Meet the maker - Eleanor Khan

I am a former journalist and have lived and worked all over the world. Out of all the places I have lived in the one I really fell in love with was Pakistan, where I spent two years with my husband, who is British-Pakistani. 

The country has one of the richest artisanal histories in the world yet its many traditions are little known to the rest of the world. I was dying for an excuse to go back so last year I made a few buying trips and set up Nimuri, a company selling handmade clothing and homeware from Pakistan.

I sell baskets, ceramics, home and vintage textiles, wooden trays and women and children's clothing. I try to source as ethically as possible & many of my products are made by women's charities or come from small, family-run businesses or start-ups. Unlike in India, artisans have never received much government support or interest from Western designers so I really love the fact that I am starting to get money directly to them.

Favourite place for inspiration:

Of course it has to be Pakistan itself. Waves of immigration and invasion over the centuries means the country's handicrafts show great variety. From tribal embroidery, to kitsch truck art, to the floral images of the Mughal Empire that once ruled India, to the influence of British textiles, there is a huge range of looks, symbols and traditions to choose from in terms of inspiration for new products going forward.

My favourite product:

I'm very intrigued by the heavily embroidered quilts they make in Pakistan. They are very mysterious and made by itinerant tribes in the desert. It's been quite hard to find out much about them or the people that make them. Each one is like a work of art but they are so well made that they are actually quite practical and hard-wearing. They can be used on beds or sofas or turned into cushions. 

Eleanor Khan will be at Homeworks on Sunday 1st December

Maker’s Choice – Julia Landes

I combine my drawings with hand built ceramic platters, cups and other useful household objects:

My background is originally in printed textiles and when you see my style of work you can see that colour, pattern, line; they are all important to me and now I combine them with my ceramic pieces.

I think my favourite piece is a platter with one of my illustrations of the top of Primrose Hill in the winter:

I am constantly inspired by London, that could be the parks, buildings, people, dogs and their owners or our great landmarks.


I think my absolute favourite London spots would be the Ladies Pond on Hampstead Heath or the top of Primrose Hill.

Julia Landes will be at our second Homeworks Christmas Bazaar on Sunday 9 December.

Maker’s Choice – Theresaceramica

My name is Theresa Edwards, I trained in fine art painting followed by a post diploma in ceramics, then spent many years working in the animation industry.

When computers took over from arty types like me, I left and picked up my love of working in ceramics again.

I’m coming to Homeworks on Sunday 9 December with a selection of my hand built plates and other work.

I’m very fortunate to have a studio and kiln in my garden where I make hand built earthenware pieces, some suitable for domestic use and others more ‘ornamental’.

I love the decorating process – using hand cut paper stencils, wax resists, slips and underglaze colours – all before the first firing.

A second clear glaze firing ensures the colours are safe for domestic use.

Hard to say where I find inspiration – my imagination just flows along – I hardly ever sketch or plan a design, they just take shape on the damp clay.

I suppose nature plays a large part. I’m fortunate to be able to spend time in the country and by the sea in Cornwall.

Fantasy and colour seem very important to me! Increasingly so, as shown in the bowl I’m holding in the photograph, a very recent work which I’m very pleased with!

Come and meet Theresa at Homeworks on Sunday 9 December.

Maker’s Choice – Romor Designs

Rob Jones, of Romor Designs is a textiles designer and maker practising Japanese textiles crafts including Shibori, Katagami stencilling, Sashiko and Boro and dyeing with Indigo and natural plant dyes.

He designs, dyes and creates all his own fabrics which he makes into into lampshades, homewares, scarves, bags and gifts.

We asked Rob which of his favourite products he will be bringing to Homeworks on Sunday 2 December and where does he find his inspiration:

“My favourite product I make is my lavender eye pillows. Filled with organic French lavender from Dove Farm in Norfolk, and dyed with Japanese indigo in a variety of patterns these are one of my best sellers and make a great gift.

Japan is my inspiration! I've been twice now and am taking a group over in November 2019 to do a textiles workshop in the mountains outside Tokyo. I love seeing the skill and expertise of the Japanese craftspeople which inspires my own work.”

Come and meet Rob on Sunday 2 December.

Maker’s Choice – By Cecil

I started my weaving life during my Foundation year at Camberwell when we were asked to complete a weaving module. It felt like a lightbulb moment and the realisation that this is what I was supposed to be doing.

I went on to complete a degree in Textiles Design at Central Saint Martins specialising in weave. After a decade working for high street brands in product management, I missed the joy you feel when creating a product from scratch.

By Cecil was launched in January of this year and I haven't looked back. I mainly work with wool concentrating on techniques such as double cloth and twills with my main focus being on texture and colour. I have a collection of merino wool scarves and blankets created as a part of a limited edition run. There are between 5 and 18 of each design made as a reflection of my desire to create heirloom pieces.

I love nothing more than snuggling under one of my blankets on the sofa. You cannot beat a Sunday film session, fire crackling and tea on tap. I find that I wear the Heather scarf most as I love the combination of colours. The merino wool is so soft and comforting, and I love the way it holds the scent of my perfume.
 

I love a wander on the beach, particularly on a cold and blustery day. It blows away the cobwebs and leaves you feeling simultaneously fresh and exhausted. If I am feeling stuck creatively, then I usually take a day to go to the Tate. A trip into town tends to involve a walk along the Thames from Borough (and of course a trip to Borough Market for some brownies).

Come and meet Cecilia at our Homeworks Christmas Bazaar on Sunday 9 December.

Mary Pritchard

I am a local Queens Park artist and work from a specially-designed studio at home. I generally open my studio to the public twice a year, in the Summer and in the run-up to Christmas. I work in ceramics, photography and hand-made artists’ books and love the variety of having different artistic interests which in fact all fire off each other:

I love my new funky vases which I have really enjoyed making and decorating. I usually make sculptural or non-functional ceramic pieces so to make vases has been a new adventure for me which has been very satisfying. It is a great thrill to think of someone enjoying and using one of my hand-made vases in their everyday home-life:

Although I am a great fan of nature and the natural world and get much of my inspiration from those sources, I can be inspired by anything I come across from a random object spotted in the street, a painting or drawing either famous or otherwise, to a pattern on the seats of a tube train! For me as an artist it is about being open to the world around me and using it for ideas. I am also interested in research-based art and am currently working on a project based on archival material from my mother’s early life in 1930s Ireland.

Come and meet Mary at Homeworks on Sunday 10 December.

Cardabelle Design

I am a printmaker working with the traditional techniques of linocut and letterpress. I set up Cardabelle Design three years ago, using my prints to develop quality products the kitchen and home. I love traditional print, I also love food and cooking, which I celebrate in my work. I also teach traditional printmaking techniques from my studio in West Hampstead:

My favourite product is my new Soupe de Poisson tote bag, very sturdy and strong - beautiful and practical, it is big enough to hold all you need, perfect for a trip to the farmer's market! My Soupe de Poisson print has long been my best selling design and it goes so well on this distinctive bag:

I love wandering around food markets, taking photos and being inspired to draw, print and cook!

Cardabelle Design are coming to Homeworks on Sunday 10 December.

Sally Hampson

Weaver Sally Hampson is passionate about pure British wool and sheep breeds such as Shetland, Welsh Black Mountain and Jacob and has spent time with shepherds in the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border:

This wild and rugged landscape is an important part of what inspires her weaving and this is evident in her blankets, wraps and scarves – Sally is always close to the colours and textures of natural materials and the simplest way of combining them together: 

The Connemara Banket or the Family Blanket as Sally calls it, was a wool blanket her parents brought over from Ireland when they came to settle in London. The blanket became a very special object, almost like another family member and it was well used for picnics and holidays.

Being the weaver in the family, Sally inherited this precious heirloom from her parents. She decided to replicate it, counting the threads of the faded check and softening the colours slightly to reflect the surrounding landscape along the Connemara shore line, with pools of water and light against the peaty, heathery earth:

These simple aesthetics continue to influence Sally’s artistic career, from working in the theatre on costumes and sets, to travelling to Egypt, Ethiopia and Kenya, to work with artisan weavers, potters and basket makers.

Sally Hampson will be back at Homeworks on both Sunday 3 & 10 December.