Blog #1 - In the studio with Claire Armitage - Textiles Designer-Maker

After 3 months of 'hibernation', the gallery will be reopened this Saturday April 2nd. It's been a productive winter, both in terms of designing and knitting in the studio here, and because of the time it has given us to find some wonderful new artists for the mixed show beginning in April. In this blog, we hope to introduce you to our artists with photos and discussions about their design inspiration and process. So, here goes: Blog #1!

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CLAIRE ARMITAGE - TEXTILES DESIGNER-MAKER

We are particularly excited about having a collection of silk scarves by the incredibly talented designer Claire Armitage. Claire has worked as a freelance costume designer for almost a decade, collaborating with filmmakers, dancers, photographers, sculptors, choreographers, musicians and artistic directors. Her vibrant designs have toured stages internationally. Claire also makes bespoke dresses for those who want something beautifully hand-made and very different. In addition, she is a part-time lecturer at University College Falmouth where she teaches courses in textile repeat print, pattern cutting, fashion illustration and embroidery among others. We had a chat with this busy creative over a cup of tea in her new studio space in the stunning gardens of the Trewidden Estate, tucked away behind Newlyn. 

Creative Process...

How does the design process work?

Claire explains, 'I start with loads of drawings to scale in my sketchbook, most of them of and around Cornwall. Then I scan them and combine them with other drawings to fit the size and shape of the piece I'm working on. I like to mix digital printing with screen printing I've done by hand, which gives the work a more intimate, hand-made quality.' Indeed, her scarves feature frayed raw edges, hand embroidery and hand stitching - a particular interest that goes back to her studies of the historic dresses at the Helston Museum. She recently worked on the 'History Dress' project there - a collection of dresses that was exhibited to great acclaim tying together history, stories and narratives from the past with the present day.


Read more about Claire's History Dress project in her blog here.

Claire at work in her studio at Trewidden House, Newlyn

Claire has just finished what she calls the 'Salt Dress' collection which is being exhibited in a shipping container on the grounds of The Eden Project as part of Cornwall Design Season until April 25th. Many of her scarves feature prints developed during the course of the project. 'My design story for the Salt Dresses starts with the Tate St Ives.  It is based on the architectural features of the Tate building contrasted with the village streets that surround it, all higgledy-piggledy, leading down to the cliffs jutting into the sea. Obviously the 'salt' comes from the sea which is a focal point for everything in Cornwall.' Isn't it strange that a dress collection featuring scenes from St Ives is being exhibited in a container at Eden? 'The idea behind the project is finding design in unlikely places and linking different cultural centres together.'   

You can read more about Claire's Salt Dress Exhibition at The Eden Project by clicking here.

Silk scarves in progress...

The scarves that Claire will be exhibiting in the gallery will draw on the wonderfully illustrative prints from both the History Dress and the Salt Dress collections. Claire uses mainly Habatoi silk for her scarves, mixed in with satin chiffon that is used for layering and borders. We can't wait to get these wonderfully evocative designs on display. It will be the first time Claire's scarves will be available to the public and we are sure you will admire them as much as we do!