The little things - New Cushions and Shop!

Before I completed my MA in Design (textiles) at Bath Spa University in 2008, I was selected to exhibit my fabric designs at 100%Design (trade fair) in London. For the next five years I showed my work at this prestigious and very exciting trade fair, exhibiting innovative textile fabrics and laser etched cork panels. My work was short-listed for the British Design awards with Rosemary Russet Fabric in 2007 and with Laser etched Cork Squares in 2010.

After five years of out-sourcing all (digital textile and laser) production, I realised, that I seriously missed screen printing and dyeing, the excitement (and messiness) of which had attracted me to a career in textile design in the first place.

So a little over a year ago I started to develop a collection of screen-printed furnishing accessories in my studio. This meant building an exposure unit, screen wash off room, buying screens, squeegees, emulsion, dyes, fabrics, etc. I decided to focus on small scale and bespoke production, use only the finest materials, sourcing, as far as possible from the UK, mainly printing onto un-bleached fabrics as a positive environmental choice.

Printing onto unbleached/natural fabrics has been the hardest in many respects (no white!). However the extensive knowledge I'm acquiring from the seasonal colour research in my blog is starting to pay off, selecting colours from my notebooks which have subtle natural harmony, reminiscent of the Exmoor landscape that surrounds me in North Devon, yet still looking contemporary and fresh. "Think modern rustic"!

Well I've made a few mistakes! and it certainly has been an emotional roller-coaster of a year - but I'm pleased to say I think that I'm now on the right track, at least I hope so! Best of all, my web shop is now fully up and running...

See the whole collection :-  Sam Pickard website/shop

Please feel free to share this post/image/link - thank you!!

Further links
Bath Spa University MA Design Textiles and Fashion
100%design

My favourite things - Still life with petals

A few of my favourite things...

A garden full of Hydrangeas and Roses (notebook May 2011 and Jan 2013), an old briefcase of my dads, and a 70's handbag which belonged to my mum (and who swung it with far more style than I've so far managed!). No real material value, just full of memories.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Hellebore yellow

Hellebores are a bit of a shy flower, heads slightly bowed, hiding extraordinary inner beauty, maybe that's what I like best about them - not too showy.

Some can be cut and will keep in water, this variety seems to wilt within about an hour - so you have to draw fast! Very pure colour in the yellow and green, complemented by a spattering of dark red. Colours in opposition, bringing out the best in each other...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

The little things - love

New cushions - which embrace my love of Exmoor, natural fabrics, screen printing, pattern, seasonal colour, and Rabbits!

Perfect, I'd say, for the back seat of an old Morris Traveller...

Hope you have a very loveful day.

X...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the season - Hair Moss green (revisited)

Hair Moss is abundant on the Exmoor coastline. I first looked at its colours in my very early notebook pages before I was adding illustrations. Then I noted that the (orange) brown I found in it was exactly the colour of an old Saab I had in London, this is what I wrote:

"Hair moss, likes damp conditions - perfect for it then in North Devon. The (top) brown is the exact colour of a lovely old 70's Saab I used to own which sadly I had to part with when the engine started cutting out every time I turned right - not ideal in London."

(After reading this a friend asked me if I took three left turns in order to turn right, which was very perceptive of him, because that was exactly what I did!)

Much darker green than your common or garden Moss, this is Hair Moss green and the retro browns that accompany it...

(it's the bottom brown in this palette).

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

My favourite things - Still life with Ash and old Rose

A few of my favourite things...

Ideas often arrive if I stop thinking about the problem and do something else instead. Going in circles with the background of the set of cushions I've been sample printing, decided to get out for a walk. The sea was rough and the wind incredibly fierce. We could hardly stand on the beach, whether it was the walk or the half of Exmoor ale in the Hunters Inn after, it did seem to blow away the cobwebs!

My favourite things -

is a response to my appreciation of Still Life painting (especially Dutch c.1600 - c.1700), objects I own and love, and some of my favourite notebook drawings put together. 

Still life with Clive Bowen jug (right), ancient Devonshire jug (recycle centre) Old Tea Rose (notebook Feb 2012) and Ash (notebook Jan 2013).

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Ivy purple

Ever since I read Having the right "Gratitude" post on Sarah-Jane down the lane's lovely blog, I think I've had purple backed Ivy lurking in the back of my mind, because when I was passing by a wall completely entangled with Ivy - not purple backed, more mottled purple fronted - it completely caught my attention and I had to stop. If anyone had been watching they might have thought it strange, that I was standing staring at a wall for 10 minutes while I selected a few leaves which were the most beautiful. I have an idea that I might develop this a bit further...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.