Meet the Maker - Hélène Turbé

Photo: Lily Bertrand-Webb 

Tell us little bit about who you are and where you are based?
My Name is Hélène Turbé, I’m a fine jewellery maker based in West London. I live near Kensal Rise and my studio is based just behind Ladbroke Grove.
I’m passionate about the handcrafting process and can spend hours working on details. I totally love working close to my work creating an intimacy with each of my pieces. My work is inspired by the ornate allure of jewellery dating from Antique, Byzantine and Victorian eras, enhanced by intensively repeated details, and by the use of coloured gemstones and pearls:



Where did you train and when did you start your business?
After working 10 years in Paris as a producer manager in the media Industry, I finally moved to London to accomplish my two dreams; to live in London and to study a fashion course.

In 2001, I joined London Metropolitan University to study jewellery and ended 3 years later with a First Class Honours degree.

In 2009, I set up my workshop while looking after my three kids. Very quickly, I managed to sell my work to few shops in London. I now work from an Artists Community Studio called Kindred Studio in St Marks Road (behind Ladbroke Grove) where I share my space with six other brilliant makers. I still work for the same retailers who have supported me from the beginning while making bespoke order for private customers. Very soon you will be able to shop through my website.




What inspired you to become a designer and set up your company?
Very young, I was fascinated by illustrations in children’s books, by my mother’s haberdashery and carving wood. I guess my curiosity never left me. I grew up on a little island surrounded by religious signs called Ile d’Yeu in West of France. Everything inspires me, all my surroundings. I’m fascinated by icon figures, icon medals, and rosaries:



Usually I start drawing some ideas and designs on my sketchbook, and once I’m happy and ready for it, I move to my bench where I start making a model before working directly on gold.
Depending of the piece, but sometimes it can take 2/3 weeks before finishing it.

Hélène will be at Homeworks on both 4 & 11 December.

Meet the Maker - Studio Rajka

My name is Rajka, my company name is Studio Rajka and I live, design, create and make my knitwear in my studio in Brentford, West London.
I studied chemistry at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. I have never studied design, but I started to knit when I was a child and sold my knitwear at university to supplement my tiny student budget.

I have been creative all my professional life, and after many years in the fashion industry I started my knitwear company two years ago, turning my passion into my profession.
I’m inspired by everyday life and my aim is to create luxurious but affordable knitwear, both traditional and contemporary, using naturally sourced sustainable and renewable materials:

I use Scottish and Italian spun lambswool, cashmere and blended yarn.

My products are unique, I rarely made more than two same. I am always happy to do custom orders.

Studio Rajka will be at Homeworks on Sunday 4 December.

Meet the Maker - Sally Hampson

Sally Hampson is joining us at Homeworks for the first time this Christmas. She recently told us a bit about her design life and what inspires her:

My name is Sally Hampson, I’m a weaver and produce blankets, shawls and scarves. I mostly use 100% Pure British wool, from Shetland, the Welsh Black Mountains and from Jacob fleece. I am based in London where I have my studio, but I am also currently running workshops in Stroud where I have set up The Weaving Shed Project.

I studied at the Royal College of Art and graduated with an M.A in Constructed Textiles. Shortly after, I moved to Paris and set up a design studio working closely with the stylist bureaus - this was a real apprenticeship into design. I came back to London and set up my studio and began designing and making woven rugs, collaborating with interior designers and architects.Through my knowledge and experience in textiles I have been invited to Egypt, Ethiopia and Kenya to work on projects along side and support other makers, ceramicists, weavers, basket makers and embroiderers. This in turn has been an inspiration for my own practice as a maker and also as a tutor.

My earliest memories were always of the feel, texture and colour of fabrics. It just seemed inevitable that I would become a weaver. I grew up with a travel rug that my parents bought over from Ireland, when they first came to London. It was a very special possession in our family and has inspired me to produce limited edition woven blankets to be treasured and kept forever.

Sally will be at Homeworks on 4 & 11 December.

Meet The Maker - Wallplayper

Today’s Meet the Maker is all about Lewes based designers Emma Carlow and Gaynor Warren. As Wallplayper they design and sell beautifully creative and playful wallpaper, cushions and lampshades for children, inspired by the mid century design and artists they love.

They launched Wallplayper this September and are joining us for Homeworks on Sunday 4 December:

Emma and Gaynor are art school educated - Emma studied illustration and graphics and Gaynor studied sculpture. Both worked in the world of design and children's textiles - Emma began her career at Conran and has designed textiles for Habitat, Ikea, Marks & Spencer and Crate & Barrel. Wallplayper is the culmination of all their experiences and passions:

Childhood (particularly their own - they both have fond memories of wearing Clothkits clothing designs in the seventies!) informs their design thinking and they are inspired by designers and artists who are playful, particularly mid century designers and artists such as Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and Alexander Calder:

Come along on the 4th and meet Emma and Gaynor - Homeworks is their only sale this Christmas and they’re bringing a selection of their beautiful wallpaper with matching cushions and brand new lampshades.

Meet the Maker - Spry Workwear

Today’s Meet the Maker is all about Spry Workwear, traditional clothing re-imagined for the modern woman. It’s a new venture from journalist Daisy Bridgewater, a long time supporter of Homeworks and small creative businesses.
We asked her a few questions about what inspired her to launch Spry Workwear:
When did you set up your company?

Spry Workwear is both a brand new venture and a response to the many years I have spent peering into other people’s lives as a journalist. I have worked as a freelance journalist for years, most recently as a columnist for the Telegraph Magazine (I used to have a weekly shopping page called Children’s Notebook). Before that I was the Telegraph’s Interiors Editor, and I continue to write about houses for glossy magazines. But whilst writing about other people’s creative endeavours is fascinating, I have long-harboured the dream to build my own business.

Spry Workwear is literally brand new - this will be my first selling experience and I am thrilled to be part of Homeworks.

What inspired you to start your company?
I am based in East Suffolk, quite near to the sea, and quite far from London.

The inspiration for Spry came whilst working as a freelance journalist. When home becomes workplace, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of putting yourself together for the day, even if it is just for yourself. How many of us have spent the day in baggy leggings and a favourite jumper - but what if a friend shows up, or you suddenly have to rush out to meet an editor/teacher/colleague? Fleeces do nothing for the self esteem!
This led me to think about all of the multi-functional, thoughtfully designed, practical but innately stylish clothes that were not in my wardrobe. And from this void, Spry Workwear was born.

At Homeworks, I will be selling my boiler suit, a re-working of a vintage mechanic's overall made in East Anglia from traditional navy blue sail cloth. I have 5 other pieces in the collection, all of which are in the sampling stage, but I should have my aprons with cross-over straps, deep pockets and a gentle, A-line cut, again made from traditional sailcloth fabrics.

I will have samples of the whole collection, ready to pre-order.

Come and meet Spry Workwear at Homeworks on Sunday 4 December, 10-2pm

Meet the Maker - Bea Bags

With just over a month until our first Homeworks Christmas Bazaar, we’d like to introduce you to some of the designers and makers taking part in our events this year and find out what inspires them.

First up is Bea Bags, a creative partnership between Ruth Hannett and Sharon Chin:

Sharon, left and Ruth, right.

Ruth has a studio in West Hampstead, and Sharon has a studio in Suffolk where she now lives:

Ruth’s studio in West Hampstead.

What’s your design inspiration?
‘We set up Bea Bags in 2007. Originally we started in order to be able to work from home and around our small children - our company has grown organically but is still pretty small.
We began making our oilcloth bags and accessories when we were unable to find beautiful, contemporary practical bags to use on the beach. Our range has grown to include beach bags, shoppers, shoulder bags and accessories:

Tell us about your design process:
We do everything ourselves, from choosing our fabrics to be made into oilcloth, to cutting out and sewing our products. We both love what we do and take great care and pleasure to make sure all our products are finished to a high standard.’

Bea Bags will be at our first Bazaar on Sunday 4 December, 10-2pm.

Homeworks 2016

Applications are now open for 2016!

Homeworks runs in parallel with the very popular Queen’s Park Farmer's Market and this year’s dates are Sunday 4th and Sunday 11th December. We’re always on the look out for new and interesting designers and their wares, so if you think you might be interested in taking part drop thisishomeworks@gmail.com an email and we can send an application form out to you.

Stalls range in price from £75 - £95 and the closing date for applications is Monday 26th September. Here is a selection of our stallholders from recent events and a floor plan to help plan your stall for 2016:

Petra Boase/Foyer

Petra Boase/Foyer

Salusbury Canteen Doors View

Salusbury Canteen View From Doors

Lou Rota/Large Wall Stand (A)

Savile Rogue/Beside Canteen Serving Hatch. Freestanding (C)

Scamp Baby Gifts/Standard Wall Stand (B)

Scarf Dept/Central Floor Area Freestanding Stand (C)

Nancy Batty/Beside Canteen Serving Hatch. Freestanding (C)

Samantha Frankel/Large Wall Stand (A)

You can see more photographs from last year’s Christmas events on our Homeworks Facebook Page.