Project: Timeless Light

Knitted blanket and cushion. My first major project from this year - seems like a long, long time ago now. This blanket seemed so enormous at the time but now when I look at it, it looks like a toy blanket.

Amoeba Dress, Skeleton Belt

Another piece that I made recently. I didn't enjoy working in one solid colour so much but the focus was on the sleeves.

The belt is knitted too.

Project: Here Comes The Sun!

For this project I did make some garments. They were more or less pieces that I made for fun as obviously you wouldn't really be wearing thick woollen garments in summer (but maybe I would wear them under a sheer dress). There were about six different fabrics involved in the end so I had folders and folders of samples before I settled on the final ones. And this is the concept board that I began the project with.

Project: Experimental Fabric Samples

In my studies the majority of the work was making small fabric samples as opposed to completed products or garments. These pieces that I submitted for one project are typical of the work we were doing. These were all made on a domestic knitting machine and show a variety of techniques.

Good Bye RMIT

This is the end of an era for me. Last night I collected my folio and while I technically have a couple more small subjects to complete to get my diploma, in my head I said I've had enough.

I'd make a great subject for a study in perserverance. While I've had a fortunate life, all I knew was that I wanted to do something that I loved, but I didn't have a clue what that was. So I kept ploughing through the courses, and now have qualifications in visual arts, philosophy, photography, cultural tourism management and textile design - almost.

But at the end of it, I can say it was totally worth it because I've finally found my thing and coming back to work with paint and paper, brushes and colour, fabric and wool is such a familiar and comfortable place that I don't know why I ever pushed it away.

So now I feel like I'm standing here with a ball of clay in my hands and the way I mould it is totally up to me. And I guess sometimes I will make ugly things, but hopefully I will mostly make beautiful things and I will love learning a lot along the way.

Ahhhhh

Folio done, dusted and handed in.

Now....

Decision Time

A final play with some of the pieces I'm submitting before I finalise things on the weekend.

Warm off the Press

Not quite hot as they were released earlier this year, but these two interesting books are on the top of my 'to read' pile. I haven't made enough headway into either to give a considered opinion, but I have another of Sandy Black's books Knitwear in Fashion and it's a great read. Eco-chic published here and available locally.

Designing a Knitwear Collection covers everything I studied in one of my design subjects and looks like it will be a great reference book. It is a bit of an investment though as last time I checked it was $160 in a Melbourne bookshop.

34 Degrees

That was the temperature in Melbourne today (in celsius). So you know when you love knitting when you are rushing home to get into it. My fabric panels had dried in the heat so I could pin them up and have a look.

This is my previous jacquard knit design made up into a skirt

close up

My new panel pinned on. I wanted to try a more organic, abstract look and a larger scale.

close up

I also like the reverse side a lot, but it's very subtle and you can only see it in bright light.

I've sometimes used the 'wrong' side of fabric when making things for myself. It can be more interesting or if I've dismissed it as being too bright, I've turned it around and then it can be much better.

A DAY'S WORK IN TWO PHOTOS

Nine hours can go just like that. I tweaked my jacquard design in photoshop and then again in the knitting program. I went to buy yarn, knitted two panels, washed them and then it was practically dinner time.

Jacquard knit panel waiting to come off the machine

And now waiting to dry off before I can have a play

ON SUNDAY NIGHT

Inspired by the Remaking Fashion exhibition, I took my almost finished top and played around with draping it on the mannequin. Because I hadn't finished linking all the seams, I treated it like an open piece of fabric. It's amazing how different it looks from my first design.

BLOCK BY BLOCK

I'm taking a short course in block construction and grading, and while machine knitting is fiddly, this is the most precise activity I've ever had to do.

My main course is about textile design and I'm moving toward knitwear so I need to get skilled up in garment construction. I'm not sure if anyone grades patterns by hand anymore, but its good to understand the theory (and the graphs are so pretty when you do the sizes in different colours).

Basic skirt grades graphed out

My first nest of skirt blocks

WORK IN PROGRESS

I am working on pieces for my final knit folio. I am nowhere near finished but I've made enough now that I can start playing around with the fabrics, colours and shapes. I finally bought a dressmaking form and it makes all the difference.