Traditional Needlecraft & Folding by Huimin Liu

Traditional Needlecraft & Folding

My studio practice is to research how the traditional embroidery crafts can inform a new approach for sustainable textile design. I am combining traditional Counted-thread embroidery and free embroidery with functional materials to design a series innovation interior textile collection. Specifically, I am mainly researching Glass fiber and yarn, as well as how to apply traditional textile craft on it for interior textiles design.

I explore the ways of sustainable design and minimal environmental impact in textile design, stress the positive and creative role in finding solutions to alleviate current textile unsustainability.

Design to minimise waste and design to replace the need to consume were two main aspects that involved in my studio practice with long-lifespan and function to reduce the textile waste in terms of the consumption.

I found that although glass fiber is low elongation and sensitive with abrasion, it has excellent properties such as being able to endure high temperatures, good electrical insulation, fireproof, durable, robust etc, it can be applied both industry and interior decorative purpose.

Vitrulan Textile Glass in Germany supplied me with a large quantity of glass fiber and raw glass yarn from them to research and design. I tested different ways of knitting, stitching and dyeing with it. I need yarn and materials with properties such as durable, strong, long-lifespan, fireproof etc. The analysis of tests show Classic Plus to be good for both hand and machine stitching and printing in good clear colours, for me to design and explore a variety of applications.

Consequently, I will design lampshades, wall covering, kitchen pads, screen and awnings by using glass fiber’s properties. In terms of TED’S TEN issues, first, I need to do the test of heat transfer printing on glass fiber in order to reduce chemical impact during the print process. Secondly, glass fiber is really durable and with a lifespan of more than 20 years, I think it can reduce the textile waste in terms of the consumption in a large extent.

My studio practice is closely bound up with TED’s TEN strategies, however, more test and experimental needs to be explored and how to use traditional textile crafts properly to design sustainable textile products, so that my work could contribute to the knowledge of the subject. 

  

lhm113118@yahoo.com.cn