The current design portfolio features my Graduate Show, entitled 'Jak Malowane', which means ‘as painted’ in Polish. It also has an idiomatic expression: ' as pretty as a picture'. The title is a reference to the painterly effects I have developed in my textiles and my intention to produce a high-end womenswear collection of desirable knitted and printed fabrics.
The designs in this
project reflect the diversity of colour in the Polish national costume. There are many regional variations, but all
of them feature a riot of rich colours, which I have emulated by using deep floral
pinks, purples, blues and greens. This
is contrasted against the pure white of broiderie anglaise shirts and lace
pinafores, that has also been included in my colour palette.
The most predominant
patterns are flowers and stripes, in all scales and widths. The Łowicz region of Poland features broad-striped
skirts, in bright, clashing colours, which have inspired my Dubied striped knitted samples.
Łowicz has also given rise
to another key element of my designs: Wycinanki. These are a form of folk art, often based on
rural life, since it originated in these areas.
My designs were originally based on the figurative floral
shapes and bright colours of these traditional Polish folk art paper cut-outs. These simple shapes transposed well into
five-colour jacquard knitwear, made using a Shima Seiki 10gg industrial knitting
machine.
However, the juxtaposition of stylised Wycinanki
with an appreciation of botanical drawings led me to investigate whether it
was possible to add another dimension to my work. After considering other traditional colour
techniques in knitting, such as fair isle, or using paint techniques such as over-dying
or using space-dyed yarn, further experimentation resulted in
the painterly effect I was looking for.
This was done by discharging colour from a jacquard knit design using a
screen. This precise process produced a
gradient of colour in targeted areas and the introduction of additional colours
into my knit designs
A serendipitous consequence of this process and the Wycinanki designs,
was a resemblance to shaded embroidery; in particular, traditional Crewel work. There was an ‘Arts and Crafts’ feel to the
work and so I examined the application of gold foil using my existing screens:
reminiscent of William Morris’ ‘The Golden Lily’.
