Precious Wilderness

Having been influenced by the rural habitats of grasslands and moorland throughout my childhood, the atmosphere creates a perfect scene of textures, colours and patterns with a strong personal attachment. Dartmoor particularly has been a key place where I have grown up making it personal and close to my heart, this is what makes me intrigued in how the beauty can be put into embroidery.

'Precious Wilderness' unfolds and creates a sense of these habitats through embroidery methods, with brushed lines and textures representing the dry, fine grasses. This contrasting with the rich tough heather and gorse with popping colours through gold work. Digital embroidery provides a strong background of colour and pattern whilst hand embroidery techniques show softer touches such as meadow flowers and create textured surfaces.

Inspiration has been taken from flowering plants, but also the contrast in the wide variety of species. The climate on Dartmoor plays a big part in my interpretation of the place, it has a climate of its own and is often windy, having an effect on how the plants are seen, felt and heard. Therefore a key element of these places to me is the movement of the grasses.

Saddle Tor, Dartmoor.

Gorse in February near Hay Tor, Dartmoor.

Gorse Goldwork and digital puff embroidery... the yellow tulle development piece led to developing size and scale in gorse petals.

Goldwork loops and tufted embellished velvet create the rough chaotic moorland textures.

Several final samples include layers of embroidery methods, starting with digitally programmed patterns or outlines. Details are then added with couched materials followed by bead work.

Beads add an encrusted, textural surface, often interpretations of natural surfaces.

Development of this Project includes varying colour pallets, to introduce more colourful combinations.

The designs created throughout 'Precious Wilderness' have been visualised as fashion fabrics, with a vast amount of draping silk or velvet complimenting the denser areas of embellishments.

Heavy weight fabrics have been considered as capes, having dense embroidery at the top to then scatter out towards the bottom boarder.

Considering a long draping skirt with a ruffled waist line.

Some tulles and lighter weight silks have been designed for a bespoke bridal option. These overlaying a base fabric or free flowing as a veil.