Kate Gray
Textiles
Final year project
Polar Night [Read more]
Polar Night Interior Fabrics
A collection of 6 handwoven woolen fabrics taking inspiration from the shapes and colours found in the expansive winter landscape, whilst also integrating the colours and details found in the foliage within that environment.
Winter Woolens
A soft and tactile surface texture has been created through experimentation with warp floats on the loom.
Blocks and Stripes
Working with a double cloth weave structure, I was able to create alternating blocks of colour and reversible fabric designs.
Mark Making
An experiment with pulling Acrylic paint across the page and suggesting movement and finer details amongst the weathered landscape.
Warp Floats
I experimented with different lifting plans on the loom to achieve sections of fine details alongside blocks of warp floats. The shots of yellow throughout the warp are inspired by warm light leaking from cabin windows into the darkness of winter.
Designed for Home Interiors
I had three pieces from the collection made into cushions as I designed the woolen fabrics to act as a comfort within our homes. The cushions display the highlights of winter whilst also providing comfort and warmth from the cold.
Layering Mark Making Techniques
The mysterious shapes and shadows described in Scandinavian folklore inspired me to recreate them through mark making within my visual research.
Timeless Textiles
Each piece was handwoven for home interiors with the hope that they might be cherished and kept within homes for many years.
Kate Gray
Kate Gray is a woven textile designer with an interest in the interplay of colour, pattern and surface texture. With a particular focus on the changing textiles market as a result of Covid-19, Kate has developed a collection of woven fabrics suitable for interior spaces that have adapted to become places of solace instead of spaces that we simply inhabit. Taking inspiration from the beauty of the harsh winter and translating it into warm textiles has allowed her to capture the highlights of winter in an act to sustain us through the long dark days.
Polar Night is a collection created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and how this has altered the way we inhabit our homes. In particular I chose to focus on coping mechanisms to survive a harsh winter lockdown and how we adopted the methods of Scandinavian culture to cope with the long, dark days indoors.
The northern Scandinavian region receive as little as 2 hours of indirect sunlight per day during the winter and have therefore had to adopt a lifestyle which ensures that their mental well being remains positive. Through seeing the beauty in the outdoors and bringing those natural elements into their interior spaces, they’re able to celebrate the winter from the warmth of their homes.
Within Scandinavian storytelling, winter is often depicted as a gentle giant with elements of mystery and fear hidden within it. On a global scale we experienced the fear of what danger lies beyond our doorstep during the pandemic, and our homes became a place of solace from the effects of Covid-19 which overshadowed everything like a not-so-gentle giant.
Drawing inspiration from the expansive Scandinavian landscape and the mystery of winter depicted in Scandinavian folklore, I have developed a collection of warm, comforting blankets, cushions and fabrics for home interiors. With the aim to act as a solace during periods of winter isolation and celebrate the beauty of winter whilst banishing the cold.
Final year project
Polar Night
Awards
'21 Diploma in Professional Studies
'19 Première Vision Paris - Designs exhibited
Work Experience
Kathryn Davey
October - December 2019
I worked alongside Kathryn Davey, a designer and natural dyer based in Dublin for three months learning the processes involved with natural dyeing of sustainable textiles. Over three months of working one-to-one with Kathryn I greatly developed my knowledge on working with natural dyes and was trusted with dyeing a collection of cotton cloths for a collaborative project she was working on. I gained an understanding of the challenges involved with owning an independent business as well as the rewarding experiences such as the opportunity to assist Kathryn at a natural dye workshop within her studio.
Wallace Sewell
July 2019
I worked with the Wallace Sewell team at their studio based in London assisting with mail orders, quality control of products and the general running of the studio. I was challenged with refining a complex colour palette for production of one of their rug designs and was given the opportunity of assessing a press show alongside the Managing Director for market research. I thoroughly enjoyed working within the team and witnessing the design processes that go into creating a final woven product for sale.
Handweavers Studio and Gallery
January - March 2020
I worked with the Hand weavers team at the their shop and studio space based in London for three months. During this time I worked alongside the Manager in teaching weave workshops and assisted the students with any issues or queries and really enjoyed seeing their progress throughout the sessions. Working alongside the team, I greatly developed my knowledge of different yarns and weave structures through being tasked with setting up 12 table looms for a workshop.