I was originally planning to make adult sized kimonos however, a problem arose soon after. I initially changed my plan to make a doll/a puppet sized kimono because my fabric samples were simply weren’t big enough to make adult sized kimono, but on reflection, I rather wanted to make kimonos that a person can practically wear. Unfortunately, people won’t be able to wear them if I make a doll sized kimonos... They are too small to wear! I have played with fabric samples for days and finally came up with ideas of adding recycled Japanese fabrics to make child sized kimonos for my 7 year old son.

“I have experimented with different wild and cultivated plants from our garden for weaving, paper-making (which I hope to use over the rest of the year for further experiments with weaving), and producing a wide range of natural dyes that can be used on different plant fibres.

A lot of my work has focused on dandelions, New Zealand flax, daffodils and ribbed plantain.

I have been sharing what I have learned through my blog and social media and it has been wonderful to see the response and have so many people inspired to try out some of these craft practices for themselves, based on the work that I have done. I will continue to see which plant fibres take dye well and will be experimenting with my plant papers for weaving and a series of works that explore the many uses for dandelion and plantain.

“Throughout 2021 Boyd & Grogan were introduced to the processes casting, moulding, firing, glazing and stages of working with ceramic materials from both Kirstie Bruce in Sanday and Kerrianne Flett in Stromness. We have now had a more in-depth introduction to the capabilities/possibilities and limitations in ceramics and how the skill of working with such materials is a fine art in itself.

“I only knew upholstery from TV makeover programmes and books on the subject, I knew I would feel more confident to make textiles for upholstery purposes if I was physically shown the practice.  I am now more aware of what a fabric needs to deliver.

“Experimenting with a mentor in the print studio and specifically working with a new mono-print technique for the both of us, released a new form of expression for me.  The types of marks I used in the print studio stayed inside me and found a way out onto canvas while I was painting on site at the Ness excavation.