My project follows the theme of forests and what that means to me; especially through the perspective of childhood. Seeing forests through the lens of childhood it allowed me to see the magical and fantasy side of it, it also connected me back to the calming and personal connection I had to forests as a child. I used various techniques to try and achieve this; I began this with using heat tools to melt organza to create a bark like textures. I then began to experiment with other techniques such as weaving, embroidery, crochet.

I also wished to include elements from naturally foraged items from outside in real forests and so within my weaving I included sticks and twigs. It was important for me to express through textiles the importance that nature has had on my life, weather that be through the connections to my childhood or the tranquil and therapeutic side of forests as a place I feel I can go to feel calm and relaxed; I personally believe my final piece included elements of both.

I took my final piece in a rather fantasy route, including large draping sleeves and a long simplistic skirt. It felt important that I didn’t over complicate the skirt element as I didn’t want to distract from the sleeves; there is also the reasoning that overcrowding my piece would cause a busy and somewhat chaotic look; something that would go against the tranquil and therapeutic side of forests that I love.

Overall, I believe that the fantasy childhood elements of my project came out successfully and that you can see it coming through within my final work; I achieved my goal from the beginning which was to create something personal to me with the connection I have to forests and the memories I have attached to them.