During the first iteration, the development was focused on whether or not the concept of sprouting seedlings from a double-layered woven structure was even possible I used a pocket structure to hold the compressed dirt and seedlings in with tabby weave structure on both layers of the textile. As it turns out, the concept is possible! After the midterm, I entirely planted one of my pocket swatches, and after a few weeks of growth, this is what it looks like...!
A tabby pocket filled with seeds
Dissolving the swatch to be planted
Uncovering midterm after two weeks of growth
Additional midterm documentation can be found here
During class, we developed a two-layer draft with twill and tabby structures on their respective sides. From there, I developed the lift plan and established and confirmed the tie-up. Documentation on draft creation can be found here.
Description, Process Notes & References
Description: This project was inspired by biodegradable seed dispersal methods and iterated on a previous design. This product is intended to be used as a way to transport, store and deploy naturally developed sprouts.
Decision Points
Weaving Process: I began using thicker yarn to ensure the draft created the desired double layer with a twill effect. By doing this, I also experimented with intertwining all of the threads on the bottom tabby layer. During this time, I couldn't find a good way to incorporate the extra warp threads, so they will float for now, but this should be iterated upon in the future. In the sections of the swatches with dissolvable thread, the pockets are stuffed with dirt wafers and seeds.
Stuffing Pockets: Filling the pockets with seeds and dirt this iteration was a tad more challenging midterm. This was because the tie-up was a straight draw, creating one long pocket instead of two pockets. Additionally, the twill version of this design took a lot longer to complete due to its more complex woven structure.
Dying Process: To dye the textile, I wanted to use natural materials that wouldn't impact the ability of a person to consume the seeds. I used turmeric spice powder and rubbed it throughout the cloth. Then, I used an ice cube to blend the spices into the fabric without dissolving the degradable thread. The textile turned out very pigmented, but the ice slightly dissolved the thread, creating an pleated-type stretch. Turmeric is also known to be beneficial to the growth of plants, including controlling pests and aiding the rooting process (McCraw, 2022). Be careful, however, turmeric will dye your hands!
Testing: In the final stage, I poured water on the sample to see if the twill structure actually dissolved easier or faster than the plain weave. Watching the sample dissolve is fascinating because it 'scrunches' quickly, but because of the volume of thread -- instead of dissolving or opening the glucose in the dissolvable thread binds the warp ends together. The tight bond may prevent the seeds from sprouting. More testing is required.
Practicing creating twill topped pockets with thick thread
Stuffing the pocket and weaving it shut
Testing dying techniques
Swatch after being dyed with turmeric
Dissolving Test
Water moving through swatch
Back of dissolved swatch
Reflection and Future Work
I wish I could take this class for the rest of my life. Weaving has become one of my favorite activities; it allows me to do something physically productive, mentally stimulating, and be relaxed. I've seriously debated buying an 8-shaft loom for my regular life so I can continue to enjoy creating. (p.s. if I aquire a loom... can I come back to your lab for help warping it...?)
I would like to use different natural dyes and more colors to make the pieces more aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, I would like to focus on how the swatch develops over time after being planted. This includes using the seedlings to create a visualization in the dirt. During my presentation, a seed tapestry was pitched as a future design experiment and the potential of that is a concept I would be interested in exploring.
