible amount of work, full time, 5 days a week!

So, to catch up on my update I'll post up some photos of my final semester. Unfortunately I have no photo of my finished dress but here are pictures of the paper design

The Module was 'Advanced Textiles for Commission' with a live brief to design and make a dress to be entered into a competition to be included in the Scottish Textiles Academic Group's venture 'Fashion Futures' - a fashion show to be part of the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2014 to held in Glasgow. The inspiration was to be taken from the V&A Museum London and the department I chose was 'Ceramics'. 

I made a sleeveless shift dress with a soft white cotton fabric. The zigzags are in a green ombre-dyed cotton appliqued on with an invisible machine stitch. I decided to make the wiggly lines by free motion machine embroidering in a mix of black, grey and silver threads. Finally, in embracing the 'less is more' school of thinking as encouraged by my tutors I left off the white flowers altogether. I was a bit reluctant to begin with as I had several ideas for hand making the delicate white blooms, but in the end I have to agree ... the finished dress doesn't actually need them.
You can watch the fashion show on BBC at the closing ceremony of the Games on Sunday 3rd August, I think 6pm.

Next, a few photos of the Graded Unit.The theme was 'Urban Elements' and I chose 'Bridges'
 

Paper cuts and Brusho dyes, 2 layers - Inspired by Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland

Paper design - Cut outs, holes, graphite, Copic pens.

Paper design - cut outs, lutradur and Xpandaprint

Final paper design worked with card and greaseproof paper for transparency

Final textile hanging. Fine sheer layers, silk and organdie with nuno felting and machine lace embroidery

Next, 'Textile Techniques'.  We spent a lovely day on the beach at Broughty Ferry, Dundee sketching and mark making for later development into designs. Following are three of my final pieces for portfolio:

Hand dyed cotton backed with cotton wadding, machine and hand embroidery, Angelina fibres

Hand dyed cotton layers backed with cotton wadding, cut outs, machine and hand embroidery, distressed muslin, Iris paper film

Hand dyed cotton backed with cotton wadding, machine and hand embroidery, silver netting, chiffon and wood

And finally, a few selections from my 'Printed Textiles' portfolio. My inspiration was piano keys, organ stops and music scores, but the printed designs are very abstract. A mix of techniques including masking, collograph, lino cuts and screen printing:

If you've read this far, well done and thank you for your interest and support. I think you can see how much I've enjoyed the last two years and this is just a very small selection of my work out of the huge amount I seem to have produced!
I'm thinking of putting some of my samples up for sale so please contact me if there is anything you've seen that you like. I can also offer prints of originals which would of course be a less expensive option. Or what about cards?

As always I welcome your comments an opinions and am always up for a critique. Please comment below, I read all comments and emails and always love to hear from you.