MA in Textile Design - a mature student's journey

So today I started at the Leamington Spa college campus which is part of the Warwickshire College Group. I asked if I could come in and help gain some experience with the BTEC Fashion and Textile Groups. I got there at 8:45 and finished at about 3, it will normally be 4 but the dog needs to go to the vets to get some stitches checked out. It was interesting to compare the A-level students and then the BTEC students. I spoke to everyone on the year 1 and year 2 of the course and asked them what they were doing, why, what they planned to do afterwards. Out of all the students, not one of them wants to do Textiles at University. Its either Fashion or the business/marketing side. Is this indicative across the UK? Will there be a shortage of Textile designers in the forthcoming years? Let's hope so! I asked the current lecturers if they had seen a difference between students of yesteryear and the ones currently coming through the system. It seems that the 'Snowflake' phenome...

Yesterday I spent time in the print studio doing some screens. Here are some of the results. Chiffon and velvet worked well as did a stretch jersey. Next I'll be trying to create some more designs in Illustrator and Photoshop to print on a larger scale either screens or digitally. We also had a talk by Lee Lapthorne  - and he laid down the law with us. No talking, phones away, telling us we should have researched him beforehand (I had), we should be bursting with questions (he made us write some down, I did) and then he locked the door so that any  late-commers could not gain access. Part of me thought, too right, but also he was preaching to the converted, personally I don't talk or look at my phone during a lecture. I always have an idea of what a visiting lecturer does, out of everyone I ask the most questions, always and I'm on time. It was starting to get a bit annoying but then he started to talk.  Lee is a textile and product designe...

So over the last few days I've been busy scanning and choosing which designs I'll print onto fabric this Friday. I'm also going to take some designs in to work onto screens. Today I'm off to get some lycra, chiffon and perhaps some other fabric that takes my fancy at Birmingham's Rag Market. We also have a lecture by one of our lecturers on her career path. Anyway, here are some of the designs I'm going to sublimation print tomorrow. For those of you who don't know, sublimation printing is digitally printing your designs onto paper and then using a massive heated bed to transfer the design onto fabric.

Over the weekend I think I have finally got my loom working. I was having trouble getting the shed to be more than 1cm or at least big enough to get the shuttle through. So I sat there and stared at the castle and moved a pin, then threaded up the treadle differently and hey presto. I think its going to be ok. I'm in the process of warping the loom, but I'm nearly there. Today, we had a talk by Abigail Borg . She has a studio at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, not far from the University. Her style is very reminiscent of the Arts & Crafts movement championed by William Morris. She has sold at Liberty and produced designs from Kew Garden, Laura Ashley and Ahlens store in Sweden, to name but a few. And as for me, I had a tutorial today and I've come away energised and excited about what I am going to do next...... Hopefully I will have some sublimation prints for you to see on Friday.

So far this week: On Monday I was at Uni to speak to Sheila the technician in the weave/knitting room. As you know I've recently bought a loom and I'm not sure its warped up properly. I had quite a few questions for her and she spent time with me and didn't roll her eyes at some of my questions. On Tuesday I was in for a tutorial regarding my research strategy project and in the afternoon we had a lecture by one of our lecturers regarding her work. Wednesday, today, I stayed at home. I taught Pilates in the morning and then got going with my printing, see the pictures below. I've also included what I think is one of my best ideas - taking fashion illustrations - cutting away the clothes then laying them over my designs.  I also post my work on Instagram under Karren Meggitt if you want to have a look. Last year I thought it was a good idea to go in everyday to Uni, but now on reflection I can get lots more work done at home. I'm just ever watchful that if...