Fabric Print

The individual elements of this repeat print design are all original hand-printed linocuts, arranged into a pattern and digitally printed onto silk bamboo fabric. The design was created as the outcome of a project that was centred around swans in Edinburgh and some of the wider folklore that surrounds them. Swans have associations with transitions to the Celtic Otherworld, with the idea of being able to move between two realms. I became interested in the role that textiles can play in this transition. Several folk tales reference a 'swan cloak' of feathers that allows a transformation between human and swan form; through putting on the cloak the figure will magically take on the form of a swan and be able to journey to this other realm. This is especially thought to be the case at Samhain, the Celtic festival occurring on the 31st October. The imagery on the fabric explores the wearing of a cloak as bringing about this magical transformation, amongst swans, moons and hawthorn trees. The hawthorn has various folkloric properties as well as the idea that it grows at the threshold between the human and the faerie realm.

Part of the idea of this fabric piece was that the overall effect of this fabric when worn as a cloak is similar to the design on the garment of the swan/human figure within the pattern itself. Through the wearing of the fabric the individual will be completely surrounded by the imagery and magical themes, literally immersing themselves within the narrative and using their imagination to transport themselves, like the swan, to another realm. 

The print was especially inspired by the swans at St Margaret's Loch, Edinburgh, and as such the design explores the idea of the magic of a place and the enchanting things that can be found within nature. 

Image of repeat pattern design which includes various motifs in green/black and yellow: swans gathered around a leafy tree, a moon with flowers, and a figure with wings wearing a patterned cloak.
Embroidered Lino Prints

Throughout this year I have been combining my lino prints with embroidery and other embellishments, hand-printing the lino block directly onto the fabric and working into the design with free-machine embroidery, hand embroidery and beading. Stitching into the design adds additional layers to the image; the gold embroidery stitches catch the light and highlight the sense of magic that runs through the piece. The free-machine embroidery on the figure's wings gives the idea of feathers, with the additional gold details and glass beads adding to the atmosphere of enchantment that I wanted to run through the image.

This embroidery work continues on from the digitally printed fabric project as it uses the same original lino blocks and narrative inspiration, but in a new composition and with additional detailing.

Close up detail of fabric with a printed image of folds of fabric, patterned with swans, branches, leaves and trees. Some of the branches in the pattern are stitched into with metallic gold embroidery stitches. There is also an embroidered vine in red/gold with blue beads.
Student list
open list

Illustration - MA

student list
close list