Shielagh Tacey Handwoven

It’s that time of year already! I’m still taking Christmas commissions but they need to be emailed to me by 12th December for delivery by Christmas.

Going on to my loom next is a batch of Gentlemen’s Herringbone Scarves. These scarves will be the ideal Christmas gift for brothers, Dads and boyfriends.  If you want to preorder one please contact me quick!

Looking for a perfect gift for an Aunty or Grandma? Check out this very unique scarf below:

It is available to buy here. I will be updating my etsy shop regularly with new stock so please keep checking for new stock and email me with any queries.

Also available here a cheeky dahdee monster for a brother or boyfriend?

I was very pleased this week to finally see samples of my designs back from Centex in India. I have been doing freelance design work  for their Autumn/Winter Collection. The photograph above is my first design following the colour blocking trend that will continue next year. Below is my Moth Print design that I have previously mentioned here.

This design was based on a large scale print trend for Autumn/Winter 2012. I am really pleased with the quality of the finished print as all my painted details have been beautifully reproduced.  I am hoping to eventually create my own range of printed textiles and woven scarf designs for manufacture, in the meantime please feel free to contact me here.

I’ve just updated my shop with several items including this autumnal scarf, buy here! I blended oranges, greens and browns to create this scarf, perfect for the cooler weather that seems to be fast approaching. I used a Gothic Cross weaving pattern, this pattern is shown in detail below.

I have been commissioned to design a range of scarves for Autumn/Winter 2012/2013. It has been a rewarding opportunity for me to put my illustration skills to use. Above is a close up of one of the paintings I have produced for my first design.

This moth design is the first of my completed designs in the range, it is for a printed scarf and will be printed on 100% wool. I am really pleased with the colours as they look realistic to life and are also very suitable for autumn. I have designed the print at two scales as a key trend for AW 2012/13 is the use of very large scale prints. Below is the smaller scale of my two finished scarf designs.

Researching trend predictions for AW 2012/2013 has given me valuable knowledge that I can transfer to my own handwoven textiles. Currently I am planning my own colour palette for Shielagh Tacey Handwoven Textiles AW 2012/13 and a trip to buy new yarn… details to follow!

At long last I have finally made the first of the woven Dahdees. For those of you who remember I used to make knitted Dahdees and it seemed an obvious step to make them from my own handwoven fabric. I hope you like the result, in the evolution process their eyes have also seemed to have changed into buttons, why not! More Dahdees on their way soon …

I have recently started to work as a freelance designer for Centex. Centex design and manufacture scarves for major brands worldwide. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me to experience manufacturing on a large scale and also give me an insight into the textile industry.

Centex produce woven (both dobby and jacquard), printed and embroidered textiles. This has meant that I have been able to increase my knowledge of weave but also use my background in illustration to produce print designs. Above is a close up of a design I have produced for a printed scarf and below is the design for the full scarf. This is my first finished design and I am very excited about seeing it as a finished scarf!

I spend far too much time looking at the beautiful items on Etsy lovingly handmade by talented artists and designers. I am trying to resist buying the earrings below made by Huiyitan, I love them, if you do too BUY HERE!

I’ve also just added these two scarves to my own shop. Buy them HERE.

The scarf above use a blended colour warp in pinks. It has a diamond pattern twill and the weft uses a soft beige yarn. The scarf below is an ideal gift for any man, a beautifully crafted herringbone scarf in classic stripes.

I’m currently working on a commissioned scarf in a range of pinks,oranges and reds. I have used a technique that is new to me, blending colours whilst winding the warp. When I normally wind a warp I wind colours in set blocks or stripes, for example 1 inch of blue, then 1 inch of red, then 1 inch of green…If you look carefully at this warp you can see that I have changed from one colour to another in a much more gradual way, switching between colours whilst winding  rather than a sudden colour change.

I am really pleased with the effect this has created and think it will be an interesting effect to explore further. I have started weaving this warp using a beige weft and a diamond twill. I think this scarf is going to look wonderful when it hangs naturally and is allowed to overlap to emphasize the subtle colour blends.

We are quickly heading towards the summer, yippeeeee! So I thought I would celebrate with a spring sale on my Etsy shop.

I am offering a discount of 15% (until 1st June). To get the discount please enter this code when you check out:

STHWTSPRINGSALE

Enjoy!

These spring scarves are the perfect spring accessory – warm enough to keep out the breeze and showers but also lovely and light. They are great if like me you’re not sure how to dress at the moment due to the unpredictable weather, sunny one minute then hail stones the next.

I’ve just added two new scarves to my shop and I have also dropped off three scarves to The Shop of Interest. Please take a look!

The scarf in the top image is made using a colour and weave technique. It uses a thick and a thin thread in the weft to create the colour contrasts. The scarf at the bottom is following a traditional Gothic Cross pattern and uses pink/cream for the warp and black for the weft.