Ups and downs.

It's now the end of an exhausting week. I have spent a lot of time this week realizing how differently a textile course is taught within two different cultures. I have been so eager to start weaving. We have been in school since the 7th of September and today was finally the end of such a long wait to get my hands on a machine and start trying to remember the action which became such a primary instinct to me in the final term at Chelsea before Summer. The approach to textiles here could not be any more polar opposite to that of Chelsea. We have spend weeks at ENSCI studying the theory of weaving. Learning about hundreds of weave structures, yarn properties and bizzarely trying to learn how to thread up a loom through written notes. Theory is seen as the golden ticket to becoming a 'good' textile student and I am so impressed and astounded at the level and depth of education the pupils receive. When I think of our 1 hour a week theory and how they would gasp in horror!

However.....with so many hours dedicated to the teaching of theory other practices are evidently lost. Most noticeable for me has been creativity. Sketching is considered irrelevant and unnecessary. Instead of weeks of research to conceive an original theme or subject, the students here a given a day to create a colour palette which will inform all of their samples from secondary information, e.g. an internet/ magazine photo or a painting within an exhibition. This I have struggled to come to terms with.

As I am in with the first year textiles students about to embark on their experience of weaving (which is the first time for some), it is interesting to compare it with our weave technical block in first year. I don't really recall that our brief 2 week weave block was preceded by much weave history or theory. We were just given a sheet of structures and let loose to experiment and see what happened. Here, we have spent over a week making 11 warps all from different types of yarn from plastics to linen, some double warps and all threaded up with different threading plans. Each loom has been labelled with a different weave structure, e.g. Damassé satin, Pekin toile, Sergé "Tweed", Reps derivés and a different outcome, e.g. Linge de maison (like tableclothes), vêtements (clothes) etc. There are only three of us who have chosen to concentrate on weaving and not take the optional industrial design project (which I was not allowed to participate in as it doesn't finish until February) and therefore it has been an enormous amount of work, but good practice. I have made plenty of mistakes and Clem would have surely despaired with me by now! My worst being loosing the cross of the warp and having to rethread the whole thing (30 threads/cm) by hand! I certainly won't make that mistake again in a hurry. I really think that weaving is such a practical art and the only way to learn is through your trials and errors. That is one of the main reasons I have struggled to understand why the students aren't allowed on the looms sooner as those who had never woven before were so unbelievably confused when trying to learn how to thread up through a written sheet of notes in a classroom.

I am really eager to do an independent project this term so as I can have the chance to design and set up my own warp and create a woven collection. My tutor Clothilde was somewhat apprehensive especially after I showed her my Garden Project Weave samples which I thought were pretty ok. She couldn't believe how experimental they were and how technically incorrect and lacking they were. For each sample and especially in the case of my crazy wire weaves, she asked me what they were for and what were my aims and who was my target audience throughout the project. Questions I simply couldn't answer. I had no specific aim. Just to create unusual, original weaves which were visually pleasing. She also noted how I couldn't really call them a collection as each piece was equally as busy and lively as the next and what constituted a collection are ranges between bold and subtle textures and pattern. I suddenly felt like such a textile artist. I suppose what I have learnt the most is that the pupils here are taught how to be useful to a company, to work in the real world in a serious professional job. They know the perfect weave structure to make hardy suit trouser material (all be it if it is totally ugly). I have suddenly become terribly worried that I will leave uni with plenty of crazy ideas but absolutely zero employability. I have decided that this is not something I should worry about right now as I have enough on my plate.

Anyway the point to which I am gradually getting to is that Clothilde told me I would not be allowed my own warp until I am better 'qualified' at the knowledge of weaving. Although this initially felt like a stab in the heart, I totally understand her angle. I think I will benefit so much from sitting down and creating fabrics even with the most tedious, bland structures as I will undeniably gain a wealth of knowledge. What will be of most use is how I utilize this knowledge in my own way with a dash of (hopefully allowed) creativity and experimentation. Phew what a long rant. Anyway I happy just happy to be finally weaving and to have mastered (well perhaps not totally) Point Carré, the terrifying computer program attached to the looms. I only hope that Chelsea use the same system as I am an absolute viking when it comes to technology and it has taken me hours to get my head around this! On a final positive note, here are some photos of today's weaving on the Reps derivés, linen and polyamide loom-