Woven

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My capstone project was a deeply personal and illuminating experience for me, shifting the original focus of my practice. While initially researching the benefits of natural dyes and pigments, I had my ah-ha moment of inspiration from one of my early dyeing samples. This sample was a test of 18 natural dye compositions and their interactions with each other through overdyeing. I painted cross-hatched stripes of the dyes onto a 100% cotton bandana, and when finished, I was stuck with its resemblance to a colourful plaid.

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This sample’s likeness to a plaid sparked my interest in weaving, and further reminded me of my Scottish heritage and the traditions of tartan. While researching Scottish tartan, I began feeling reconnected to my Scottish heritage, the Fraser clan, and my visit to Scotland in my late twenties. I fell in love with the process of weaving tartan; the steady 2/2 twill and precision of the pattern were meditative. After finishing my small-scale, table loom samples, I decided I would use 100% Canadian wool from Briggs & Little - Heritage for my capstone. At this point, I decided that my capstone project would be focused on creating four blankets of Fraser tartan yardage in four different colour palettes, representing the four seasons of Canadian nature, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. I used Maiwa natural dyes to dye the wool with these colours and created a large-scale colour interaction test. This was my first time using my 45’’ Leclerc floor loom, and I learned so much about weaving from this sample. Finally, after adapting some colours to better suit the palettes, I bulk-dyed the colours for my final capstone pieces. Using the traditional 2/2 Fraser tartan twill, I have created four distinct Fraser tartan blankets, representing my family heritage and connection to the natural world.

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The outcome of my capstone project is four panels of Fraser tartan yardage blankets in colour palettes pulled from nature, reflecting Canada’s four seasons. This piece represents my Scottish heritage, my home in Canada and how I can find comfort and security despite generational family trauma. Illustrating the intrinsic connections between my heritage and reconnection with my immediate family, and how I can use softness and comfort to protect myself from these sharp feelings and memories.

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