Jess Strain
Heritage Kimono
Organic cotton fleece, Dyed with indigo, digitally embroidered, inside lining in duchess satin.
Jess Strain is a multi-disciplinary textile artist who creates naturally dyed & embroidered pieces, which stimulate discussions around sustainability and the concept of waste. A thought that often plays on Jess’ mind is “What if we treated cheap materials such as plastic and polyester with the same value and care as expensive materials such as gold and silver?”
Jess utilises heritage craft techniques in combination with contemporary machine processes. It was during her final year at Loughborough University, whilst studying Textiles, that she developed a love for hand lad techniques such as limerick lace embroidery, shuttle tatting and tambour beading. Much of Jess’ work requires meticulous precision and can take over 100 hours of stitching time. Jess employs the organic process of natural dyeing, applying a modern twist to create stunning wall hangings and textile designs.
Heavily inspired by the native plants of Dartmoor, she is often found foraging for plant matter to dye with. Having spent 4 years studying in the East Midlands, Jess came to appreciate the beauty that lay on her doorstep upon returning to her family home in South Devon at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was then that Jess embarked on a project studying the natural dyes that could be found on Dartmoor. She documented the locations, times and characteristics of the foraging sites, and created a booklet cataloguing the details of her exploits.
Instagram: @jess.strain