Profile: Catarina Riccabona

31 March 2014 |
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C_Riccabona 2Catarina Riccabona is a London-based textile designer / weaver. Originally from Austria she came to London to work in publishing, but after some time decided to change her career.

She did a Foundation Course at Chelsea College of Art and Design followed by a BA (Hons)  in Textile Design at Central Saint Martins where she specialised in woven textiles. Catarina started her own textile design business upon joining Cockpit Arts in May 2012. She is also a recipient of the Cockpit Arts/Clothworkers’ Foundation Award 2012/13.

Using traditional hand-weaving techniques Catarina designs and makes woven fabrics for scarves, cushions and throws. Each piece is made from start to finish in her Deptford studio. Her distinct aesthetic language is informed by a sound ecological concept based on a strict selection of yarns.

Main image photography by Gareth Hacker, courtesy of The New Craftsmen.
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Woven Light: Swedish School of Textiles

21 March 2014 |
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therese.amusgidlof@gmail.comWoven Light was exhibited at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2014. Under the theme light – material – structure the textile design students from the Swedish School of Textiles, University of  Borås, explored the interaction between different light settings and light qualities and the creation of woven textile structures. Special light emitting and reactive materials were introduced, including reflex materials, “glow in the dark” and PMMA optical fibres. The aim was  to introduce the students to Smart Materials and current textile research in the context of traditional weaving techniques. The course has been lead by Ulla Ranglin, hand weaving expert, accompanied by Barbara Jansen, textile design researcher in the area of light emitting textiles. They are  also members of the Smart Textiles Unit at the Swedish School of Textiles.

The exhibitors were Ellinor Eliasson, Frida Samuelsson, Joanna Vikström, Malin Bobeck, Therese Amus Gidlöf. Textile design students in their 3rd year.

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Lisio Foundation – Florence

21 March 2014 |
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01-palio.bluFlorence has been one of the most important centres of textile culture since the Renaissance. The Lisio Foundation in Florence, Italy, organises courses and seminars in English for institutions or private groups on specific historical, technical or practical themes, and for individual training courses and developing research projects.

The courses are aimed at students, technicians and textile designers and the school program provides full immersion classes on : analysis of textiles and laces, conservation and creating jacquard textiles.

The educational program has been designed to broaden textile culture and ensure the preservation on antique techniques. The Lisio Foundation school also has looms for figured silk velvets and gold brocades.

The Foundation also manufactures to order, various forms of figured silks. The designs and patterns of the collection are part of the legacy left by the original LISIO Silk Mill. They represent all the decorative typologies in vogue between the Middle Ages and the early 1900s either reproduced from original period textiles or reconstructed from depictions in paintings by the great masters of Italian art.
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Exhibition: Weaving with Paper

21 March 2014 |
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Weaving with paper exhibition posterLR

Profile: Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company

11 March 2014 |
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SONY DSC Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company is one of the oldest working commercial mills in England. Gainsborough was established as a Jacquard weaving mill by Reginald Warner in 1903 and has been at its present location in Sudbury, Suffolk since 1924. The mill represents a confluence of the past and future of the British weaving industry.

Gainsborough  could be described as a working museum with 15 working Hattersley looms, which are in some cases up to 100 years old, making up the majority of the factory machinery. Despite their age, these looms still produce the beautiful cloth for which Gainsborough is best known.

With many of the original punch card sets still intact, these designs date back to when the mill was first established and the quality of cloth produced remains insurmountable.

Gainsborough has helped furnish some of the most influential and important buildings around the world, from Tokyo to Moscow, and Washington D.C. to Kuala Lumpur. Awarded the Royal Warrant in 1980, Gainsborough has produced many fabrics for the Royal Family and state buildings,  which include amongst others; Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, St. James’s Palace, Winsor Castle, The Houses of Parliament and the vestments at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

With both old and modern looms, adopting traditional and current technology, Gainsborough  are able to cater for a huge range of clients. Everything from the dyeing of yarns to the woven fabric is done in-house, and despite what the name suggests, Gainsborough is not limited to silk weaving. They have wool, cotton, linen, viscose and silk yarns in stock and are willing and able to weave any yarn that the rapiers will take.

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George Wood loom dobby pegs

7 March 2014 |
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DSCF4406A new batch of George Wood loom dobby pegs are about to be manufactured. The production of these pegs may cease in the next few years , so Inchlines would like to know if you are interested in purchasing any now or at a later date and also if you wish to be added to their mailing list.
Textile Components .Email: info@inchlines.com
www.inchlines.com

Whitchurch Silk MIll: voluntary student work experience

7 March 2014 |
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home_2Weaving or Museums Pathways
Whitchurch Silk Mill, The Edge Project and the Hampshire Museums and Galleries Trust are pleased to offer a number of exciting voluntary student experience opportunities taking place in 2014.

Whitchurch Silk Mill is a 19th century water mill that weaves English silk fabrics using 19th century machinery. The Mill is the oldest working silk mill in Britain, still weaving in its original building. As an historic attraction and centre for production of heritage fabrics, the mill is a hub for the local community and attracts visitors from all over the world.

Whitchurch have two pathways open to students wishing to gain experience in the area.

  • Weaving & Heritage Visitor Attraction pathway
  • Museum Collections Care & Visitor attraction pathway
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Woven: weave work experience vacancy

6 March 2014 |
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Woven studioWoven design studio is based in Bethnal Green, London and is offering a woven textiles work experience from the end of march 2014, for the next 6 months. The studio  is very hands on, and candidates will need strong technical weave hand weaving skills, to weave designs for the fashion industry, additionally a good knowledge of photoshop would help as they also design a jacquard collection of fabrics,There is the possibility of this to be split into 2 x 3 month experiences, and the studio is also prepared to be flexible.

If you are interested or require more information then please email  an up to date CV and approx 3  images of your work ( please compress the files) to Laura Miles laura@wovenstudio.co.uk

Cockpit Arts: The Clothworkers’ Foundation Awards 2014

28 February 2014 |
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ClothworkersLongCall for applications
“We are keen to support weavers who have recently graduated to help them pursue their skill and build a career. This scheme provides an opportunity for several talented designer-makers to access affordable studio space, equipment and business support to help them achieve their goals.”

Andrew Blessley, Clerk, The Clothworkers’ Company

Introduction
Applications are invited for the Cockpit Arts / The Clothworkers’ Foundation Awards 2014 which aim to assist weavers to set up in business by providing studio space and business support provided by Cockpit Arts as well as shared use of looms.

There are 6 Awards available and the selection panel (including a representative from The Clothworkers’ Foundation, and the acclaimed ikat weaver and designer, Mary Restieaux) will be looking for individuals who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit as well as creative excellence and craft skills. The Awards will include space in a shared studio equipped with Leclerc and Louet looms and the following benefits:

The Award
The Cockpit Arts / The Clothworkers’ Foundation Awards 2014 recipients will be awarded a match funded place, worth £2,000, with shared use of looms at Cockpit Arts Deptford for one year, with the possibility of support for a further year.
This includes the following benefits:
• Up to 6 Awards worth £2,000 with the remaining £2,000 fee being provided by the Award winners, payable on a monthly basis.
• Studio space and use of looms within the creative community of Cockpit Arts at Deptford, London SE8 with access to office facilities and resource centre.
• Business and professional development services including on-site coaching, a personalised development plan, access to finance, workshops and events.
• A range of selling and promotional opportunities including Cockpit Arts Open Studios selling events.
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Dashing Tweeds: flagship store

27 February 2014 |
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Dashing Tweeds - New Shop - Press Release 2014 KirstyDashing Tweeds has opened a new flagship store at 26 Sackville Street, London, W1 in the heart of London’s famous tailoring community centred on Savile Row. Their reflective urban tweeds and new season designs will continue to push the boundaries of visionary clothing for men within their new store.

This season’s collection include a bomber jacket woven in a wool and rubber honeycomb giving a very masculine chain mail look but with great lightness. For spring they have completely redesigned the reefer coat in a very modern functional cut using an originally designed Donegal tweed.

The focus of the new store is their ready to wear collection which  aims to be the most inventive and highest quality in town.

In a unique model Kirsty McDougall and Guy Hills design all their own fabric collections for use in the collections. This enables unadulterated concepts to be delivered to the store and by using mills and manufacturing in Britain top quality can be assured.

For more information visit  www.DashingTweeds.co.uk or contact Guy@DashingTweeds.co.uk or Kirsty@DashingTweeds.co.uk Continue reading →

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