The Milliners

I showed you their work but they need a bit more time under the spotlight so here goes.

John Westwood-Hill-Quinnell-Hill Millinery

Amy Woollard - Dolly Millinery

Susanne Guthrie - Ginger Nut Millinery

Marisa Groom - Marisa Groom Millinery

Jill Simpson- Jill Simpson Millinery

Congratulations to them all and a huge thank you from all the millinery team, myself, Fiona, Sue & Adrian for being such a hard working inspiring bunch of students, we hope you keep in touch.

Opening Night

My graduating students worked really hard all day on Wednesday beginning to set up the show, everyone was feeling a little fragile with some late nighters done to complete course work and worries and concerns of how to get the best effect for their final collections in the great space we had created. Mad dash on Friday with those last minute touches, a huge thanks to Amy, John and Fiona for helping to scrub the floor and make is all show ready. Here are a few of the first pictures I will do some good close ups later. They all did a brilliant job and the results of all their hard work was evident to all.

Amy Woollard

Helene Frank

John Westwood-Hill

Marisa Groom

Jill Simpson

Susanne Guthie

A huge thank you to all my fantastically talented students who did a brilliant job producing some sublime collections incorporating innovative techniques and materials, they did themselves proud. Well done and here's to your futures..........

End of year show 2011

The usual mad dash to get everything sorted seems to come round each year ever faster. Even being extra prepared and having my room boarded early didn't prohibit that Saturday painting and 4.30 dash around to get everything ready before the doors opened at 6.00 for friends and family.

This is how we began....

looking for props

New ideas

I have been reading the new book by Observer columnist Lucy Siegle about the real facts of production and cost cutting within the fast fashion industry, it makes enlightening reading.

There are many facts within the book that i would like to explore within my Needlewoman piece of work and given the fact that the same thing that happened here in the 1850's is happening in the Far East and we ignore it for the sake of our £4 T shirts I need to look to address this in some way.
So first ideas were to capture the garments in a different way.

15 minutes to sew a pair of 5 pocket jeans.

In the west we consume 55 kilos of new textiles every year.

We shall see where it goes from here......

Letter Press results

Just a few of the pieces that i printed from my letter press. I intend to do some more designing and go back and work with some other surfaces. Also the "How do they..." needs respacing.

Letter Press

Flow is often discussed as that feeling of contentment and happiness when truly engrossed n an activity particularly a creative practical one. I felt very much in the flow today when working in the Letter Press studio at MMU. The first hour was a little haphazard as we couldn't remember exactly what we had to do so there was degree of muddling! But with the able assistance of David the technician and his history of letterpress we succeeded.

Art Market, Holmfirth

I visited Holmfirth Art Market today as needed some unique birthday gifts for friends & family. The range of practitioners was excellent definitely something for everyone with a good range of prices, and lots in that golden price point of £35 (Craft Council stats), which yet again reiterates why making and selling hats can be problematic.

www.louisetaylor-originals.co.uk

Lovely brooches & badges

www.suecandy.co.uk

Really beautiful clean lined ceramics.


www.creativelyoccupied.com    www.juliemiles.co.uk  and next time I am lucky enough to get some spare cash then these two makers would definitely tempt me....

Another highly talented designer maker was Fiona Wilson http://fiona-wilson.blogspot.com/ whose work was perfect for those special gifts.