In search of some inspiration and because the cafe has the best scones ever, yesterday I went to the Harley Gallery near Worksop to see an exhibition of tapestry by Jilly Edwards. The work is based on journeys through the landscape and consists of panels, strips and pieces that are installed in their own exhibition cases. I like the way that these small samples become focussed and precious.

 Photos by author, tapestries by Jilly Edwards

The thing that struck me most was that she had abstracted the aspects of the landscape that interested her and had used these to create blocks and slashes of colour and texture, sometimes using text, but all evoking and suggesting the subject not merely representing. This is something I am struggling with in my own sketchbook work. Fortunately, Jilly was on hand to answer my questions. I came away from the exhibition, not only inspired but also armed with some helpful advice. 

I've finished the project that has been ongoing since September. This one was based on the character and qualities of skin, looking at folds and wrinkles. I had high hopes when I started, thinking that I could use high twist linen and double cloth to achieve a range of different distorted fabrics. To some extent this has happened, though I would have liked a more refined product as a result. Anyway, I guess the purpose of experimenting is to find out what happens and then to learn from the experience.

These are the resultant samples:

The next step was to try to put these ideas into practice. My idea was to use the fabric to make something that could be work to emphasise the skin. I'd been looking at the way that ruffs frame the face and thought that the pleated fabric would work well to do this. I wove a length of double cloth using natural linen on the top layer and high twist linen on the bottom, then wove the top layer in high twist leaving long floats at the back and then weaving both layers together with high twist. The resultant cloth was made up into the ruff, trimmed with small pearl beads and then placed in boiling water to form the pleats. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.