Tell us about your craft
I’m an artisan designer. I embroider bespoke decorative fabrics for interior designers and architects. How did you start?
I feel I have always been a maker. I studied BA Hons in fashion and textile design at Winchester School of Art. Then I had chance conversation at a craft fair, where I was exhibiting. The visitor couldn’t find a special covering for a family heirloom chair. I created a fabric for their interior but also inspired by the stories of the heirloom itself. After a lot of market research, underpinned by a passion for interior design, I set up my business for luxury textiles.
What is your making process?
I blend traditional hand-stitching with free machine and digital embroidery. So I combine the old and the new. Most exciting are the latest designs on leather which meld embroidery with laser-cutting and etching, creating layered pieces.
What’s special about your work?
My furnishing fabrics are designed to fit the shape of any product. I don’t make/sell fabric by the metre. So every order is unique. I place each image very carefully – you don’t get the mechanical repeats of mass-production.
And your inspirations?
Floral designs come from the random patterns of nature, but it’s the Bauhaus for my geometrics. Enough to start me off is a client’s scheme, and the special fabric they want.
Tell us where you work
I have lots of light flooding into my studio – essential for intricate embroidery. Mood boards are all over the walls, along with ideas for designs, and scale drawings. I have old wallpapers and lace on display.
And your ambitions?
To expand my bespoke embroidery service for homes, hotels and restaurants, yachts and even private planes. I’d also like to do fashion and home accessories.
Any tips?
Stick to a medium you are passionate about and that excites you. Research your market as thoroughly as you can. Identify your own USP.