Emma Swinburne LSDC
Woven Textiles
After graduating from Winchester School of Art with a degree in Woven Textile Design and Business Enterprise, Emma moved back home to Cardiff. Within weeks, Emma began to explore the Welsh woollen industry, spending time researching and visiting the abandoned and working mills around South West Wales. Visiting the weaving mills and hearing stories from the Welsh weavers has had a significant influence towards the choice of material Emma uses today. With signs of growth again in the Welsh industry, Emma wishes to support the local weaving mills through collaborations, commissions and promoting the use of wool in her own hand-woven work.
From her home studio in Cardiff, Emma creates hand-woven soft furnishing and fashion accessory products. Designs are created by hand using a Pegs and Lags system on a 24-shaft hand operated Dobby loom. The geometric shapes within architecture and traditional Welsh culture are the main inspirations behind her designs. Ancient hand weaving techniques are adapted to create new modern designs and colour-ways. Emma makes sure to use only high quality wool to ensure textile longevity. Wool is biodegradable and has a natural resistance to dust mite and bacteria – making it great for the environment and a perfect finishing touch to any home or outfit!
As a small business owner, Emma is striving to use resources carefully and make as minimal impact on the environment as possible. To help decrease yarn wastage and unnecessary offcuts, Emma weaves designs to size, allowing complete control over the amount of waste material produced. Working with local mills not only helps to support the local industry, but also reduces carbon emissions and creates great friendships with suppliers.
Previous Craft Fairs
The Contemporary Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey June 2018
Made by Hand, Cardiff City Hall November 2018
Handmade in Britain, Chelsea Old Town Hall on the Handmade ONLINE stand November 2018
Awards
Awarded with the Best New Business Award at Made by Hand November 2018
Gallery Exhibitions
Oriel Makers Gallery, Cardiff
St Fagans National Museum of History, National Museum Wales
Arteria Shop and Gallery, Lancaster October 2018 - January 2019
Walford Mill Crafts, Wimborne, Dorset November 2018 - January 2019
Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, Cwmbran November 2018 - January 2019
Town Mill Arts, Lyme Regis, Dorset December 2018 - January 2019
Memberships
Society of Designer Craftsmen LSDC
Education
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University 2011
BA (Hons) Fashion and Textile Design, specialising in Woven Textile Design with Business Enterprise, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton 2014
Employment
Weave Technician (Maternity Cover) at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton September 2014
-
Fleur is a traditional designer-maker of woven textiles, who seeks fluidity and rhythm of design in her use of colour, texture and pattern....
View profile -
Cally is a handweaver with a strong commitment to sustainable making. She enjoys working experimentally and in collaboration.
View profile -
Kendall Clarke makes two and three-dimensional textiles for exhibition and installation. Her work is concept-led and driven by...
View profile -
Rebecca is a woven textile designer and hand-weaver, creating designs for interiors & accessories in British Wool with natural dyed colour.
View profile -
Jan is an award winning artist working mainly in hand woven art textiles. Limited editions and bespoke work are her hallmark.
View profile -
Charlotte Grierson is a hand weaver working with a range of material to create woven artwork. She also designs a range of woven scarves.
View profile -
With a life that has been anchored in both the City of London and Suffolk, Ruth designs and weaves scarves of subtle and shifting colour.
View profile -
Tapestries tell stories. Margaret Jones work is no different, she works in sequence, each work moving the narrative onwards. The tales are...
View profile -
Sharon Kearley is a textile artist making mixed media artworks and sculptural objects for contemporary spaces. Sharon is very much driven...
View profile -
Bridget Lane designs and weaves contemporary tapestries. Each piece is unique and handwoven on an upright frame. Influenced by the forms of...
View profile -
Heidi's been weaving in silk since 1977. The way silk feels and the way it takes the dye, allows her to create very subtle colour blending...
View profile -
Pat Moloney is a contemporary Textile Artist. Inspired by the inherent tactile and sensory qualities of both structured and woven...
View profile -
Louise is a weaver who uses natural fibres and dyes to create textiles for interiors. Her designs respond to light and space.
View profile -
Woven Textile Artist, loving textiles in all forms. Specialising in hand-weaving and enjoying a challenge! Based the Midlands.
View profile -
Teresa is a woven textile designer maker of unique designs using sustainable and ecological hand dyed yarns which produce finished one of a...
View profile -
Edna's textural handwoven accessories are characterized by mixing natural yarns, and exploring the unpredictability of Indigo dyed materials
View profile -
Sally Weatherill has always been passionate about art and textiles and studied both art history and printed/woven textiles in the US before...
View profile -
Diane is a cloth weaver with a passion for sharing creative skills. She is lead artist with The Big Weave, a socially engaged practice...
View profile
