You’re designing some lovely fabric and crafty things now, but what were you doing before this crafty life?
Do you come from a long line of crafty people? Have you always made things?
NO. Oh NO!!! My parents were in the Military. I’m the only ‘arty’ one in my family. My mother is a good sewer however and my sister is great at languages and music, so I guess there is a love of the Arts in the family. From a young age I loved making things. I wanted to be an architect when I was little, then an interior designer. I knew that I would do something creative from a young age but it is only now in my 30s that I realise what I really want to do!
What other jobs have you had?
Working as a graphic designer, working in a sign shop ( I hated that).
Is fabric design your crafty dream come true – or did you arrive at it unexpectedly?
Because I studied printmaking at university I’ve always loved surface and texture I guess. I went off on a tangent for awhile and found myself doing more graphic and illustrative things. Then I discovered sewing and quilting after my first child and I started to appreciated fabrics again. This is what made me want to create designs on fabric.
How much time do you spend on your craft? How do you manage the craft/life balance?
Well, because my kids are little and we are not super close to family support, I do find that juggling these two areas difficult at times….most of the time….in fact everyday! I’m finding each year it gets better because of the time the children have at school or kindy. I am actually eager to do so much more and there is an inner drive I have to create all these things in my head. But if I do I am only going to have to work more hours to fulfil deadlines and that means sacrificing time with the kids. I’ve learnt to say no to people without letting myself down and I know that I can wait to pursue these ideas. Now I have set hours within set days where I am doing ‘me’ stuff and as soon as that is finished I try to dedicate myself to them…and the laundry!
What do your family and friends think about your crafty life, your blog and your work?
My family are proud of me. Albeit some don’t quite get what I do and never really know what to say to me. I’ve got a really supportive husband who understands that I would go insane if I didn’t have a creative outlet. I don’t really discuss my blog with friends or family. Some know about it, some don’t. Some pretend they don’t know…which I think is strange. The whole blog thing really is about me communicating with other creative types. I think my parents are quietly proud that I have done something since university. They were unsure about what would come from being an art student.
Who inspires you? Crafty or otherwise, and why?
I’m quite inspired by ethnic and indigenous art from different parts of the world. I love looking at people’s faces. My kids inspire me of course, I didn’t create in this style before I had them. Any mother who has persisted with a dream to create something that others will benefit from. Then there are the clichés like Orla Kiely, Lotta Jansdotter, Amy Butler. I know they are influencing many contemporaries at the moment, but their work is so fantastic. There are many illustrators that I love including the likes of Sara Fanelli and Gustavo Aimar
What will you be working on in the coming twelve months? Is there something you really want to do – or an area of your work you want to improve or learn more about?
I think I need to rework some old work first. I’ve just started to upgrade some graphics for the children’s personalised ABCme’s that I do. They are looking tired to me and need revamping. I have one client at the moment who is in the craft/knitting industry and she is keeping me busy with all sorts of jobs. I’m currently working on a new product/store with her that includes packaging, branding and much more. I’d like to approach more shops next year as I feel like I will have more time to fulfil orders. You can do a lot when the kids are at school, even if it isn’t a full day. I’m working with an agent in the UK to sell my designs for textiles and this will hopefully eventuate into bigger and better things. I would really like to produce my own fabric too.
What do you find difficult about this crafty life? And what is the best part?
The distinction between art and craft. The label that craft is about ‘ a bunch of ladies making objects of insignificant value’. Do you know what I mean? There are plenty of crap craft goods out there, so I can see why this is. But there are plenty of quality crafted products too. So getting over that attitude and convincing others is a hurdle. As soon as something that is crafted sells it is seen as art or design. I think we need to reevaluate the definition of craft and consider how it used to be defined like in the late 19th Century. The industrial revolution brought us so much, but it also has made us less appreciative of well crafted objects.
Do you find it difficult to balance the creative with the commercial when you are designing?
Yes, sometimes. I have to ask myself if what I am doing is souly for me or can it be loved and used by others too? That’s when I have to just to make something for the sake of making and decide if I want to carry on with the idea and turn it into a saleable item. It can be frustrating when I have designed something that I love and show it to a client and they just don’t think it will work, its not “what they had in mind”. But the challenge of it all is exciting too.
Do you have time to make things for yourself?
Not anymore. This creative process that I am making into a business is enough to satisfy me.
What’s your view on the Australian Craft Movement – there seems to be a lot of people following both Contemporary and Traditional craft here. In your opinion, is it different to the US Craft Scene?
Well I hope it is different from the US scene. Not that I’m bagging that scene, I just hope that we are unique to any other country. I like that fact that there is a mixture. I think we live in a world now where you can’t really define a ‘look’. Like “oh that is so Scandinavian”, or “how Japanese is that?” these countries have been designing and crafting for much longer than we have as a nation and so they do have a certain style. Australia is really new and fresh and I think our crafting and designing style will be a mixture of it all. Like minestrone soup! A bit of this and that and in the end you have something really delicious to share.
