So what is textile design, anyway?

My favourite design from our 'Wildflowers' project.

A couple of months ago I started a Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design. It was a big change for me: going from full-time policy work for the government to full-time creative study, moving cities, changing my life.

When I told people that I was applying, the common response was confusion. What was textile design, anyway? And why would I want to throw away a perfectly good job and career for it?

Textile design is about designing the look, feel, texture and structure of textiles that we use every day: in clothes, on your couch, curtains, rugs, bus seats, packaging, military camouflage, webbing, storm water pipes, curtain walls for buildings, you name it, if it has a textile component, there will be a textile designer somewhere in it. It's hard to define such a broad area, obviously, it's not like fashion design - you know, like Vivienne Westwood, what she does etc. It has the unusual status of being a niche area of study with really broad application.

We study a range of things in first year - computer aided textile/pattern design, traditional pattern design with pencil, charcoal, ink and paint, making textiles like knitting machines, weaving looms and screen printing, and understanding the textile industry and the uses of various fibres and fabrics. Studying textiles changes how you see them - I spend lots of time staring at people now, trying to work out whether the pattern on their top has been knitted or printed, where the repeat units are and what fabric has been used to make it. This can cause some awkwardness sometimes...

First attempts at screen printing...

Some parts are more fun than others, sometimes we get great projects that I really sink my teeth into, like a project to design a modern travel item in a modernist style, or knit swatches that evoke the destination of Portugal. Other projects, like womenswear patterns in wildflowers, I find much harder to be inspired by.

Knit samples - made on a knitting machine

Changing lives has been hard. No money, long study hours, wondering if I will get a job in the field… some days I have really wondered if I've done the right thing. Other days, I love the fact that I get to draw, and paint, and design, and knit, all day, and maybe one day someone will pay me to do it.

Computer aided textile design

Another Wildflower design

New year, new adventures

Something very exciting is happening in 2012. I am departing the public service, moving cities, and starting a Bachelor of Textile Design! Textile design is about designing the appearance and texture of fabrics used in everything from clothing, home furnishings, wallpaper and car interiors to packaging.

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to my change of career. Although the prospect of having little to no income is a bit terrifying, I am really happy about the decision I've made. In fact, you can't wipe the smile off my face at the moment.

A lot of people look at a change of career as going back to the start again. Regressing to a confused 17 year old staring into a dim and uncertain future. But we are the sum of all our experiences. We all take the knowledge and skills we have into any course or career that we choose. I'll be a wiser student, milking every drop from every class. And I'll bring my skills to my new job, those that you need everywhere, like managing people and managing projects.

If you're thinking about a change of career, I'd encourage you to take it seriously. Take some time - I took a year - and think about all your options. The experts say your career should align with your values in life, so you might want to start thinking about that too. And talk to a career counsellor! I have found them very helpful.

So here's to a new year, new career. May it be filled with excitement, adventure, and lots of creativity!