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Winner: Bristol Cloth Design Competition

4 November 2015 General / New weave developments / News
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Bristol Cloth is a  100% wool fabric of classic heritage inspired design, prioritising locally sourced materials and manufacturing processes from the South West of the UK.

Wendy Kotenko has been awarded the first prize and was presented with the first 5m length of woven cloth, in a prizegiving ceremony at the Green Capital Lab space on the eve of October 28th 2015. Wendy’s design was chosen for the delicacy, versatility and timelessness of its basketry inspired design.

First place Runner Up was given to Rebecca Connolly, for her the strength and clarity of maritime inspired design,while Bristol based Becky Smith and Sophie Graney came
a very close second with their imaginative tweeds inspired by Bristol’s cycling culture and bicycle routes.

The finished cloth will soon be available for wholesale and retail purchase. Prospective clients are encouraged to register their interest by emailing: hello@bristolcloth.co.uk

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Film: Tana Bana – the warp and the weft

3 November 2015 Events / General / News / Publication
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Copyright Annie DibbleTana Bana is a weaving term meaning ‘the warp and the weft.’ In Varanasi, the legendary Hindu city, it also means the warp and weft of time and space as well as the daily synergy of Hindu and Moslem. But now Varanasi is under threat.

If a single weaver can operate four power looms at the same time and the weavers are unable to teach their skills to their children, how can the city survive?

This unique, intimate documentary takes  a journey through a day in the life of Varanasi, challenging preconceptions along the way. From Hindu prayers on the Ganges at dawn, the film moves into a Moslem world where the hidden lives of women and children are gradually revealed as the weavers attempt to address the huge forces dominating their lives.

For a number of years the filmmakers have  filmed the Muslim handloom weavers and their community in Varanasi India – who make silk zari brocades and wedding saris.

Tana Bana will show as part of the V&A Museum Fabric of India Exhibition on the 16th November 2015. The hosts are the London Asia Film Festival and the venue is Regent’s Street Cinema, W1. Continue reading →

Job: Stephen Walters and Sons Ltd

22 October 2015 General / Jobs / News
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AD photosVacancy: Sales/Design Account Manager – Stephen Walters and Sons Ltd

Stephen Walters has a well established reputation for excellence as a creative, high quality weaver of fine silks and other luxury fabrics for high end apparel, neckwear and accessories.

They are seeking a highly motivated account manager to join their sales team working with international fashion houses and designer brands.

The successful candidate needs to be creative and have knowledge of textiles and the fashion market. They need to be a strong communicator and a commercial awareness is essential. A second language would be useful.

All applicants must be highly self-motivated, with good organisational skills and should enjoy working as part of a team. Some international travel will be required.

Please email your CV and supporting letter to Lisa Grainger at sales@stephenwalters.co.uk.

Closing date: 30th October 2015
Walters Typeface 72dpi

The Campaign for Wool: ‘Sheep on The Row’

2 October 2015 Events / Exhibitions / General / News
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A&S.inddThe Campaign for Wool will mark the beginning of Wool Week 2015 by partnering with some of the world’s most prestigious tailors, menswear brands and cloth producers.

On Monday  5th October 2015  two sheep breeds will be grazing the length of Savile Row, alongside models in a presentation to promote wool as the cloth of choice for menswear.

Sheep on the Row,  is one of the largest public events for Wool Week 2015.  As sheep graze, visitors will be welcomed to the open Row and tailoring houses event to learn how wool is used by the great British Tailoring Industry.

Savile Row – Sheep On The Row will be open to the public from 10:00 – 18:00 Mon 5th Oct 2015.

The iconic street will be transformed into a green pasture, covered in turf and closed to traffic while Bowmont Merino and Exmoor sheep graze along the Row.

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TMO: The Mars Odyssey. Alexandra Lucas

18 September 2015 Company Profile / Exhibitions / General / New weave developments / News
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_MG_9013Alexandra Lucas’s TMO: The Mars Odyssey, is a conceptual collection of Jacquard and Dobby woven conceptual fabrics that make up the six protective layers of a Mars Exploration Suit.

Her work can be seen at The Lethaby Gallery, London N1c 4AA within   ‘The Intelligent Optimist’ Exhibition,  a London Design Festival event 2015. 19th Sept – 17th Oct 2015.

Alexandra has woven concept textiles for: a radiation layer, 3 pressure layers, an oxygen and temperature layer, as well as a sensory membrane layer which detects the biometrics of the body.

She anticipates that after a period of time human bodies would start adapting to the conditions of Mars. Thus, if a layer is no longer needed it could be taken off to reveal the next layer. In the end,  the Mars Exploration Suit would enable humans to evolve and adapt over time and the suit itself would be no longer needed.

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London Design Festival

18 September 2015 Events / Exhibitions / General / New weave developments / News
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London Design Festival starts on Sat 19th Sept 2015. See the website for many events, fairs & projects happening all over London. Fairs include: Decorex International, Design Junction, Tent London, 100% Design

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Call for Entry: The Cordis Trust Prize for Tapestry

14 September 2015 Competitions / General / News
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Anne Naustdal – Arid LandscapeFollowing the success and great critical acclaim of its first year, Visual Arts Scotland would like to announce the return of their major prize for woven tapestry, generously donated by the Cordis Trust.

The Cordis Trust Prize for Tapestry will be awarded at their annual exhibition in February 2016. The submission, open to professional tapestry artists worldwide is for a large tapestry, hand woven by the artist within the last five years. There is a prize of £5000.

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Áine Byrne: Texprint Weave 2015

11 September 2015 Exhibitions / General / New weave developments / News
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1-1RCA graduate Áine Byrne is a woven textile maker and designer from Dublin, Ireland.

Inspired by the use of bright pigments used in Mexican Day of The Dead ceremonies and the sometimes irreverent approach to death in the Irish wake tradition, her work sounds dark but is actually playful and uplifting.

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Competition: Bristol Tweed

3 July 2015 Competitions / General / New weave developments / News
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Farm8byAlexIngram2014-2low resBristol Cloth have launched an open competition to design a Tweed for Bristol. The cloth will be a 100% wool fabric of classic heritage-inspired design, prioritising locally sourced materials and manufacturing processes from the South West of the UK.

Design Brief
What does Bristol’s social fabric look like?
What kind of cloth does Bristol need?
How would you weave Bristol?
What woven designs were traditionally borne out of the South West?

The winning Bristol Cloth design will encapsulate the  very diverse city, while also referencing traditional woven design. Participants will choose their own starting point from which to explore a design theme and follow Bristol Cloth’s Instagram for inspiration.

The Bristol Cloth will be broadly and commercially appealing to local designer-makers, local brands and retailers as well as the general public with end use being for accessories, outerwear and/or interiors.

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Resource: The Weaving Communities of Practice Website

22 June 2015 General / New weave developments / News
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Fig1The Weaving Communities of Practice website, the result of an AHRC-funded project on textiles, culture and identity in the Andes, provides a great resource for anyone interested in Andean textiles and an inspiration for textile designers. The database is easily searchable around a number of themes and provides high-resolution full colour images of textiles from collections around the world.

The project is based at the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies (CILAVS) and the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at Birkbeck, University of London, with the Instituto de Lengua y Cultura Aymara (ILCA), in La Paz, Bolivia, in partnership with museums in the UK, Bolivia, Peru and Chile.

The principal feature of this website is a database of Andean textiles. Using the Textile Product Search, you can:

  • Search the database by key terms
  • View high-resolution images of textiles from collections around the world
  • Make thematic searches: on structure, technique, place, region, period, material and iconography
  • Make advanced searches, crossing and filtering data
  • Save text, images and searches
  • Print, export and send data

There is also a detailed guide to processes of textile manufacture, including images and video clips of techniques, instruments and structures; a glossary of textile-related terms in English, Spanish and Andean languages; an introduction to textile heritage; and bibliography.

Text and images: Weaving Communities of Practice website

 

 

 

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