Elvira Van Vredenburgh

To kick off our 2017 Christmas season, we’re introducing our selection of designers and makers and finding out a little about what they do and what inspires them.

Elvira Van Vredenburgh originally trained as a printed textile designer and graduated from the Royal College of Art in the 1990’s. She immediately began selling fashion and furnishing designs to top designers worldwide.

In 2016 she started designing her own greetings cards and gift wrap and her collection now includes notecards, notebooks, high quality giclee prints and printed silk scarves. She has a textile designer’s eye for pattern and shape and her style is bold and bright using bird and abstract themes. All products in her collection are designed by Elvira and printed in the UK.

We asked Elvira to choose her favourite piece from her collection and where she finds her inspiration:

‘My favourite product is my printed silk scarves, I love the way a design is bought to life on fabric. These make great gift items for Christmas and are a top seller at this time of year.  I love visiting Tate Modern and am always very inspired when I go.’

Elvira will be at Homeworks on Sunday 3 December.

Our tenth year of Homeworks

It’s hard to believe this year will be our tenth annual Homeworks Christmas Bazaar. Our first fairs were held at the iconic Twentieth Century Theatre in Notting Hill, which has now sadly closed its doors.

Many talented designers, makers and artists have joined our events (and helped to organise them) over the years and we continue to champion small local businesses at our Christmas Bazaars in the Salusbury Rooms in Queens Park.

We have some interesting Q & As from this year’s sellers including their Maker’s Choice selections and Top Ten Gift Guides to inspire all your Christmas shopping needs.

We’re kicking off tomorrow with our first talented designer Elvira Van Vredenburgh. See you then!

Save the Dates!

Here’s all the information for our two Christmas Bazaars for 2017. We’ll start sharing work from our fabulous designers and makers soon, you can see who’s coming by checking the sidebar for each date. Meanwhile here is everything you need to start planning your visit:

Homeworks 2017

Homeworks 2017 is coming soon!

Homeworks runs in parallel with the very popular Queen’s Park Farmer's Market and this year’s dates are Sunday 3rd and Sunday 10th December. We’re always on the look out for new and interesting designers and their wares, so if you're interested in selling at our Christmas Bazaar, get in touch using our Apply for a Stall button on the right.

Meet the Maker - Charlotte Packe

My name is Charlotte Packe and my trading name is Charlotte Packe Studios, maker of lights! 

I’m a lighting designer and artist who has been working with lighting since 1990, creating lighting installations and designing bespoke luminaires for private and corporate clients as well as manufacturing small batch runs for selective retail outlets.

I have a studio and workshops in London and Norfolk. Once or twice a year I design a limited edition of luminaires for retail.

I trained at Goldsmith College, specialising in embroidery, textiles and fine art.

On graduating I set up studios in Limehouse, then Clerkenwell where I designed my first lamp - The Calyx in 1993. It sold internationally via the first Conran Shops - where small batch runs moved into manufacture.

My initial degree course at Goldsmiths developed my interest in materials, part sculpture, with function:

‘Light is one of the most magical forces, it is the most important element in our world and therefore within our home. I am inspired and in awe by light and to be able to work with such a magical force and then to select materials which control, capture, direct and enhance - it is the best part of the world we live in.’

After having my son, I wanted to give children access to good materials to work with, so I started a company called Sparrowkids - ethically sourced wool felts and cut out shapes to develop creativity.

I wound this down about three years ago to go back to my lighting - Charlotte Packe Lighting Design is an independent UK consultancy creating contemporary lighting schemes for residential and commercial properties:

I’m now working with clients to create bespoke lighting for residential and boutique hotels.

I also specialise in consultation which leads to planning concepts, advice on current products from selected manufacturers, the design and making of one off pieces and the enhancement of existing lighting schemes.

Charlotte will be at our final Homeworks Christmas Bazaar tomorrow.

Meet the Maker - Cardabelle Design

My name is Kate Guy and my design practice is called Cardabelle Design. I have a studio at the Kingsgate Workshops in Kilburn:

I specialise in linocut prints and designs, both original artwork and also screen-printed onto kitchen products, organic cotton textiles and hand made tiles:

I trained at Wimbledon and Norwich Schools of Art, graduating with a BaHons in Graphic Design and Animation. I worked in an animation studio in Camden and then went to lead their tracing department in Budapest.

After having children I worked as a freelance designer for a few years before training as a teacher. I worked in a large secondary school in North West London running the Art and Design department for 12 years. I left last year to develop my own company Cardabelle Design:

I started Cardabelle Design because I wanted to combine my graphic design background with my love of traditional printmaking techniques in order to produce unique, quality homeware:

My influences come from my home in North West London and the Languedoc region of South West France where I have family and friends. A Cardabelle is a thistle from this area which locals pin to their doors to keep out evil influences.

I have always loved printmaking, in particular the strong graphic qualities of lino-cut and screen printing. I use these techniques to make one-off, hand-made prints, and then using these original prints I have developed collections of quality items for the kitchen and home:

I take my principle inspiration from food and the kitchen; I feel that the kitchen is the true heart of the home and the smells and tastes that can be found in this social hub are prominent in my work, in particular natural, simple cooking with wild organic ingredients.

Kate will be at Homeworks this Sunday 11 December.

Meet the Maker - Annie Neill

My name is Annie Neill and I graduated from Central St. Martins College of Art and Design with a BA(Hons) in Textile Design in 1993.

I worked as an inhouse designer for a knitted swatch agency, designing and selling new designs, ideas and trends to the American market.
I also worked on private commissions before setting up my own business in 2004 designing and selling my own range of luxury knitwear.
My designs include woollen garter stitch berets, beanies and gloves, rib beanies, fingerless gloves and fingerless mittens:

My best sellers include mens and ladies cotton socks and woollen socks made using the finest of yarns and the unique softness of Scottish water.

I’m delighted that through my business I’m supporting the skills, craftsmanship, tradition and knowledge of generations of makers, taking pride in sewing a ‘Made in Scotland’ label into every piece.

Come and buy Annie’s gorgeous knitwear this Sunday 11 December.