Spring Cushions for the National Trust

As fresh as February's temperatures, slate grey and white screen-printed onto unbleached linen, my new Spring cushions have sprung into the National Trust shops and online, featuring some of my favourite flora from my seasonal notebooks.

Exclusive to the National Trust's Artisan and Craft collection, you can claim one (or two) of these limited edition lovelies in their online shop here...

Screen Printing - Bronze Fawn cushions and Villa San Michele, Capri.

I'm feeling revitalised after a short holiday in the Campania area of Italy visiting the ancient sites of Pompei and Ercolano. I also peered into the crater of Monte Vesuvio, and walked the narrow streets of old Napoli (all lived up to my expectations).

Straight back to printing rows of my favourite Bronze Fawn cushions. There's something very contemplative as well as addictive about repetition, maybe this is why I opted for a career as a textile designer. Repeat pattern and form even at it's most simple is of endless interest and inspiration.

Here's what's involved to make a Bronze Fawn cushion.

Plaid background - Natural linen is screen-printed with a Black Reactive (Procion) print paste.

The cushion pieces (above) are then steamed to fix the dye before first a cold, then a hot wash until the excess dye is removed. They are then re-pinned to the print table and the Fawn is printed with a textile adhesive (below). The shrinkage/movement of the fabric during washing is allowed for in the original plaid print, but exact registration is impossible, therefore each Fawn is an individual..!

The adhesive is allowed to air dry and a sheet of textile foil is cut to cover the adhesive print. This is then heat pressed for 30 seconds (I have an industrial sized press that I use for this), and the foil peeled off.

Two by two...

The above are soon to be made up, in the meantime, here's one that I prepared earlier. Every one is wonderfully unique and available in my shop priced £59.00 (here).


The Villa San Michele on the Isle of Capri was particularly inspiring. Former home of the Swedish Doctor, Philosopher and animal lover Axel Munthe. It's a house of pattern, order, beauty and extreme calm. Now preserved in its original state as a museum, it's a tranquil and unhurried oasis amidst the claustrophobic bustle of Capri.

Here's a few details from the Villa (from a textile designer's perspective)...

Dining room vista...

Indigo, Pewter, Alabaster and Umber colour...

Rabbits detail...

Nice jugs...

Kitchen vista...

Every one different! Copper and blue view...

Bedroom vista...

Lastly, (before I bore you with my holiday snaps!) - the Sphinx vista...

“What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away, you keep forever.” 
― Axel Munthe

National Trust Artisan collection - Extra Extra!

This morning while printing another large white Chrysanthemum panel, an email came in with a link to this lovely article on the Homes and Gardens website, Read the full article here!

I love the National Trust. So many of my notebook drawings have been inspired and informed by flora and fauna on my walks on Exmoor and in the Heddon Valley. The National Trust protects our coastline; looks after historic houses and gardens; forests, farmland, moorland, islands and much much more! Now they've initiated an Artisan and Craft collection in their shops to celebrate British Craft heritage and I am very happy to have my work included in this! 

The Chrysanthemum panel is now finished, the white flower a symbol of truth. 

Here's a detail of the print drying on my print table...

National Trust Artisan collection

Surely it's inevitable that your work reflects where you live? I moved from London to a small market town in North Devon sixteen years ago. When Elle Decoration Magazine called my work 'Modern Rustic' in 2007, that was the first time I'd recognised the rural influence on my work and I suppose it's continued along its rustic route from there on. There's no question now that my heart's properly in the country - along with my head and other body parts (most of the time anyway!).

Here are a few of the cushions that gambolled off to The National Trust's Artisan and Craft collection a few weeks ago. Look out for them on the National Trust website (exclusively) this Autumn/Winter and in selected National Trust shops..!






































...and thank you so much Country Living magazine for featuring the Copper Beech/Fawn cushion for National Trust in this month's (October) issue!

Screen - Printing - National Trust Cushions

Feels great to back in the studio after a fairly relentless few months of events, and I'm very happy because not only is the sun shining in heatwave proportions, but my Fawn and Rabbit cushions are to be part of the National Trust's Artisan and Craft collection, launching in their larger shops and on-line from September!!

So, today I started printing the first Fawn cushions onto natural linen, they will also have a Copper Beech foil printed as a background pattern to the Fawn, but the Fawn is printed first as it must be fixed at a higher temperature than the foil...

A concentrated start...

It's Rabbit's turn later...

Another hard day in the studio for Luna..!

Missing all the amazing colours that are blooming around everywhere at the moment, but I have ordered new paints, which is at least a step in the right direction.!

Exmoor inspiration

These cushions are taking up residence in upstate New York, Lucky things!!! (and yes I do feel a bit envious!). Moorland Rabbit led the way in October last year and now Moorland Fawn and Pheasant are heading over to join him which is just perfect.
They are my nostalgic take on the 1960's - Reminiscent of reading Enid Blyton, riding in Morris Travellers and drinking lashings of Tizer! I screen-print every one (front and back) and so they are all unique. I've become really fond of them all, but especially in these colours.

In much the same vein I've been revisiting favourite Moorland plant drawings and capturing the essence of them in loose inky plant drawings. Here I've overlaid them onto a monochrome version of the tartan backgrounds from the cushion prints - it's just the starting point for a new scarf collection (but which I expect to be in full moorland colour!).

Heather...

Gorse...

Marram Grass...

Excited because our first Photoshop workshop starts tomorrow.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Hope Bourne Inspiration and Copper Beech

Last week I saw a film by the photographer Chris Chapman about the life of Hope Bourne, a gifted artist and writer who lived an extraordinary life on Exmoor. Her philosophy and take on life was both moving and uplifting... 

“Money as such is a useful invention, making commerce possible beyond the state of barter. A moderate amount is necessary to us all - but consider: of all the things you buy, that which you buy dearest of all is money. For money you sell the hours, the days of your life, which are the only true wealth you have. You sell the sunshine, the dawn and the dusk , the moon and the stars, the wind and the rain, the green fields and the flowers, the rivers and the sweet fresh air. You sell health and joy and freedom” 
― Hope L. Bourne

I've been selling the hours printing cushions. I wondered if Beech leaves, bronze foil and raw linen would be a interesting combination to evoke a sense of Copper Beech..?


I've had two lovely Q & A blog features about my work recently :

The first by Stacey Sheppard on her fab Interiors/design blog 'Design Sheppard' here

The second by Country Homes and Interiors on their Country Days Blog here