All images courtesy of Janet Phillips. All fabrics feature in her latest book, Exploring Woven Fabrics.

A new podcast series has just been launched called Haptic and Hue, Tales of Textiles, which looks at the role cloth plays in our lives, and the often hidden hands that shape it. The series, which can be found on Apple, Spotify or all the usual podcast providers, is narrated and produced by the weaver and broadcaster, Jo Andrews. The latest episode is called A Weaver’s Tale. It looks at the work of weaver and teacher, Janet Phillips, who is marking half a century at the loom. The podcast thinks about what it takes to earn a living as a contemporary maker. It looks at Janet’s practice and the way in which she is pushing the boundaries of handloom design. It comes as Janet has just published her new book, Exploring Woven Fabrics, which was eight years in the writing. 

Janet has been designing and weaving for 50 years after studying industrial Textile Design at the Scottish College of Textiles, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree. She says, “Colour and texture are still the passions that keep me weaving. I dye most of the yarns I use and I am continually experimenting and sampling to find new weaves and textures. I also have a deep commitment to teaching others to be creative with weave.” Janet teaches one-day, weekend and week-long workshops in the UK and internationally.

Other podcast episodes already published include Material Women, which explores the life of the talented cohort of women who dominated textile design in the 1950s and 60s and considers the impact their designs had on our lives, and Colour is Mine which looks at the work of Black textile designer, Althea McNish, who died earlier this year. Upcoming episodes will look at the skilled hands behind the French haute couture industry and gender in hand craft.

For more information visit www.hapticandhue.com

We also recently launched the Selvedge Podcast where Selvedge founder Polly Leonard interviews textile artists, designers, NGOs, co-operatives, collectors and just about anyone who wears clothes. Listen to the first episode on Upcycling at Selvedge Podcast, or find us on iTunes or your usual podcast app.