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Textiles

Rebecca Higgins

Textiles

Final year project

Spiritual Opulence [Read more]

Spiritual Opulence Cushion Collection

Hand woven piped cushion designs. 16x16 inches.

Tiles of Blue

Woven Jacquard design for the purpose of upholstery, inspired by tiles found in English churches.

Tiles of Purple

Woven Jacquard design for the purpose of upholstery, inspired by tile designs found in English churches.

Weaving in Progress

16 shaft George Wood Peg Loom. 30x45 inch blanket designs being handwoven by myself.

Blanket Design on The Loom

30x45 inch handwoven blanket designs inspired by Islamic mosaics and pattern.

Visualisations of Jacquard Samples

My fabrics visualised as functional furniture and upholstery for the home interior environment.

Rebecca Higgins

Rebecca specialises in woven textiles and has a deep interest in exploring bold pattern and colour combinations. She especially enjoys the freedom of Jacquard where her skills in digital design can be transferred into large scale woven fabrics for a multitude of uses.

My final major project ‘Spiritual Opulence’ is a home interior collection made to focus on community and wellbeing. I was inspired by seeing different communities working together throughout the pandemic, providing help and support to those vulnerable without preconceptions.

I have researched religious, Islamic and architectural design and have been heavily influenced by the mosaic tiles that can be found inside mosques and churches as well as their exteriors. Motif and geometric tiles can be found in and on many different religious buildings throughout the UK.

My collection is formed from handwoven and jacquard fabrics which I constructed and designed, using a mix of wool and cotton yarns.

I love the illustrative freedom of Jacquard and the ability to upscale designs to create stand out pieces. Handweaving allows me to experiment with textured yarns and to create my own lifting plan patterns to suit my style of working.

I have an interest in interior design and I enjoy looking at the new collections and colour palettes when in interior shops.

Final year project

Spiritual Opulence

Awards

2020-2021 Lead Student Course Representative for Textiles (Part C)
2019-2020 Diploma in Professional Studies
2018-2019 Selected designs taken to Premiere Vision in Paris
2017-2018 Student Course Representative for Textiles (Part A)
2016-2017 Work exhibited at Charnwood Museum as part of the Universities 'Making History' project

Work Experience

Clivewood Farm, Shropshire ( January 13th to September 17th 2020)
Assisting with mill activities - Developing the blend of spun yarn to deliver different colour and mixed type fibre - Choosing designs to work within a consultation with the head weaver - Learning how to use “Fiberworks” software -Weaving on a 32 shaft computer-controlled loom - Acid dying natural alpaca fibre - Designing new pieces that will be trialled in the shop as well as the website - Input in product promotion.

Hand Weavers Studio and Art Gallery, London ( October 28th to December 20th 2019 )
Assisting with weaving workshops as well as setting up beforehand - Helping customers on the shop floor - Having exposure to the commercial and financial aspects of retail business.

Rare Thread, London ( August 27th to October 25th 2019)
Working in a studio environment - Putting on warps - Designing woven textiles designs - Weaving on the jacquard - Running errands - Sorting through portfolio samples for commercial events such as premiere vision in Paris and New York.