After years of studying art through GCSE, A-Level, a practical EPQ where I studied wearable art and sustainable fashion, then continuing onto an art Foundation, I found all my projects ended up being based in colour, pattern and texture. I’ve always loved colour and making with fabrics, finding objects and exploring sustainable ways of designing.
I found it difficult to choose what I wanted to do after school, but doing an art foundation helped me follow what I was drawn to, experimenting with mixed media and learning digital and practical techniques that supported what I was passionate about. This was when I discovered the joys of screen printing and the process of starting a project with drawing, collage and observation and taking it forward into digital repeat, layering print and building motifs. Combining this with the passion I already had for colour, pattern and texture led me to produce a series of collages, printed papers and fabrics which then I hand and machine embellished.
This experimental journey allowed me to become excited about what was next! I applied to BA (Hons) Textiles Design at AUB with a strong portfolio and the confidence my foundation gave me. I chose AUB because this was the only textiles course in the country that didn’t require you to choose and specialise in one technique. Textiles Design at AUB allows you to trial all techniques, encourages experimentation and praises combining practices. This was the biggest green flag for me, as I am a sucker for mixing techniques and exploring new and exciting ways of making. This has massively broadened my abilities and skills… which employers love!
My favourite project, so far, has been my biggest during second year, where I combined my love of colour and collage with my passion for snowboarding. I started by using a series of primary imagery from my trips (pictures I’d taken) to take references to draw from, mixed with secondary research (pictures from magazines, online and the library archive). This, along with thorough research into ski/snowboarding gear, technical fabrics and trends was a solid foundation to begin to build up my project. I loved using different drawing techniques to experiment with line and shape. I used a single line drawing of mountains from a trip to Italy for one of my favourite finals. These lines were then taken into CAD embroidery, and I produced a sample for a quilted jacket.
Alongside this, I researched and drew alpine animals such as lynxes, hares and bears. This added another element of interest for my project, as the lynx and bear work became strong motifs for the collection. I really enjoyed playing with colour combinations through the medium of collage for this project. This, mixed with hand-cut stencils for screen print, built a fun and exciting body of work to support my final collection.
From this project, I took some of my starry screen prints and got them printed onto organic tea towels, which I now sell online via Instagram and in local vendors such as L’arte, across the road from AUB campus. I also took the designs and printed them onto t-shirts, which I sold at Dorset Art Weeks and the FOLD print show in Bruton! Talking to people about my course when visiting markets, such as Frome Independent Market, messaging makers on Instagram and going to workshops, has propelled my own print and textiles journey. I found that other creative people love to encourage and support other creative people!
This community has encouraged me to begin selling more products through online outlets, cafés and farm shops who enjoy supporting students on their creative journey. Starting small with doing a few extra prints alongside my uni work and making them available to purchase, advertising on my Instagram and getting involved with opportunities that feel outside of my comfort zone, has been the best thing to push myself with and get my foot in the door for starting my own small business.
Throughout the entirety of this course, I have learnt skills that will boost my creative journey beyond university. Something that AUB does really well is collaboration, both within the course but also across courses. By doing this, we share skills and learn how to work well as a team, talk to people about your work and begin to network. This is such an important skill I have learnt – having weekly group meetings to discuss your projects, what works well, what doesn’t, and how to move forwards has been a key part in my textiles journey.
As well as this, having such a broad range of equipment in textiles has allowed me to experiment and become confident in areas I didn’t even know existed before starting this course! For example, the sonic welder is such an amazing piece of kit. This allows you to fuse synthetic materials together without stitching, glue or heat. I used this a lot when doing a project with laser cutting dead stock, synthetic materials to make accessories and attach them to surfaces that couldn’t be stitched. Such a useful and interesting trick to have up your sleeve when going into industry.
AUB has become my home from home. In my first year, I lived in campus halls and made some amazing friendships that I hope to keep for the rest of my life. Living in a shared flat was a great way to learn how to be independent, together. I always enjoyed dinner time at the flat, as everyone cooked and ate in the shared space, sharing our days and learning about each other’s courses. I also loved campus because it was close to my class, the Library and the BU gym, which is just over the road. The campus also often holds market days where students can sell their wares, raise money for projects with bake sales and you can really feel the community that is AUB.
If you’re looking to study textiles at uni, I would 100% recommend coming and joining us at AUB. The campus is inviting and easy to navigate, the studios are spacious and light and there’s good coffee! My advice for anyone looking at this course would be to really get stuck into drawing. I have always been scared of drawing, thinking it had to be perfect sketches and realistic pieces. But now I love drawing. I have learnt that drawing can be a mix of mark making, collage (my favourite), loose, single line drawing with Indian ink, huge oil pastel observational drawings... there are so many ways to draw, and they are essential for this course. If you’re excited by colour, pattern and building texture, you’ll love it.
If you would like to see my journey on the BA (Hons) Textiles Design course and keep up to date with my small business, have a look at my Instagram – @maisievstudios
