Interview with Thesis student Hannah Beckett

I've had the pleasure of teaching Hannah for both her first and her last knitting class at PhilaU/Jefferson with one or two in between. I'm so proud of how far she's come. She has a beautiful final collection to show for all of her hard work. I'll show your her final pieces in a post yet to come, but for now, I'll give you a peek into her process and let her tell you about her journey. 

When did you learn to knit/weave/print, and who taught you?

I actually learned to weave from my elementary school teacher, Mrs. Pilgrim. She had us make clay frame looms that we designed ourselves. Then after the clay frames were fired, we used the frame as the base for out woven. I still have the frame and the fabric woven on it sitting in my parent's house. It is a special thing for me. 

Do you have a background in design or textiles?

When I started at Jefferson, I did have a design and textile background that was more rooted in fine art. My BFA is in fine arts with a concentration in fibers. My undergrad was a lot more free and conceptual in my way of design, with every piece being very personal to me. I love this way of working just as much as I love to work from an inspiration that is not personal but is instead something that I find inspiring through its use of color, pattern, concept, and its use for knitted structures. I also mostly did weaving and beading in my undergrad. 

Who are your design heroes?

My design heroes are Alexander McQueen and Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is someone who has inspired others since birth. His amazing use of important societal and environmental themes, as well as the beauty and feeling of his movies, make me want to create better work. Alexander McQueen's use of high-concept in luxury fashion is able to transcend to a more mainstream market and his use of conceptual aspects in not only his clothing but in our modern fashion sense is apparent. 

What surprised you the most about Textile Design at Philau/Jefferson?

I was surprised at the immense amount of textile equipment, as well as the amazing technical background that you are given. In my undergrad, I was not given much technical explanation to fabric outside of the basics. At Jefferson, I was able to learn in-depth technical knowledge that has lead me to be a better designer. 

What is your favorite thing about Textile Design?

My favorite thing about textile design is actually two things. The first is something that applies directly to knitting, which is the counting and patterning that is required for designing and knitting.  It is meditative and almost relaxing, that is until you get to into it and mess up. The second applies to all textile design, and that is the ability to create art without having to be great or at least feeling you are great at drawing. As a child, this was always something that held me back from doing art or wanting to do art as a job. When I went to college and realized I could do the same crafts that I had done all my life as a job, I was so sad that my entire childhood and teenage years, I never realized that this was also just as valid as an art form. 

What is your favorite thing to do to distract yourself from school stress?

My favorite thing to distract me from the stress of school is to cuddle my dog or go to the rescue farm I volunteer at. To me, animal energy and the ability to sit quietly with someone who doesn't have societal pressures is freeing and calming. 

Are there any techniques in textile design you'd like to explore further?

I would love to explore beading, knitting, and weaving all more thoroughly. Even though I have been doing all of these techniques for almost 12 years now, I am continually learning and being inspired to try new things. I would love to incorporate each technique with the other someday too! I love the interplay of different textile and embellishment techniques. 

What do you have on your knitting machine/loom/sketchbook today?

Today, I was knitting the final skirt that I have to make for my thesis collection! This skirt is multiple pieces and has taken a few days to complete, but tomorrow I should be done. I am super excited about how it's coming out! 

What drives you to make your best work? 

What drives me to make my best work is continually looking for new inspiration. This varies from conceptual, visual, and for the most inspiring, other knitter work. I love to see all the different ways people are utilizing techniques and find new things I have yet to try to use in my own work and look at different ways of patterning and color stories. 

What are your hobbies? How do you make time for them?

My other hobbies include media of all kinds. I love games, books, and movies. I usually find time for them easily, especially movies. The great thing about textiles is being able to watch movies while you are working! I also love to give myself time at the end of every day that I am working to do something I love from these three things, and its usually playing Animal Crossing on my Nintendo Switch. 

Interview with Alum Morgan Jefferson

We love to catch up with our alumni to see what they've been up to post-graduation. I'm pleased to present to you, Morgan Jefferson, in her own words. Morgan graduated in 2017 and I remember her capstone show clearly. She approached knitting with a fervor and determination that has benefited her to this day. Read on to see how and why she does what she does so well.

"My name is Morgan Jefferson, I graduated from Philadelphia University with a B.S. in Textile Design in 2017. I was raised in Delaware and moved to Philadelphia for school. I started interning with the URBN brand in 2015, now I am an Assistant Designer for Free People. My job is so creative. I am responsible for coming up with new sweater ideas that represent the Free People brand. I get inspired by monthly trend presentations and a lot of runway shows. I knit on machines and get to explore a lot of different types of yarns. Sometimes I get to hand-knit and crochet for special projects. Still, the majority of my job consists of machine knitting fabric for the designers on my team to make sweaters. I do not have a background in fashion design, but I have had the opportunity to make a few sweaters here and there. I have been in my full-time position on the sweaters team for almost 2 years now, and I have learned so much! " 

How did you choose Textile Design as a major? 
I randomly chose Textile Design as a major! It’s such a funny story. When I applied to PhilaU, I chose “undecided” as my major. But got a call from financial aid and was told I had to choose a major to receive my financial aid. I remembered a quiz I took on one of many visits to the campus that resulted in 5 different majors that I might be interested in. Since it was the heat of the moment, the first one I remembered was Textile Design, so I chose, fell in love with the major, and never looked back.

When did you learn to knit/weave/print, and who taught you?
I randomly taught myself how to knit the summer before I started my freshman year. I got so frustrated with it I stopped. I taught myself how to crochet my sophomore year and got really motivated to hand-knit again, so I tried again and success! I learned how to machine knit once I got to school and fell in love with that more than hand knitting because it was so much faster.  

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from another designer?
Your first idea is your best idea!

Are there any techniques in textile design you’d like to explore further?
When I was in school, my two favorite mediums were knit and print. I would love to explore print more in-depth because I loved watching my idea develop from my sketchbook to the final print.  

What do you have on your knitting machine/loom/sketchbook today?
Right now, I currently have a beautiful jacquard that I’m knitting in alpaca yarn. I drew this really nice motif inspired by an argyle print I saw, and I wanted to put an ikat twist to it. Wish me luck! 

What drives you to make your best work? 
My best work is always made at the last minute! Surprisingly I work very well under pressure. I’m a very indecisive person, so I think the less amount of time forces me to make more decisions.  

What kind of music do you listen to in your headphones?
I listen to a lot of upbeat music when I’m knitting because it gets me pumped and energized. You must be in high spirits when you knit, or else things will go horribly wrong. If I ever have a bad knitting day, I turn on Beyonce Homecoming because the whole concert makes me feel like I can do anything.  

What are your hobbies? How do you make time for them?
I LOVE to crochet! It’s something about slow fashion that has my heart. I crochet every day after work, it makes me very relaxed, and it really opens my mind to all the things that I can do. Working for such a big brand, you must always put into consideration what the customer would buy, which isn’t always what I have in mind. Crocheting at home helps my creative mind flow a little more. 

What do you love about your current job/workplace?
I love how challenging it is at times; the customer is always looking for the next best thing, which means you must make every design your best.  

What surprising skill, technique, or method did you learn in school that you are still using today?
Never in a million years did I think I would be machine knitting all day every day. It was a fun class in college, but I didn’t think you could have a career based on that skill. I also heard that not many companies have/utilize knitting machines. I think there’s only about 3 in the U.S.  

What’s next for you?
I have huge dreams and plans for the future. I would love to own my own textile business one day, selling the most beautiful textiles anyone has ever seen and share my creativity with the world. I want everyone to know what Textile Design is, that is my ultimate goal.  

To keep up with Morgan and her knits, you can follow her on her Instagram account @morganstextiles where she posts about the sweaters she designs for Free People.

When Science and Textiles Meet in a Bright Student

We are excited to have one of our students showcased in Jefferson's newsletter, The Nexus. The following is an excerpt from an article by Mike Bederka about Heather Kelly, a graduate student in the Textile Design program. Heather's interests call back to our beginnings as the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, where textiles and science intersected and fruited in innovation.

"For a decade, Heather Kelly dived into her analytical strengths and worked in Jefferson’s microbiology lab as a lead technologist. She loved the behind-the-scenes aspects of health care, performing routine bacteriology, mycology and mycobacteriology and eventually moving into specialized cultures.

As her skills progressed, the lab also adopted more advanced methods to accelerate the diagnosis of critical infections like sepsis or meningitis. Kelly says she thrived on being on the frontlines of validating these rapid molecular methods, but at the same time, the technological evolution swirling around her inspired self-reflection.

Maybe Kelly needed a similar shakeup with her career?

“It fueled me to seek out new avenues,” she recalls. 

Kelly always enjoyed knitting; however, she considered it a hobby, not a job possibility. That is, until she took a weaving workshop with Jefferson textile design program director Marcia Weiss, who answered Kelly’s questions about the field and opened her eyes to its potential. 

“I saw how equally technical it was,” says Kelly, noting textiles could feed her creative spirit as well. “It was a great intersection of the things I love the most.”  

Kelly enrolled in Jefferson’s MS in textile design program in the fall, but she admits she struggled at first with the switch. “Do I just have to give up these past 10 years of my career?” she thought. 

Fortunately, learning about Jefferson’s work with hemp, especially in high-performance apparel and textiles, medical devices and wearable technologies, nudged aside any doubts. With these new opportunities, she could meld her healthcare experience and growing textile knowledge.

“It was a sign,” she says. “This is exactly what I want to be doing.”"

Heather has already made a strong impression in the studio with her analytical approach to design. We look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.

Read the full article here.

Interview Series: Julianna Palmer

Today we have our first undergrad Senior interview. Julianna is in the midst of her capstone collection. Our Textile Design students learn design fundamentals and techniques in all three disciplines: knit, weave, and print. Hear Julianna discuss her decisions to go into Textile Design and her experiences while here.

 How did you choose Textile Design as a major?

So in highschool I really thought that I was going to go into the science/medical field. My parents are doctors and I have always been interested in biology (I still am!). I was in the medical scholars club, advanced bio, all of that stuff. But I also was always in at least 3 art classes each year. It was always my escape (skipped eating lunch in the cafeteria to paint in the art room & hang out with Ms. Mattioni). I was also pretty good at it. I especially loved tedious meticulous painting, like patterns. Senior year my AP art teacher was like, “Julianna you know you can make a living out of art” and I was like what?! I can turn a hobby into a career?! So she suggested I look into the Textile Design program at PhilaU. The first time I walked into the studio I knew that was it.

Tell us about the colors, landscapes, artists or architecture that inspire your design work.

I love mashing up different landscape elements into a print. My favorite is to work from nature (flowers, bugs, plants, animals) and change the scale to make it somewhat unrealistic. I think being able to take things you see every day and altering them to where it doesn’t really make sense anymore is the most joyful part of textile/print design. You can do whatever you want and be as weird as you want and still make it beautiful and have people appreciate it.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from another designer?

I’ve been lucky enough to find my best friends through the program. It is so special to me that I have this amazing support system of women who also love yarn/know the ins and outs of textiles. The best advice they have given me is to not overthink anything. A lot of the time you are working on something for too long and start to second guess everything you’ve done and want to start over (and I am the type of person who WILL start over last minute). Whenever this happened to me in the studio, Morgan, Olivia, Jess, and Emily were always there to be like “Julianna go take a walk and come back to it. Don’t overwork it.” And that honestly has saved me a lot of stress and time. What’s the point of creating art if you are constantly worried about the end product? My most beautiful designs have come from me being loose and just going for it- sometimes I need to check myself. Don’t take yourself too seriously!

What do you have on your knitting machine/loom/sketchbook today?

Today I’m working on warping my loom with monofilament for Capstone. It’s my first time weaving with monofilament so I’m super excited to see what I can create. It’s super frustrating and time-consuming considering it is basically fishing line and I can’t really see the individual yarns but I love that aspect of warping/weaving in general. The tedious meticulous work- it makes you appreciate your fabric so much more at the end.

What would you like to be doing in 5 years?

I honestly am not entirely sure what I want to be doing in 5 years. Right now, my biggest dream is to do print/color design for Vans or print design for this one company called Timorous Beasties- they’re an AMAZING Scottish Textile Design company that does insane crazy wallpaper and other funky textile products. I don’t really have loyalty to home textiles or apparel so I think whatever gives me the most creative freedom I would be happy with. I also would love to work in the industry for a little, figure out what I’m most passionate about, and then pursue that in grad school in Scotland where I studied abroad.

How does your personal aesthetic influence your design work? Do you think it should?

My personal aesthetic definitely influences my work. I would say more home textiles rather than fashion- I usually wear like boring black clothes (which is fitting since my favorite color palette is b&w) but I have like crazy large scale prints all over my house for like bedding, pillows, throw blankets. This is usually the work I like to make! I think that it’s a good thing to have your personality come through your work and have a defined style. However, you should be capable of breaking out of it every once in a while in order to appeal to a larger market. J 

What kind of music do you listen to in your headphones?

I would say “Psychedelic Indie Rock” is my favorite genre- it's seriously a thing! It's on Spotify! But some of my all-time favorite artists are Anderson.Paak, Tom Misch, FKJ, Still Woozy. Sometimes if I’m really rushing for a deadline and have to get in the zone I listen to A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, 90’s Hip Hop/Rap to get me pumped up, lol.

Follow Julianna on Instagram at @juliannatextiles for more photos of her amazing work!