my first blog post...

As my time at uni is coming to an end, I thought now would be a good time to start up my own little website and a blog. My first blog is just going to be talking a bit about me, how I discovered I wanted to study textiles, and where I am right now.

My love for art started at a really young age (I think that's the same for most people) and I remember it being one of the only subjects I enjoyed at school. I had amazing art teachers throughout secondary school and college which I was very grateful for. Walking into an art lesson felt more like therapy than a lesson which really helped get me through some difficult times. I had a Fine Art background throughout school and college but it wasn't until I applied for my Foundation Diploma in Art & Design that I discovered my passion for textiles and fabric design.

I realised a lot of the work I had created whilst studying Fine Art had elements of pattern, textures and fabric within it, and once I began working primarily with fabrics I knew that I wanted to study textiles further. Below are some examples of work I created during my A-Levels and my Foundation Diploma...

Once I had completed my Foundation Diploma, I decided to study textiles at degree level. I have almost finished my third and final year of the course - it has been challenging but I have learned lots of valuable skills. I have learned how to create digital and hand-rendered repeat patterns for all areas - fashion, interiors and surfaces. I have also learned a variety of printing techniques (screen printing, sublimation printing, mono-printing, lino-printing), the uses of different fabrics, machine and hand embroidery techniques, the history of textiles, trends and the impact the industry has had on the environment and people across the globe (which is where my passion for conscious design began). Below are a few examples of the work I have produced over the three years of my degree...

I have also completed three industry-based placements alongside studying my degree. I was a studio assistant intern at a local children's interior brand called Daisy & Bump, a screen-printing assistant for Zandra Rhodes, and a design assistant intern for design brand Bay & Brown. Each of these experiences really helped me gain confidence within different aspects of the industry and also within myself. I come from a small seaside town in the North East of England and moving into Zandra Rhodes' penthouse in London for a month was quite daunting for me, however completely boosted my confidence and trust within myself.

As well as my placements I have also had my work exhibited at Premiere Vision in Paris, been made a member of the Society For Embroidered Work, and finished two online courses about sustainable fashion ran by Fashion Revolution and London College of Fashion. I would definitely recommend those courses to anyone involved in the textiles industry, they provide such valuable and important information - they can be found on the platform FutureLearn.

So, I am currently at the point where I am sorting out my portfolio and making some big decisions about my career. There is an apprenticeship I would really love to do and I have a few jobs in mind, I won't say what they are in case they don't work out. It is quite difficult to be optimistic at the moment with the pandemic still going on but fingers crossed!

If you have read this far thank you so much, I really hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about me. I will be doing a separate blog post about my Final Major Project once I have put together my final show. There is quite a lot of things to talk about such as natural dyeing, painting with earth pigments and trying to be as sustainable as possible within my practice - so stay tuned for that!