Sarah H. Jackson, Textile Artist: Bambu 12

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Dogwood Lace Tunic

Finished! The label is sewn in and it's ready to wear. Well, actually... ...ready to wrap and mail to Handwoven. The wearing will have to wait.

Someone in the publishing business once told me that greens and blues are the most difficult colors to photograph accurately. I believe it! The true color is somewhere between these first two.

Making the Chinese ball buttons and frog closures was an experience in itself! Definitely a challenging project, but I'm happy with the final result.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I've been working for several weeks on a lace project using Silk City's Bambu 12 from Cotton Clouds; sett at 30 ends per inch and woven at 30 picks per inch, 36" in the reed. Definitely not a quick project, ...but interesting to weave and satisfying to watch develop on the loom. I love the finished fabric; it looks and feels remarkably like silk.

The color is a soft, muted green, most accurately seen in the photo below:

This project is for the March/April issue of Handwoven magazine featuring designs that recreate or are inspired by heirloom linens. My inspirations were a vintage lace bodice from Paris and a 1930's quilt; each tells a story of one of my grandmothers ...but I'm saving that for the magazine.

An Oriental-style tunic, Vogue 8830, seemed a good fit for the fabric. I shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length, omitted the cuff, and lined it with a printed rayon. The final stitches will go in tomorrow. Yea!

(photos of the finished tunic in my next post)

Welcome!

Artist Statement:
Handweaving, simple or elaborate; it all begins with one thread. To sit at  my loom and throw the shuttle while witnessing the interplay of color,  pattern, and texture as it develops into cloth is endlessly fascinating.
My design process often centers on color as I work within the limitations  of the loom to stretch and explore the possibilities of color interaction.
At other times I focus on the combination of structure and fiber, using  only one or two colors, to create the desired cloth.
Whether designing for the home or one-of-a-kind garments, my weaving  reflects a passion for marrying structure, fiber, and color to produce  cloth that is unique, practical, beautiful, and just right for my intended  purpose.

About Me

An early interest in art and textiles led me to the University of Kansas where I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with emphasis in textile design. I started weaving again in 2005 after an almost twenty year hiatus. Some of the things I did during that time include working for a publishing company designing and writing pattern instruction for knitwear, quilting, home schooling my son, and volunteering as a Stephen minister in my church. I am passionate about weaving (everyday, if possible!), color, and texture. When not weaving, I enjoy reading, gardening, and bike riding.

I have had numerous designs published in Handwoven magazine. In January, 2012, I joined their editorial team as a technical editor, and in January, 2015, I was offered the job of weaving editor.