The beginning of Redgate Studios.....

Looking at the pilot for my website today, I found myself thinking back to how I first started on my creative journey.I had always been interested in crafts and had been taught to embroider at nine by my Grandmother, but I always wanted to create everything myself,fabric,threads, clothes, anything which could be made.
My epiphany arrived when I attended a workshop called "Fantasy Fabrics" held by Vivien Prideaux, a highly respected textile artist in the UK. I was introduced to the basics of dyeing and "Shibori", the Japanese art of fabric manipulation.
With no technical training I was often stuck, but all my questions were answered by Peter Ledbetter of Kemtex UK, who gave me all the help I needed to achieve the results I wanted.
One day Vivien showed me a cross dyed 1930's devore waistcoat. I was fascinated by the technique and decided that I wanted to produce that fabric. This was 1995, silk velvet was only just being rediscovered as a fashion fabric and the devore technique had yet to become mainstream. Now I would just google a technique,but as I didn't have any idea about the internet then, I called Peter!
At that time, believe it or not, there wasn't an exact recipe available, but he did have an old one which he gave me. Then the fun began, the quantities had huge variables and after I had painted the devore paste onto my velvet, I baked it in my gas oven! I still remember the amazement when it actually worked! Without thinking, I washed the leftover paste down the sink which promptly blocked the drains.
That was a long time ago and there are always hitches when printing meterage with such an exacting technique, but when I look at the pure luxury of the finished piece it is all worthwhile.
Now I have another "Peter", Graham and Bonnie from KraftKolour, the Australian counterpart to Kemtex. Later this week, [hopefully!] the website will be fully operational and then the hard work of marketing it begins, another journey! I also have another project underway, wallpaper, more about that later!