Welcome to the start of a series of blog posts I'll be sharing with you over the coming months (years?).
This series is basically my dissertation from my degree. A piece of writing I'm very proud of, as someone who has never counted themselves as a very good writer.
Even 10 years after graduating, this subject still feels very relevant, maybe even more so. So I've decided its time to take it out of storage, dust it off and share it with you all in small bitesized pieces.
Introduction
'Technically the word 'textiles' which comes to us from the latin 'texere', 'to weave', refers exclusively to woven cloth.' (Barber, 1991:5) However now it is used as a more general term referring to anything fibre and cloth related. This series will cover the craft perspective of, Textiles specifically, but also general production throughout the craft world. The ideas of skill and craftsmanship and how the hierarchy of the artisan has changed as the world has become so reliant on technology, mass production and consumption. As a craftsperson myself, these are subjects that are close to my heart, and the attitude the general public have towards hand crafted items and the skilled people who create them, is obviously relevant and important to me and the plans I have for my working career.
The first chapter (Which I'll begin to post in March) will show how important crafts are to us as a culture, how much of a strength it is in the UK and give a brief overview of textiles and craft in the UK and the changes of the life of a craftsman and the machines which replaces their jobs during the industrial revolution. I will explain how the industrial revolution not only effected the craftsman's job roles and living conditions, but the whole country, in the way we live our everyday lives, and how that has changed the quality of the consumable products we surround ourselves with. I will explore the idea of production becoming impersonal alongside the mechanisation of the process, what it means to be and artisan and whether the machine can become a part of the craft scene. I will then go on to look at some contemporary Textiles practitioners and how their thoughts, inspirations and ways of working compare to myself.
Chapter two will be looking at wool, a yarn that has been produced in Britain since the Roman times, if not before. The British Isles have always had enough inhabited space to accommodate the sheep required, and we have the perfect weather conditions to produce long stapled, hard wearing wool. Its also a yarn I choose to use myself due to its soft, yet hardwearing properties, sustainability, ability to take up dye beautifully, and the nostalgia it evokes for me, growing up and living in the countryside. I will state its notable properties and what makes it special in comparison to other yarn choices, and lastly a brief look at the British wool industry through the ages.
The next chapter will be quite a personal one, looking at differences, beyond the obvious, between hand crafted and mass-produced items. What it means to both make and buy hand crafted items and the value of that, beyond money.
Lastly, before concluding my work, I will look at the concept of craft Guilds. How they worked in the Middle ages, and how they were a part of the attempts to fight the industrial world during the Arts and Crafts movement. Following that, looking at today's society, whether todays Guilds are relevant or helpful and how the Internet has changed this.
I realise todays post is not necessarily the most exciting, but I hope it's given you a taste of what is to come throughout the series and you'll be back in March for the first instalment of chapter one.
I'm sure this subject(s) will evoke many feelings and thoughts/ opinions of your own, and I'd love for you to share them with me along the way.
Look forward to sharing this work with you all.
Charlotte X