This is not Textiles, but I took a little side trip to explore jewellery making. I am interested in this on it's own, but especially as an enhancement for textile arts. I have tried making costume jewellery before, a necklace and a pair of earrings. I enjoyed it, I like making just about anything and I'm eager to try any kind of arts/craft activity at least once. As I've been collecting pictures and drawings for my textiles ideas scrapbook, I have been noticing what the people are wearing or what details and enhancements are part of the design. I when I did the jewellery class today, I did it more in mind with textiles work.
Our tutor was terrific. He was well prepared and welcomed any question. He was very patient and never made anyone feel inadequate. He was very sensitive to the abilities and interests of each student. That really helped. Since he is a professional jeweller, and I have seen his work before, I know he is very talented. I was glad for his expertise and for his effectiveness.
I made a necklace (second one; I will send it to my sister that I've sent one to a little while ago, but it seems to have been lost going across the Atlantic.) I made it for her, and with embroidery in mind. Those two things gave me a different viewpoint. Unlike the first two projects, I felt more able to think creatively about this project. I could think more about colours and patterns. Shapes and balance came more into my thought process. I think this is because I stopped thinking of it as jewellery, per se, and thought about it as something I was creating. It was a more reflective process, not entirely consciously, but I was thinking about my sister and the kinds of things she likes, the fabrics she prefers, her personality, her responsibilities. All of that. And I was also thinking about fashions and embroidery projects I currently have on the go. I also had the influence from my scraps-book of ideas.
The other times I tried the jewellery making, I was only thinking "jewellery" like you give your mother on Mothering Sunday, or like your husband gives you on a special occasion. I guess I was thinking Tiffany's, so quite naturally I felt out of my depth. This time I went with thoughts along the lines of "How can jewellery making influence my textile arts pursuits?" "What can I do here that will express how I value my sister?" Those questions opened up the entire project, so I owned it; it was clearly my creation.
It remains to be seen how this will actually affect my sewing. But I liked today and I think today will have made a difference.
The steps of what I was making can be viewed by following this link. This in no way describes the steps in a how-to fashion, only my experience. I would recommend this Master of the Craft as a tutor for any group or individual.
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