Re-printing at the remakery

With so much patterned textile already out there, I'm becoming increasingly interested in ways of transforming old patterns into new, so in March I got together with the fab remakery in Brixton to have a go.

For our experimental print workshop, I sourced loads of pre-loved silk scarves and we up-cycled them using some natural dyes as well as neon, printing with some very basic materials (nothing more than a few cotton reels and one or two potatoes) into beautiful new bespoke creations.

In May, we got together again as part of Transition Town Brixton's Open Day to make our own 'Counting the Dots of Climate Change' dot - this time through stitching as well as print.

This was a global day of action co-ordinated by 350.org and lots of people joined us to make their own dot as a personal commitment to water conservation: every participant chose from a range of water-saving actions - from fixing a leaking tap (8.5 litres) to turning off their tap while brushing their teeth (18 litres) and then made their dot/dots in stitch or print or both!

the smallest dots = 1 litre

medium sized dot = 5 litres

largest dot = 10 litres

Together we  made a pledge to save 329 litres a day from now on....especially thanks to Lika from Norway via Kingston who helped sew the quilt together and was such great company on the day.

We sourced all  our materials through the amazing Scrap Store in Tooting- just pay one annual subscription fee and never buy new again. 

Prints for a Floating World

Here is some work from my 'Garden' project. I started with the Japanese idea of the 'Floating World' or Ukiyo-e, 'living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the cherry blossoms, the leaves...diverting ourselves in just floating...'

And went on to experiment with making a portable 'sky dish' or reflecting bowl that can help capture a sense of this floating world...creating simultaneously a sense of sensuality, containment, openings, vistas and temporality. These were some of the images I made this way

I went on to design a series of prints inspired by the incredible pools and puddles I was cycling through everyday (it was raining torrentially throughout this time); each puddle shape taking on a different character and spirit; as each print came to life I began to recognise particular people...

I discovered that love is a great aid to design and I really enjoyed surprising my friends with their prints once I had photoshopped them back into it. But  I used handblock printing to make most of the marks.

Through this project I have discoved a kind of 'digital hand', which enables me to combine my love of spontaneous handmade textures with fantastical shapes and sizes.

Thanks especially to Evie and Robin for all their help and inspiration.