Are you floundering with making a project meaningful?  As an artist for most of my life, who has meandered and searched for meaning within my own work; I have a couple of tips for you.  If you don’t know where to start, think of an experience that is meaningful to you. Recall the colours.  Just start there!  Tip 1. Remember the colours. Tip 2. Use ONLY those colours. A meaningful experience for me was our journey to Kolkata and the Mullik Ghat Flower Markets, and is the  inspiration for my handwoven blankets.  You can save these tips for future reference for your next project. Let me know how you go! For more, come Follow along.  #artisanmade #handweaving #madebyhand #artisttips #visualstorytelling

Want one secret tip for visual storytelling? There is an art to visual storytelling.  As an artist, there are some very important things which contribute to making a work meaningful and an expression of it’s intention.  Here I'm using the memory of my journey to Kolkata Mullik Ghat markets as the source material for my handwoven blankets. One secret (not so secret hehehe) is to 1. Remember the colours of an experience or scene which is the subject matter of your project; and use ONLY those colours.  Perhaps save this for your future reference, and give it a go for your next project.  For more, come Follow along.

Curious, Creative, Living Boldly - That was my tagline I put on the footer of my emails 30 years ago; well before Instagram came into being.  It was not known to me then how important ‘curiosity’ was to be for me. Being curious, and creative; has helped me navigate my life’s challenges; to heal; and provided the pathway for me to experience the richness of living - despite these challenges.  Curiosity is the intrinsic desire to learn, explore and understand. I am an artist. My work has included conceptual photography & video; multimedia installations; and textiles. Working with my hands is important to me. I am a weaver. I weave my stories into blankets.  I wanted to express my experiences of Kolkata, but didn’t know how to share with others the magic I felt in this city of extremes. Poverty and wealth. Colour and darkness. I didn’t know where to start.  I was curious about how to express my stories of Kolkata. What I did was to just start. Experiment and play. I let my inner voice and memories  guide my colour choices. I had no idea whether my handwoven blankets would ‘turn out’... but I was curious and felt the most incredible gratitude and joy weaving these blankets which hold my memories and stories.  Why don’t you try becoming friends with your curiosity? What a lifelong friendship that will be; and hopefully that friend will remind you every single day, despite everything; to keep holding on to, and never let go of being curious. For more on my journey, follow along. For those interested, I’m using a 48”/120cm @ashford_wheels_looms Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom. #curiousity #createeveryday #creativelife #weaving #selfdiscovery

Pro-tip for weavers. Most weaving using wool, benefits from a soak, as I’ve shown you here. Why?  To let the fibres expand and settle into the weave. This is especially important for woollen handwoven items where warmth is one of the goals.  Machines must not be used. The water must be the same ambient temperature as the weaving, so it is not ‘shocked’ by the temperature of the water. Then just a gentle hand press into the water without agitation for a short soak.  I then drain and shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  If you don’t already soak your weaving; give them a soak to let the wool ‘bloom’. You will be so amazed by the difference a bubble bath makes! There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more of my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets, and pro-tips; save this for future reference and follow along. #Protip #artisanmade #handweaving #weavingtechnique #madebyhand

Just off the loom and time for some bubbles! Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets. Why do they need a soak? So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. This is how to finish your hand weaving. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; my process; and to remind you to give the items you knit or weave a good soak; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handwoven #handmade #fibreart #artisanmade #weavingtechnique

Time for some bubbles… Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets just off the loom need a soak.   Why?  So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  This is how to finish your hand weaving. Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more on my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handweaving #madebyhand #fibreartist #handwovenluxury #artisanmade

Split ends? Brittle sun-damaged tips? Do you have that problem? 🤣 I don’t. Hehehe But I can help solve your problem if you do! For those of you who have the good fortune to feel beautiful raw fleeces in your hands, sometimes the fleece just needs a bit of extra preparation before it is spun. If the fleece has matted, brittle or fragile tips, I need to remove that tender part of the staple. There are many ways to do this, but I have my preferred way. It’s simply a snip. With the weak part of the fibre removed, my yarn will be smooth and strong, to use in some of my blankets.  Losing a little of the staple length is ok, because I’m carding a rolag to spin a yarn using the long-draw technique. I’m going to show you how I do that in an upcoming post. You can save this pro-tip. To see more spinning and weaving tips; and the next steps in preparing fleece to spin; follow me!   #handweaving #woolfleece #madebyhand #rawwool #handspinning

I use very simple tools to weave my beautiful handwoven blankets.  My rigid heddle loom is just a rectangle. My shuttle is really just a flat stick with a notch at each end; and my heddle is just a single reed. I also use another flat stick to help with the shed. I also have a very simple hook to thread and sley the reed.  Colour is my ‘thing’, so I don’t require a lot of heddles or fancy pedals to create intricate patterns. For more insights into my weaving studio, the stories behind my blankets and how each blanket evolves; love you to come along and follow me.   #handmade #artisanmade #weaving #loom #handwovenluxury

Have a problem being in two places at the same time? It’s a tough one without a teleporting wand; but I can help you warp your rigid heddle loom without needing to be in two places at the same time! It seems that dumb bells are actually quite a clever solution. 🤣 Here, necessity was the mother of invention; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to have used this solution; but it was what came to mind and was at hand! Hehe. For more pro-tips on weaving, my handwoven blankets; and a bit of fun; you can save this tip for future reference and follow me. #madebyhand #handweaving #protips #handwovenluxury #artisanmade

Are you floundering with making a project meaningful?  As an artist for most of my life, who has meandered and searched for meaning within my own work; I have a couple of tips for you.  If you don’t know where to start, think of an experience that is meaningful to you. Recall the colours.  Just start there!  Tip 1. Remember the colours. Tip 2. Use ONLY those colours. A meaningful experience for me was our journey to Kolkata and the Mullik Ghat Flower Markets, and is the  inspiration for my handwoven blankets.  You can save these tips for future reference for your next project. Let me know how you go! For more, come Follow along.  #artisanmade #handweaving #madebyhand #artisttips #visualstorytelling

Want one secret tip for visual storytelling? There is an art to visual storytelling.  As an artist, there are some very important things which contribute to making a work meaningful and an expression of it’s intention.  Here I'm using the memory of my journey to Kolkata Mullik Ghat markets as the source material for my handwoven blankets. One secret (not so secret hehehe) is to 1. Remember the colours of an experience or scene which is the subject matter of your project; and use ONLY those colours.  Perhaps save this for your future reference, and give it a go for your next project.  For more, come Follow along.

Curious, Creative, Living Boldly - That was my tagline I put on the footer of my emails 30 years ago; well before Instagram came into being.  It was not known to me then how important ‘curiosity’ was to be for me. Being curious, and creative; has helped me navigate my life’s challenges; to heal; and provided the pathway for me to experience the richness of living - despite these challenges.  Curiosity is the intrinsic desire to learn, explore and understand. I am an artist. My work has included conceptual photography & video; multimedia installations; and textiles. Working with my hands is important to me. I am a weaver. I weave my stories into blankets.  I wanted to express my experiences of Kolkata, but didn’t know how to share with others the magic I felt in this city of extremes. Poverty and wealth. Colour and darkness. I didn’t know where to start.  I was curious about how to express my stories of Kolkata. What I did was to just start. Experiment and play. I let my inner voice and memories  guide my colour choices. I had no idea whether my handwoven blankets would ‘turn out’... but I was curious and felt the most incredible gratitude and joy weaving these blankets which hold my memories and stories.  Why don’t you try becoming friends with your curiosity? What a lifelong friendship that will be; and hopefully that friend will remind you every single day, despite everything; to keep holding on to, and never let go of being curious. For more on my journey, follow along. For those interested, I’m using a 48”/120cm @ashford_wheels_looms Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom. #curiousity #createeveryday #creativelife #weaving #selfdiscovery

Pro-tip for weavers. Most weaving using wool, benefits from a soak, as I’ve shown you here. Why?  To let the fibres expand and settle into the weave. This is especially important for woollen handwoven items where warmth is one of the goals.  Machines must not be used. The water must be the same ambient temperature as the weaving, so it is not ‘shocked’ by the temperature of the water. Then just a gentle hand press into the water without agitation for a short soak.  I then drain and shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  If you don’t already soak your weaving; give them a soak to let the wool ‘bloom’. You will be so amazed by the difference a bubble bath makes! There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more of my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets, and pro-tips; save this for future reference and follow along. #Protip #artisanmade #handweaving #weavingtechnique #madebyhand

Just off the loom and time for some bubbles! Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets. Why do they need a soak? So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. This is how to finish your hand weaving. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; my process; and to remind you to give the items you knit or weave a good soak; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handwoven #handmade #fibreart #artisanmade #weavingtechnique

Time for some bubbles… Not for me!....but my handwoven blankets just off the loom need a soak.   Why?  So the fibres expand and settle into the weave.  This is how to finish your hand weaving. Weaving a piece doesn’t just finish when you cut it from the loom. The blanket is wet and heavy, but I need to shake it in a gentle “fulling” process to interlock the fibres to make a sturdy and warm beautiful blanket.  There is so much which goes into the making of my handwoven blankets; from preparing some of the yarn I use from the raw fleece; “fulling” the blanket after soaking; to the final stitching and then sending on to new homes; where others stories are made with them.  For more on my process; and my journeys which inspired each series of my blankets; save this for future reference and come follow me.   #handweaving #madebyhand #fibreartist #handwovenluxury #artisanmade

Split ends? Brittle sun-damaged tips? Do you have that problem? 🤣 I don’t. Hehehe But I can help solve your problem if you do! For those of you who have the good fortune to feel beautiful raw fleeces in your hands, sometimes the fleece just needs a bit of extra preparation before it is spun. If the fleece has matted, brittle or fragile tips, I need to remove that tender part of the staple. There are many ways to do this, but I have my preferred way. It’s simply a snip. With the weak part of the fibre removed, my yarn will be smooth and strong, to use in some of my blankets.  Losing a little of the staple length is ok, because I’m carding a rolag to spin a yarn using the long-draw technique. I’m going to show you how I do that in an upcoming post. You can save this pro-tip. To see more spinning and weaving tips; and the next steps in preparing fleece to spin; follow me!   #handweaving #woolfleece #madebyhand #rawwool #handspinning

I use very simple tools to weave my beautiful handwoven blankets.  My rigid heddle loom is just a rectangle. My shuttle is really just a flat stick with a notch at each end; and my heddle is just a single reed. I also use another flat stick to help with the shed. I also have a very simple hook to thread and sley the reed.  Colour is my ‘thing’, so I don’t require a lot of heddles or fancy pedals to create intricate patterns. For more insights into my weaving studio, the stories behind my blankets and how each blanket evolves; love you to come along and follow me.   #handmade #artisanmade #weaving #loom #handwovenluxury

Have a problem being in two places at the same time? It’s a tough one without a teleporting wand; but I can help you warp your rigid heddle loom without needing to be in two places at the same time! It seems that dumb bells are actually quite a clever solution. 🤣 Here, necessity was the mother of invention; and I’m sure I’m not the first person to have used this solution; but it was what came to mind and was at hand! Hehe. For more pro-tips on weaving, my handwoven blankets; and a bit of fun; you can save this tip for future reference and follow me. #madebyhand #handweaving #protips #handwovenluxury #artisanmade