Wistman's Woods. Dartmoor.

Taking a well earned break on my home turf.

RCA SHOW

A date for your diary.

Colour mania

Mono printing South of the river.

Art and Textiles/ Meaning in weaving.

Watch this and have faith in the future of textile innovation.

maison d'exceptions @ premier vision

Learning to tie wisteria fibre at the Yushisha stand, Maison d'Exceptions

Last week Hana, Jennie and I were reunited with four of the Japanese craftsmen and mills we visited in October (Nishiyama Silk Mill, Tamiya Raden, Yushisha and Amaika Textile Industry). It was wonderful to see their highly skilful fabrics on show at Maison d'Exceptions at Premier Vision, Paris and we were very privileged to have designed a collection of fabrics for Nishiyama Silk Mill.

Fiat/RCA Collaboration

Check out this review of the Fiat and Royal College of Art collaboration I took part in at the end of 2013. Our concept was the new 'Cheerfully Irresponsible' Fiat 500.

Cheerfully Irresponsible

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Low-Tech Hi-Tech

Work in progress...

Cardiovascular grafts. Woven?

Biomedical Structures, USA, develop and produce biomedical textiles. Why is this relevant to me? BMS utilise the specific properties of woven structures to create materials for medical applications. Living and breathing weave.

Material Lab

Material Lab's response to this year's RCA Work in Progress show. Click the image to find out more.

Material Lab, London.

Japanese Weave

In October 2013 I spent a few weeks in Japan visiting artisan mother of pearl weavers, kimono archives and specialist wisteria weavers by the coast and silk mills in the shadow of the Hakusan mountain. I will always remember the welcoming, jolly atmosphere created by all the new friends I made in Japan. Very many thanks to Yutaka san for coordinating this fantastic experience.

Traditional Japanese house of Kyoji Tamiya of Tamiya Raden.

Tamiya san of Tamiya Raden showing us his mother of pearl fabrics. 

Learning how to reel silk in Nishiyama Sangyo Kaihatsu's silk mill, Hakusan.

Indigo dyeing in the silk mill beneath the great mountain, Hakusan

Matcha

The mountain range of Hakusan

Fresh, local wasabi

Is this the future for the British woollen industry?

This is a photo of Buckfast Spinners in Devon being gutted and emptied of all it's equipment. Buckfast Spinners, owned by Axminster Carpets is set to permanently close the mill doors in December this year.    Some of the most advanced spinning and dyeing equipment in Europe has been ripped out and shipped overseas to the competitors in Turkey and Belguim.

What a sad sight to witness a stagnant shell of a mill, eerily hushed forever. The Dartmoor wind rushes through the building, stirring the clumps of oily wool hanging from the carding machine. Only last year did the mill produce the yarn to make the carpet for the ballroom in Buckingham Palace in honour of the Royal Wedding. Travellers on the Orient Express pressed the Buckfast yarns under their feet.

How will Axminster Carpets ever hope to survive if their local, life long yarn suppliers haven't? Who will ship yarn to order in 24 hours at the highest quality? Who will match colour for colour in a day? Why wasn't the support there for Buckfast Spinners before it was too late?

Weavers.

George. The orb stamper and his three rams.

Norman and his single width loom.

Angus and his double width loom,  George peering over.

Harris Tweed, Isle of Lewis

Stornoway

Mixing the wool

On a mission to answer my thesis question (What is the value of wool) I decided to take a wee trip to the Outer Hebrides to research the famous Harris Tweed.

Yesterday, after a bumpy ride up and down the hills and bays of Lewis, I was dropped off just outside the Harris Tweed Hebrides mill in Shawbost and was greeted with a much needed cup of tea and some home made sticky duff. The day was spent chatting to Ian Angus Mackenzie, and the workers in the mill. It was great to see how much they all really believe in the future of Harris Tweed and it would have been impossible for their enthusiasm not to have rubbed off on the most stern of people.

Every process is done with the utmost care and pride. There wasn't one old boy working there that wasn't glad to sit down with a coffee and tell me about their life working their crofts, the oil rigs, deep sea fishing and then weaving. Readily showing me Vivienne Westwood's "weird" past tweeds and the next tweed for Prince Charles. Feeling that I was hard done by, having to leave the mill early to catch the bus, I was offered a lift as I long as I stayed a bit longer!

WIP: shedding gold onto oily walls

Work in Progress Show. Jan 15th - 20th 2013.

Please come to the Royal College of Art School of Materials Work in Progress Show. Its a great chance to catch a glimpse of the exciting projects taking place at the moment. My work will be on display too!

Where: Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
When: Tuesday 15th to Sunday 20th January. 10am to 5:30pm.

Goodbye Cowhouse Film Night

I have had a brilliant summer and now the mornings are getting nippy and there is a smokey smell of decay in the air. It is time for The Cowhouse to close for the winter months.  As a thank you to all of you who supported me through mud, rain and grey days, one last film night is on the cards. Many many thanks. Sophie xx

FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

8PM

FREE

BRING BLANKETS, CUSHIONS AND YOUR SUPPER.

Indigo @ The Cowhouse

Indigo Dyeing Workshop Dates

The next two dates for indigo workshops at The Cowhouse are confirmed! Wednesday 1st August and Monday 13th August. E-mail sophie.zajicek@gmail.com to reserve a place and go onto The Cowhouse website to get more information on the time, place, what to bring etc...

I look forward to seeing you there.

Sophie

The Cowhouse opening day

Last Saturday was a balmy day for the first opening of The Cowhouse. It made me so happy to see a constant stream of curious people wander in to investigate. It was even better to see the people of Meavy there. Keep an eye out on The Cowhouse website for up to date events information and opening times.

A new blog for The Cowhouse

To keep up to date with the most recent news from The Cowhouse please visit the blog on:
The Cowhouse

I open the doors to the public for the first time on Saturday 23rd June from 12pm, noon. Come along for a chat, a nosey and a scone.

The Cowhouse

That's what the barn is called, The Cowhouse. Open studio most evenings. The occasional Indigo workshop and some cake evenings with a film.

join my facebook group for more info:
The Cowhouse

Indigo Workshop

I will be running an Indigo Dye workshop in the barn in the field on Saturday 21st July. Bring clothes to revamp, yarn, fabrics and canvas shoes. Keep your eyes peeled, more details will be posted soon.

Pop Up Space

I am off to the Royal College of Art in October to start an MA in Woven Textiles. I'm opening a pop up exhibition/ studio space and cafe in Devon to help raise the money to pay for the fees. I plan to have the opening in mid June, with lots of cream teas, strawberries and wine to all who can make it. Watch this space!

The weaver in the skirt

How many generations of Andean mountain women did this skirt clothe? How many babies hid beneath these folds? How many leathery hands repaired each broken end to ensure its continuation into their daughter's own family? When did they decide to reject this tradition and sell it for a few soles?

Golden Spider Cloth

From 25th January the V&A will be displaying a golden cape woven from the silk of more than a million female golden orb spiders. Creators Simon Peers and Nick Godley spent four years transforming this magical yarn into a mythical garment.
Heavily decorated using an array of embroidered and appliquéd motifs, there are hints of an Islamic pattern Peers found on fragments of tiles. However, you don’t have to look too closely to realise it’s dominated by arachnids. The design, says Peers, is about ‘looking into different cultures and societies that have seen the spider as the creator of the cosmos.’ The pair chose to make the cape for a number of reasons. ‘There was a nod to the superhero,’ explains Peers. ‘But also the cape is a ritualistic garment worn in rites. And finally, it’s a wonderful canvas. It’s a large area you can work on.’
The cape is naturally golden and was hand-woven. Very rarely does one get the opportunity to be in the presence of such an ethereal fabric

Awamaki

This is the charity I managed to get my homestay through whilst living in the Sacred Valley, Peru. Awamaki Lab work with the weavers from a few communities in the Sacred Valley to develop fabrics and products for fashion to sell. The profits created are then given back to the co-operatives the women have set up. Awamaki Lab also run sewing workshops, to help the women of Ollantytambo develop their skills to a professional level. They are reviving an essential skill that was once key in the Ollanta community. They are a fantastic charity, worth a look.

Cosy cushions showing at Donna Wilson.

There is a chance to have a look at my fabrics at this year's Donna Wilson sample Sale. It starts on December 1st at 6pm and finishes on 4th, 4pm. It would be lovely to see you there.

Afghan Action Weaving Programme

Afghan Action have a small carpet factory and training school in Kabul. They have trained over 450 young men and women to weave carpets since September 2005 (including some disabled people). Staff and trainees also benefit from classes in literacy and numeracy, on-site healthcare and a nourishing midday meal. Afghan Action’s work in Kabul currently has 15 trainees learning to weave carpets and a small number of weavers whom they employ and from 31 July 2011, a new group of trainees learning to sew and make clothes. They supply rugs to Oriental Rugs of Bath, pop in and admire the beauty and skill of the weavings.
www.afghanaction.co.uk