INVITATION

Exciting times as we received a large box from the printers containing our individual post cards and invitations to our Degree Show. See my work and that of the other students in my group - we call ourselves the Northbrook Eleven 2011 - or see our work at New Designers 2011 at the Design Centre in London.

Degree Show at Northbrook College: Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th June 2011.

Degree Show on Stand T34 at New Designers, Design Centre, Islington Thursday 30 June to Saturday 2nd July 2001. www.newdesigners.com

Getting there slowly

My Final Major Project is almost at an end although there is still MUCH to do! I finished another length today and am very pleased with it as I used a tricky process. Having dyed some silk a beautiful shade of midnight blue using my own dye recipe from a range of direct dyes I started printing the geometric elements with a very dark navy. I then switched to discharge paste and selected some of the florals which would eventually become white. I wanted to stretch my printing skills so I opted to use basic dyes with discharge paste although these are very volatile dyes with unpredictable outcomes. After a LOT of colour testing with varying degrees of success I chose several colours from my colour story and selected the floral elements to create a colour "flow" around the design. I mixed a lime green, a turquoise and a bright firey orange. After an unbelievable amount of stencil cutting and screen washing the printing was finished last night. The length went into the steamer this morning and then during the washing out process the colours started to develop before my eyes. All the hard work and anxiety about the colour stability was worth it. I am delighted with the design! See the finished article at my Degree Show at Northbrook or at New Designers show in July.

Theresa May bans balaclavas !

Oh dear! In the light of the recent unrest during protests against government spending cuts Theresa May aims to ban the wearing of balaclavas. I hope the ban doesn't extend to ban my fashionista balaclavas - these beautifully crafted fashion accessories could now become illegal apparel! Check them out at my final degree show at Northbrook College 8 - 10 June and also at New Designers, London 30 June to 2 July. Commissions welcome.

Here is a sneak preview of a prototype of one of the designs: