January 2011: One last journey...

...before the Trench heads back home to Dundee.

Following a brief stay in Bristol where the coat was on show at BV Studios Open Studio weekender

http://bvstudios.blogspot.com/

I'll soon be wearing the coat to Birmingham for Trevor Pitt's Knitting Salon event which he is hosting at N E S T Gallery next week. Trevor recently exhibited a rather special flock of knitted benches at N E S T:

http://digbeth.org/2010/09/page/2/

Trevor is hosting an informal gathering of artists and makers.
He sent us the following invitation:

"To stimulate some lively chat it would be great if you could either wear or bring something that is related to one of your projects in 2010. I have invited Joey Vivo, a young photography student, to join us for the evening to document the event and it would be great to get a group photo of us in our finery. I'm sure we will look as amazing at they did at Madame Geoffrin's!" No prices for guessing what i'll be wearing!

A Reading in the Salon of Mme Geoffrin, 1755

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salon_(gathering)

Trench Coat on Tour

Exciting news! The trenchcoat has just left the McManus Museum Dundee to begin its mini European tour of textile trade fairs this month with Nine Trades project partners Halley Stevensons

First up Italy for the Milano Unica then on to Paris for Premiere Vision.
Molto Bene & Tres Bien!

The Final Gathering!

A selection of images from the day. Lewis captured some great moments and I wanted to share some Trench related shots from the installation in the Visual Research Centre gallery space, the 'social stroll' I lead with a small group through the town and into The Mcmanus museum- where the Trench is now exhibited.....The Trench may go on a few journeys yet so watch this space!

Trenched up and heading out of DCA

Trades chat outside the Tradeshouse Bar
brief downpour followed by bright sunshine!Curious onlookers!
Tools of the Trade pocketsOn Reform Street, Grant Mitchell welcomes us to
Cooper & McKenzieGrant's scirrors depicted on the trench
coat lining designTrades talk in the Howff
Linda Stirling the tailor has just joined us!
Arriving at The McManus - Lives & Landscape exhibitPlacing the Trench Coat in its new display

Sharing the Tools of Your Trade
gathered from the group

Thanks everyone! What a day what a journey....

Pic of the week

Look out for a special window display at Cooper & McKenzie, Reform Street this saturday.
Classic archive images are to be displayed alongside selected tools of the tailoring trade.

Watch out too for a woman strolling along Reform Street wearing a very special Trench Coat!
Made by local seamstress Linda Stirling the coat has been produced from cotton waxed by Dundee's Halley Stevensons who have a top quality tagline:
"Proofing fabric against the elements since 1864"

Trench Coat pics to follow watch this space!

Screenprint snapshots

Some photos from our time screen printing the silk lining and cotton drill for the Nine Trades Trench. Thanks to fellow Nine Trader, David Yu for dropping in to document part of this process.

With the hands-on expertise of Fine Art Print Studio Technicians (Artists Mark Hunter & Peter Yearworth), who incidentally provided top banter, strange flavoured coffee, audio backdrop by Talking Heads and even a surprise birthday cake (Carrie's Gran's top recipe!) we had a grand couple days....

Painting out the block separation - Peter applying final touches
We all took a corner and painted inwards - famous last words 'It'll only take 30mins'!

Some hours later....

... the exposed screen!

Lining up layers

Nervous glances!Nice nails by the way Carrie!

Flooding the screen with the ink
Mark's Screenprint Shuffle - sliding foot manoeuvrings off camera!
Moment of truth - How's it looking? Niiiice
Clean Up OperationReviewing the results of our labour

Good days work!

Pic of the week!

I was happy to stumble across this photograph today during an on-line hunt for a cloth measuring tape. Taken in 1950 it shows a London seamstress with the tools of her trade. This image, one of a set of 252 black and white photographs assembled by the photographer, was shown in an exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum last year called "Irving Penn - Small Trades"

Apprentice Appointed

Announcing a very warm welcome to my Nine Trades Apprentice Carrie Ferguson - a third year Textile Design student at DJCAD (soon to enter her final year). Carrie and I have been working hard during the past weeks developing ideas and producing test swatches for new designs. These fabric designs are inspired by the conversations and encounters I've had with Dundee textile trade workers during my Nine Trades research trips. You may remember for instance I've been asking people about the tools of their trade. I wanted to translate this unique collection of tools into a Nine Trades textile design and a bepoke garment and Carrie is actively helping me on realizing this project. The Textile Detective concept just took a new turn....more on that very soon!

Carrie showing me some recent examples of her work at out first Nine Trades meeting.