Catarina Riccabona

Catarina Riccabona weaves wonderful, colourful, slubby linen textiles, the kind that call out to be stroked and explored. The cloth is handwoven in small, limited editions with different weave structures and combinations which keep your eyes gently dancing over the fabric. Catarina also has an admirable ecological philosophy, using a lot of undyed, plant-dyed and recycled yarns. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about her work below.

Tell us a little about what you make? I’m a textile designer and hand-weaver. I make functional pieces such as throws and blankets, sometimes also scarves and cushions. But my focus is definitely on throws and blankets. What materials do you use? Linen is practically in every piece I make (there are only a few exceptions). I love to work with it and I love the aesthetic of linen. It tends to become more beautiful with use. My practice is based on an ecological philosophy, so I use a lot of undyed yarns like linen, hemp, wool and alpaca (from the UK and Europe) as well as plant-dyed, second-hand and recycled yarns for colour. What techniques do you use and why? Weaving by hand (as opposed to working with a mill) gives me a great deal of flexibility in terms of weave structure combinations, irregularity and yarn types. I use this fact in my throws that could be described as whole compositions rather than repeat designs. One of my favourite techniques is block threading. During weaving you can separate out certain groups of threads and make them do something different to the rest. I like to play with this kind of juxtaposition of colour and texture. What/who inspires you to make your work? I admire the quality and feel of many tribal textiles. That trace that’s left from the making process by the human hand… small variations, irregularities, imperfections. There is something honest or even innocent about such pieces. Sometimes they seem to have been made quite intuitively. For me it’s a kind of timeless beauty that is also warming and comforting. How/where do you sell your pieces? I sell directly from my studio at Cockpit Arts, Deptford, (by appointment) or during our twice yearly Open Studios. I also sell through places like The New Craftsmen and other independent shops/galleries. From SS15 Liberty will have my work too. And I work to commission. Please recommend a good book? ‘Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox’, by Victoria Finlay. My first year tutor at Central Saint Martins who taught us colour theory recommended it. Each chapter is dedicated to one colour and lots of peculiar facts about it… Any plans/ideas for the future? From 26th to 28th February I will be in residence at ‘Atelier’ run by The New Craftsmen. During London Craft Week I will be weaving in St James’ church (Piccadilly, 7th & 8th May)! I also look forward to the opening of Field Gallery in Bruton, Somerset, in April 2015. In the more distant future there could be a very exciting collaboration project on the horizon but I’m afraid it’s much too early to say anything about it.

Thank you Catarina!

Shibori Workshop

I'm not sure when it became proper practice to refer to hippie tie dye as the rather more fancy sounding shibori, but that I will do. In truth, I think there is a subtle difference; 60's-inspired tie dye tends to be quicker with more immediate and colourful results, whereas shibori is controlled, and looks directly to intricate (and ancient) Japanese binding, stitching and folding techniques. Shibori is often dyed using natural indigo - but by no means always - and the boundaries between the two techniques are definitely faint and blurry! These photographs are from a shibori workshop I went to in the summer, led by textile artist Janice Gunner at the beautiful Cowslip Workshops in Launceston, Cornwall. Cowslip is based in several converted barns on a dairy farm, so while you are at work, you can hear the cows mooing and enjoy the view across bright green fields. I spent two days making samples and trying out different techniques. First stitching, twisting and tying the cloth to create various resist patterns, before immersing the fabrics in buckets of deep indigo and lighter woad. When the indigo-dyed fabric is exposed to air, it is transformed from iridescent scarab beetle green to that perfect shade of deep, deep blue. It is almost a magical process and the reason many people get hooked on blues.

Maryanne Moodie

There are so many amazing wall hangings around at the moment. I love that this craft is enjoying a resurgence as I've always been partial to a bit of fibre art - the weirder the better for me. I caught up with rising star of the scene Maryanne Moodie to find out more about her work.

How and when did you start weaving? About three years ago. I was searching for a craft to pursue and when I found weaving, something inside me just turned on. I was hooked! What materials do you use and how long does each piece take? I use all types of yarn and textiles in my work. I use lots of vintage yarn as well as small batch, hand spun and hand dyed wool. I also use handmade beads sometimes, as well as things I find at the hardware store. What do you enjoy most about the process? I enjoy working closely with my clients to ensure I create a piece that is wholly them. It will be a piece that has the privilege of hanging in their personal private spaces. I want to create a piece that will bring good vibrations into their homes and their lives. Where do you sell? I sell only via commission at the moment. I feel so lucky that I can enjoy the process in an individual way that is different for each client. Do you have any plans for the future? Yes, I am setting up weaving classes in NYC and Australia and I am commissioning a carpenter to help me put beginners weaving kits together. I am also filming an online weaving course that I hope to have live in April/ May. All very exciting!

To see more of Maryanne's work, please visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

Folk Fibers

I am always impressed by small businesses who concentrate on making beautiful products, simply and well. Folk Fibers is one such company and they make exquisite quilts, all stitched entirely by hand and coloured using natural dyes.

Maura Grace Ambrose founded the company in Austin, Texas. She organically grows, harvests, and forages for natural dyes in the local area, focusing on substantive or direct dyes, such as indigo, cochineal, walnut hulls, and onion skins. "I favour substantive dyes because colourfast fabrics are achieved without the aid of chemical additives, known as a mordants. Without the need for mordants the dying process becomes simplified and enjoyable, as well as kind to the environment."

Often Maura patchworks the dyed fabric together with other materials, both vintage and new. She is committed to using 100% natural fibres and chooses solid colours for their timeless appeal. Personally I think the indigo wholecloth designs with white shashiko stitching above, are some of the most beautiful quilts I have seen. As Maura explains, "my passion for quilting is rooted in the love and beauty achieved from hand stitching. The art of hand quilting does take more time, but the results are greater and more valuable than a manufactured quilt." Each finished piece also comes in a handmade cedar box, which is almost (but not quite!) as good as the completed quilts themselves.

To see more of Folk Fibers inspiring work, you can visit their online shop and website.

Crazy Wind

Crazy Wind is a clothing line based in Portland, Oregon, made using traditional Japanese kasuri fabric. Kasuri is a Japanese ikat and features specifically dyed fibres woven together to create blurred patterns and images. It's a special technique and designer Chiyo Takahashi, who was born in Japan, searches and sources the best authentic kasuri, directly from Japan. Chiyo's mother Hatsuyo Takahashi, also helps her find the material, making the brand a family affair. The name Crazy Wind comes from a Japanese word "Fuukyo-", which means insanity, a mad man or a person obsessed with their art. The word “Fuukyo-“ is constructed with two characters, “Wind” and “Crazy”. Chiyo found a calligraphy drawing of "Fuukyo-" made by her father, years before he passed away. "I have no idea about the backstory of this drawing, when he made it or why he made it, but I loved how he redrew the word "Wind" with this angry looking gorilla character, which my mother claimed was his self-portrait. It was as though he was saying "Be crazy and go your own way!" I hope this word will encourage the customers who wear Crazy Wind as much as it has encouraged me."

New Friends

These weavings are by New Friends and are made using hand dyed merino wool, metallics and raffia. New Friends are Alexandra Segreti and Kelly Rakowski, who create weavings, textiles and homewares in New York City and Philadelphia. The duo recently spent a week in the Matter showroom in New York, producing a super-sized weave on a custom, site-specific loom. By far the largest piece they've ever produced, it stretches from floor to ceiling and measures a mighty 8ft tall. The weaving is on display at the Matter showroom now.

Fog Linen Work

One of my favourite product lines Fog Linen Work has just opened an online shop with international shipping. This could spell bad news for someone like me! The site sells the most comprehensive collection of Fog Linen items outside of Japan, including several new pieces designed exclusively for the site. There are linen napkins, tablecloths, bedsheets and serving trays, as well as a small range of women's clothing and kid's items. I love the Fog Linen motto: live with linen - every day. Founder Yumiko Sekine started her first business in 1993 importing used books and homewares from Europe and America to Japan. In her search for more products, she looked for affordable every day linens that she had used during her childhood. She visited Lithuania, a major producer of flax, which is later spun into linen, and was disappointed to find that there were no linen products designed for daily use available in the shops there. This led Sekine to have her own designs made and now after ten years, Fog Linen Work produces a large range of honest, beautiful and long-lasting products designed for everyday use.

Patchwork by Place de Bleu

Ethical inspiration meets scandinavian style in Place de Bleu's patchwork accessories made with offcuts from Danish manufacturer Kvadrat. Cushions, ipad covers, blankets and colourful children's bunting are all handmade in Copenhagen by a small team of immigrant workers. The company celebrates the unique way in which exceptional skills have been passed down globally through generations of women and then brought together in their workshop. With this in mind, Place de Bleu shot their most recent catalogue in their workers' own homes, juxtaposing their signature modern graphic style with the makers' traditional interiors.

Cloth Books: Ex Libris Handmade

I love these handmade cloth books by Victoria van der Laan. Victoria has been making things since 1976 and has an etsy shop selling her charming custom-made books for babies, kids and adults. I'm very impressed with her range of topics - there are books on science, dinosaurs, woodland creatures, musical instruments, fruit, mammals and transport to name just a few! Each book features interesting and non-traditional applique images as well as having a stylish typographic front cover. If you want a personalised book, Victoria can also embroider a child's (or adult's) name on the front, making a wonderful and very unique gift.

www.etsy.com/shop/exlibrishandmade

Brook & Lyn

I am still hung up on wall hangings, so here are four new textile weavings from Mimi Jung of Brook & Lyn. Somewhat unusually, they combine palm tree bark with yarn and copper. I love the contrasts of colour and texture and would be delighted to see one hanging in a modern interior.

For a behind-the-scenes look at Mimi's weaving process, you can follow her on instagram @brookandlyn.

www.brookandlyn.com

Block Shop

While living in India studying Mughal miniature painting, Lily Stockman encountered The Chhipa's, a family of master printers based in Bagru. Enlisting the help of her sister Hopie, a Harvard business graduate, together they founded Block Shop. The company make beautiful hand printed scarves inspired by the minimalist aesthetic of the North American desert. Their textiles are printed one at a time with carved wooden blocks and natural vegetable dyes using the same techniques that the Chhipa family have used for 350 years.

www.blockshoptextiles.com

The New Craftsmen

The New Craftsmen is an agency dedicated to promoting the work of British artisans who create high-end products which tell an interesting story. This includes furniture by Gareth Neal, textiles by Ptolemy Mann and rare sheepskins from the Isle of Auskerry. The sheepskins are from a tiny, remote island in Scotland's Orkney archipelago, where the makers and their flock of North Ronaldsay sheep are the only residents. There are only three flocks of this rare breed left in Orkney and they are most notable for their unusual and unique caramel, silver, chocolate and slate colourings, as well as their diet of seaweed. The skins are softened with rainwater and washed in huge sinks which were originally used for lighthouse keepers's laundry before being dried in a mangle and hung on driftwood frames. Only a limited number are produced each year and they are now available via The New Craftsmen. For this week only, the agency has a pop up shop in Mayfair, London, and plans for the future include a possible permanent physical space as well as an online shop.

www.thenewcraftsmen.com

These Three Things

Just a quick post to show you three of my favourite things in The Apartment right now.

1. Vintage Pennsylvanian quilt. 2. 1950's Swedish daybed. 3. 1950's French rattan chairs.

www.theapartment.dk

Hooked Wool Drawings

I love a bit of textile art so these hooked wool drawings by Altoon Sultan are right up my street. These three pieces are part of a twenty-four part series in which linen is painted with egg tempera then stitched with hand-dyed wool. I find the contrast of the geometric forms on slubby linen combined with paint and embroidery intriguing. I particularly like the different layers of texture and the three-dimensional nature of the embroidery.

www.altoonsultan.com

Jess Brown Dolls

I am slightly obsessed with dolls at the moment as I want to buy Wren a doll for Christmas. It will be her first doll so I want it to be special. I've been looking into all the different options available - rag doll, vinyl doll, Waldorf doll, soft-bodied doll - the list is pretty long and confusing! One thing has become apparent though and that is that most dolls are weird, ugly creatures that I don't want in my home! This is certainly not the case with Jess Brown's beautiful rag dolls though. I love their wide starry-eyed gaze and heart-shaped mouth, their tea-stained bodies and their cashmere hair cropped close to their heads. Jess's dolls are handmade from scraps of high quality vintage fabric and if I was buying a doll for myself (not a one and a half year old) these are definitely what I would choose.

www.jessbrowndesign.com

New: Pendleton

The Pendleton A/W 12 collection is full of lots of great blankets. I love this Rosa Valley pattern which weaves a beautiful tale of Native American-inspired artistry. The diamond peaks signify a landscape of mountains and valleys while the big mountain symbols denote abundance. Rows of small diamonds signify the wisdom and the watchful eye of the shaman while the arrows offer protection from evil spirits. It takes the idea of a security blanket to a whole new level.

www.pendleton-usa.com

New: Eley Kishimoto Rugs

I have always had a soft spot for Eley Kishimoto. Back when I was a student, they were one of my favourite fashion designers. In fact, I once wrote a whole essay about their prints but I am not going to do that now... Because of my enduring admiration for their bold graphic patterns, I was excited to hear that the duo have a new exhibition at The Aram Gallery, starting this week. Celebrating 20 years of Eley Kishimoto, the exhibition focuses on their interior and product design work and coincides with the launch of an amazing new rug collection (the Flash rug is pictured above) which is exclusive to the Aram Store. The exhibition runs until 27th October and I will be heading there later this week.

www.thearamgallery.org

Woven Branches

The new issue of 3191 Quarterly is out next week and features a branch weaving project. I haven't seen anything quite like this before, but I love it! I'd definitely like to have a go and think a small collection of different branch weaves pinned to a wall would look amazing. The journal, created by MAV + SCB who share a love of "art and craft, simple things and a well-lived domestic life" also features cooking with seeds, collecting leaves and a day trip in the Columbia River Gorge - sounds like my kind of magazine. It comes in a beautifully photographed, printed and bound limited edition of 1000. You can pre-order your copy now...

www.3191milesapart.com 3191milesapart.myshopify.com