Throughout the process of deciding how I was going to quantify my midterm assignment, I came up with a gaggle of ideas. I thought the AI Generated Image would be the midterm project, but somewhere hidden in the honorable mentions regarded something far more interesting: creating a woven structure that homes dirt and seeds, developing into an actual living & growing plant. Being named after a flower, I have always felt a solid connection to plants and have conducted many research projects about plants growing from seedlings.
I will try growing seedlings from a woven structure and use a metric of the seeds' growth ability/survivability.
Draft: The draft and lift plan I used to create the pocket is inspired by the worksheet we accomplished in class. I used ADACad and my own lift plan notes to accomplish this on our in-class loom. I will only need four frames to complete this and I am using the secondly warped loom, with black and white warp yarn. The draft is shown below, I usually struggle with using and creating drafts so I handmade a platform that would allow for me to understand the draft process better. This also helps me to determine the lift plan and tie-up.
Inspired by postcards with seeds embedded into a biodegradable paper to preserve and create life from simple materials, this project allows me to create something that embodies preservation, growth, and sustainability.
Double-layered weaving in this project was the most "trust the process" type of piece I've ever physically made. It was one thing to start weaving with an 8-shaft table loom and an altogether another challenge to construct double-layered pockets. As I began weaving, I could not see how the layers were forming on the loom and became frustrated because I needed to figure out if I was reading my draft correctly and how to separate the two layers on the loom.
This is my first issue. I started with my dissolving material but didn't know how much of the material I would use to create the pockets, and wanted to use only a little of it before I knew what the outcome looked like. I used heavier wool to prototype the pockets because the concept would develop faster than the light weighted thread. After weaving a solid half inch on both layers I could finally see the idea coming together and decided to begin working with my dissolvable thread.
I input the dirt wafer within these prototypes to see how the wafer's width would fit within the pockets. It was then time to focus on creating larger pockets that could fit both wafer of dirt and seeds; this is my second issue. The pocket structure had tabby on both sides of the double layer, and I chose this structure because it would hold in the seeds most tightly so they would have less chance of falling out. I created several pockets and spent time playing with the different lengths of the pockets, as playing with closing off the middle section with a tabby weave structure rather than sewing it shut, which is what I did for many of the pockets created.
My final issue is with the development and dissolubility of the pocket structure. The proposed concept will need testing and iteration before the idea is complete. For example, as I tested a swatch with water, the dirt expanded rapidly, encapsulating the seeds within the pocket. While the thread immediately dissolved, the warps kept their tight structure. It may take a few days for this to dissolve fully, and it will take a few days for the seeds to sprout.
From the beginning to the end, this process demands trust. It is still developing and growing (literally), and all we can do at this point is believe.
Testing the dirt wafer and dissolvable thread
Working on the loom with dissolvable thread
Testing pockets with different materials
Filling the pockets with seeds
Pocket woven/sewn shut with seeds and dirt inside
Development of swatches with dissolvable thread
Testing swatch with water
If you look closely... you may see a sprout
Reflection
Weaving, working, and growing a concept for the past month has been the highlight of my work, and pushed the limits of what I can accomplish... aside from just coding, and working on my computer. 'Woven Growth' has been a fantastic opportunity, and I am excited to iterate and develop this design and work on the development for the final project. I honestly cannot wait to receive feedback on this project from my professor and peers.
I look forward to working with more biodegradable material and making it possible to have an entire woven pocket structure separate from the surrounding tabby. I am grateful to work on such an exciting concept!
