Unit 223: Design development

Initial designs

When I first started playing with designs I was thinking of trying to bring in colour with millinery techniques and fabrics.

These ideas were to blend bright sinamay hat fabrics with weaving.

Using random weave or rope weave.

After making the drum lampshade I liked the simplicity of the willow and natural colours. Although it's quite hard not to make something very Jenny Crisp style as there are a limited number of shapes that can be made in willow for lampshades: ball shape, bell shape, straight sided drum are the most accessible shapes for my skill level at the moment.

Design 1

Playing with colour and void using waling and packing.

Design 2

Pared back and simple using large areas of void and waling.

Design 3

Packing, waling and rope weave in graduated colours.

Design 4

Zig zag weave sides with waling for shape.

Design 5

Simple ball shape with a fancy border.

Design 6

Colourful rope weave used like fitching/ lobster pots.

Experimenting with material

I have decided to stick to pure willow and may take forward some experimental designs that include blocking and sinamay after the course. My main objective was creating something that would hang in the apex ceiling of my bedroom.

Hairy lampshade

I made this after a class when i had material soaked and left over, so used it to have a play and try out fixing in a lighting ring. I worked well but I needed to put the ring in much higher up. It's now up in the living room. We're going to get a fancy bulb to put in it where it sticks out the bottom.

Zig zag weave mini drum

I experimented with doing a loose zig zag weave in a little drum shape shape. On reflection I would make the zig zag much tighter like in my sample basket as it was sliding off at the top a lot. I like the effect but don't think I'll use it in the final design.