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Galashiels Textile School




I went to galashiels' open day on friday. Galashiels is apparently one of the premier textile institutions in the country. and i want to do a degree with them

they've got loadsa cool equpment, for dying, spinning, and garment making. best of all though, is the weave room. here is one quarter of it
i was almost jumping up and down with glee when i walked through the door. and the weaving technician was very helpful and explained a few things to do with warping procedures to me. however, as i have a very poor visual imagination, i failed to take most of it in.

anyway, that's where i is going if i can. so i'm spending the rest of this year putting a portfolio together

hooray!

Comments

Jane said…
Hooray Hooray! <--- that is I cheering you on! How exciting that you *will* be going there. You are so ready, and they will be fortunate to have you, HB.

Weave like an Egyptian,
Jane
Andrew Kieran said…
don't spend money that ain't in your pocket, that's my policy. or a bird in hand's worth two in the bush, or something.

i still have to apply, be interviewed and accepted and make sure my first year fees are paid (having previously studied unsuccessfully, they might not pay them). as well as all that, i have to begin making preparations for finding another, afforable house. and i can't stay in halls cos i've got a dog, and a great lack of tolerance for the drunken tomfoolery one expects in such places

so, all in all, it's a great upheaval (not that i'm unaccostomed), but then i'll be able to stay there for at least 4 years, and that'll be nice. if i can find a dilapidated farm cottage with a solid wood burner that'd be perfect

however, i remain cautiously optimistic and will endevour to make a portfolio entirely out of woven materials

except for the pattern drafts i suppose, as i could find myself making pattern drafts for the fabrics that depict the pattern drafts and thus end up in an endlessly repeating loop

and the last thing i want on my hands is a paradox interupting the fabric of space time. if there's anything i've learned from my misspent youth watching star trek it's never good

also, and i never mentioned this, they have fully equipped studios for sewing, pattern making, computerised machine knitting, fabric and yarn dying, modern spinning facilities, jacquard loom, and a very very large room full of 12-24 shaft dobby-boxed floor looms

it's quite simply the coolest place i have ever been
Jane said…
You belong there, HB. Make it happen. You can and will. I consider myself an optimistic realist -- plan for most foreseeable contingencies, but hold close the belief that I can achieve anything I put my mind to.

Go for it -- it really does sound right up your alley!

Jane
Meg said…
Good luck to your preparations! The studio looks so clean and big. Wonderful!

Cautiously optimistic is good.
Anonymous said…
What a rush! All those looms, and people whose *job* is to help you learn what to do with them!

I wish I had studied weaving in college. I'd probably be a better person for it.

You will get in. I'd love to read about it as you build your portfolio.
Andrew Kieran said…
don't worry yourself on that count.

as well as 2 4 metre lengths of 1/2ft wide multicoloured diamond twill, a large piece of that shepherds check and a bunch of rugs, i also have about 10 ickle wee samples of linen and silk and early experiments, all of which are going to be retrospectively analysed and catalogued in a book the cover of which will be made out of a rag rug and the pages and binding of either shepherds check, or bedsheeting if i feel like the easy life.

on top of that, i have my anatomy, figure drawing, portraiture and colour studies from college, which can only help

this is the *plan*, i should attempt to get all this done by december, if not january or february.

the pattern drafts i mentioned before are going to form the bones of the cataloguing effort, along with warp and weft wraps (where you put them in order of the threading and picking on a piece of folded up card) and my own probably woefully inadequate attempts at fibre analysis, based on the conversion table i've downloaded from the website of an industrial polymers manufacturer in the states.

i've seen their warp plan sheets for some of the more horrifically complex weaves, such as the fabric for the queen's footstool that they made with a jacquard that is a woven picture in many colours of the gates of holyrood palace, her home in edinburgh. these are very intimidating documents these warp plans, i don't mind telling you.

anyway, that'll keep me busy over the october holidays.
Leigh said…
What a wonderful opportunity! I envy you for it. I do hope all goes well for you.
Anonymous said…
WOW! Weaving school, good for you! The loom room looks like a weavers heaven!
Wishing you best of luck for your weaving. Enjoy.
I'M ENVIOUS!! ;0) WOW!! What a great opportunity, good for you. I love the loom room what a space!
Anonymous said…
A belated go-for-it from me too. I heard with sinking heart that Heriot-Watt were going to cut back on textiles, so what this country needs is a lot of eager weaving students to show them how short sighted that would be! Are you doing textiles in your college course? Which college? I wonder if you know James Donald of PickOne - he does some college teaching up here (Dundee) and some classes at Galashiels too I believe.

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