An extensive project spanning two years during the study of my Masters Degree. Please find the project proposal outline, publication and supporting films below.
“A Hairy Situation”
Close up twill / Raffia + Linen
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This image is a close up photo of one of my first woven samples back at uni. It is a twill using a raffia weft and linen warp. This was the very beginning of my masters before my project had fully evolved; it was just about getting back on the loom and playing with fibres.
A variety of delicate line drawings using different media. This is hair dipped in paint and draped across the page to produce an organic movement and juxtaposition.
Hair drawing
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Mark Making using horse hair
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Further mark making ideas to produce weight, negative space and composition ideas to translate into fabrics.
My concept is based on the use of waste by-product materials that may otherwise be overlooked and discarded. These mainly include hair, horse-hair and dog fur. Whilst combining these with more sustainable fibre choices such as viscose, rPET yarn, bamboo and so on.
Concept Board - Images are not mine but are individually referenced.
Horse hair + viscose
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Beginning to sample with various fibres such as horse hair on a viscose warp.
Continuing to sample and experiment with the combination of fibres and lifting plans.
Viscose blanket warp
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Woven Samples
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Once off the loom the samples can be manipulated and finished in a variety of ways, something I am looking to explore further throughout my MA.
Experimenting with warp waste from the loom to create more samples as well as looking at fringing and edging of the samples.
Horse hair and viscose sample
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Hand-spun dog fur (Chiengora)
After contacting a local dog groomers for their waste brushed dog fur, I successfully hand spun 100% dog fur yarn (chiengora).
Here I’ve experimented with weaving with my dog fur on a bamboo warp. I tried a variety of structures. This sample is just steamed but I want to experiment with brushing, felting and washing the sample to push my finishing techniques.
Woven dog fur on bamboo warp
Woven human hair and linen on viscose warp
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Ive also started experimenting with human hair, with it being such a big issue with waste but such an interesting material, I wanted to experiment with weaving with it. Here I have used my old (real) hair extensions.
Experimenting with spacing and individual warps weaving together to push sampling ideas.
Experimental Sampling
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Creating my first warp after coming back to do my masters. This is a linen warp that ended up being terrible to work with as it was too fibrous and weak.
On this warp I just experimented with my hand-spun fibres and different lifting plans spark ideas.
Linen warp and hand-spun yarns
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Hand-spun yarns on linen warp
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Here are some simple structures woven with my hand-spun yarns including hemp, flax and bamboo.
Bags of dog fur a local dog groomer collected for me to spin into yarn.
Bags of brushed dog fur
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Spinning chiengora on my spinning wheel
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After contacting a local dog groomers and collecting their brushed fur waste, I was able to spin this dog fur (chiengora) yarn that is 100% dog fur from a malamute dog.
This is the dog fur that was spun into the chiengora (dog fur) yarn.
Dog fur that’s spun into yarn
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2-ply chiengora yarn
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Another close up shot of the 2-ply hand-spun dog fur yarn (chiengora).
A timelapse of me threading up the first half of my viscose blanket warp.
A video of my threading up the other half in real time, to show the patience and time it takes.
I contacted a local hairdresser who collected lots of nice long hair offcuts for me which I am excited to experiment with.
Human Hair collected from hair dressers
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Horse hair, viscose + bamboo
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Developing samples on the loom experimenting with lifting plans and combination sequences.
Experimenting with selvedges and rPET yarns on solid structures.
rPET yarn on a viscose warp
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Back of the loom set up with the warp
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The back of the loom with the warps set up through the cross sticks, threaded and reeded.
Experimental sampling on a spaced bamboo warp.
Spaced bamboo warp
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Woven hair samples
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Here are some samples of weaving with hair and horsehair on a viscose warp
Sampling with wire and fringing on this spaced warp.
Loom sampling
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A timelapse of me sampling on the loom.
Experimenting with passementerie and fringing on a narrow warp.
Passememterie sample
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Visualising my samples on the body as accessories
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Visualising my samples on the body as accessories
Photo getting my hair extensions to document the process of attaching strands of hair.
Getting hair extensions applied
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A slow motion video to show the movement and flow of hair as a material. It really fascinates me as a fibre.
Photographing hair as a fibre in its own right. Looking at the flow and movement of the hair to inspire me.
Hair as a fibre
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A video of my dogs fur close up, this has inspired me to think about small strands of hair attached to fabrics like how wigs are made.