Category: Embroidery

Again I have been concentrating upon an idea that has been rolling around for a while and was activated by the purchase of a loom punch card at the Antique Textile fair last month, see last blog.

Little bit of history to put it into context. In France in 1801, Jacquard had invented a card device to operate the warp threads on a loom in order to create a woven design.There were holes punched into them, allowing threads to be pulled up. Before it had been manually done by a Draw boy. These were cards sewn together to form a sort of concertina book. I had seen an original loom a few years ago in the Silk Museum in Lyons. In many ways this was the beginning of modern day computers, some of you may remember that in the 1970s and 80s computer cards were the basic method of inputing data. I remember them!

So research followed  and the first thing I learnt was that the loom cards come in all sorts of sizes, but I became interested in Memory cards for the computer, they are 32 x 24mm. This was also at a time when friends were saying that they couldn’t remember things!.

So I created a book full of memory cards, collagraph prints to that size placed into an embossed recess on the paper. I remembered that there had been a saying to tie a thread around your finger as something to jog your memory, so they were tied down with red silk thread.

The larger loom card that I have has also sparked off other ideas which are being experimented with between gardening, so whether its wet or dry I’m keeping busy.

Whilst the collaboration with Fiona Dempster in Australia, see here, is progressing well and providing much mental stimulus, I found that I had space between that and gardening to pursue an idea that had been lurking in the background.

I had written the title ‘A Different Perspective’ down in my notebook and challenged myself to create a book that fulfilled that idea.

I designed a plate inspired by a piece of damask silk, I then embossed it for the reverse side of the book.

 I then cut the plate into three, the central part remained with the straight edges and was printed to Somerset 250 gsm paper. The two outer strips were cut down to reveal decorated edges and were printed separately to painted tissue paper.

After drying and adhering the tissue to the paper the book was stitched together and the covers made.

The book offers many varied viewing opportunities as each surface has a contrasting decorative print element on it and can be rearranged to offer different perspectives.

Yesterday I visited the Antique Textile Fair in Manchester, its a favourite event which I had not been to for three years.

This is what I bought, from left to right.

Modern Jacquard Loom cards, I have an idea in mind for these, more in the future after I have explored further

Uzbek Camel or horse harness decorations, silk embroidery, linen and wool tassels and metal work tassel tops

Loom shuttle with gold coloured rayon thread.

Lots of research to be done and the lovely prospect of new work.