An Indian Summer

An Indian Summer was created 5 years ago by Nimy, inspired by a love of prints and textiles. An Indian Summer is characterised by a colourful melange of East-West aesthetic, eclectic prints, natural fibres and handcrafted artisan fabrics.

It is an affordable, artisanal lifestyle brand for the conscious woman who wants her wardrobe to reflect her sustainable lifestyle:

All garments are handcrafted by artisans in Rajasthan using the traditional techniques of hand block printing.

Working with small family businesses rather than large corporations to produce our range, An Indian Summer make sure that their production partners adhere to ethical employment practices:

Nimy will be bringing new hand block printed loungewear collection to Homeworks, comprising of kimono robes, kaftans, nighties, pyjama bottoms & boxer shorts – ideal for gifting friends and family:

We asked Nimy to choose some favourite products from her range and also tell us about what inspires her:

“ My Favourite garment is our hand block printed kimono robe – it’s very versatile can be used as light weight jacket, cover up and dressing gown; cool, comfortable, easy to pack for travel.

Major influences for the collection comes from art nouveau artist William Morris Inspiring places Liberty, V&A and Rajasthan.”

An Indian Summer will be at Homeworks on both days 3 & 10 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!

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.

Meet the Maker - Rebecca Denton

My name is Rebecca Denton and I’m an illustrator, painter and printmaker based in North London. I translate my love of storytelling and comedy into the medium of printmaking.

By combining ancient techniques such as etching with fresh ideas, I try to produce work which is both contemporary and unique:

I create handmade fine art prints (etchings, linocuts, monoprints) in my home studio. I also do watercolours and chalk illustrations sold as limited edition prints and cards. Subjects include eccentric animals in unexpected situations and magical dream-like settings:

I have a background in performing arts and have worked as a photographic stills producer, greeting card designer and conceptual illustrator for Getty.

My work can be viewed permanently at the Southbank Printmakers Gallery which holds six exhibitions a year.

Rebecca will be showing her latest work at Homeworks on Sunday 11 December.

Meet the Maker - Scamp

As well as running Scamp with sister Stacey, Jennifer is a key member of the Homeworks team and organises our Christmas Bazaars. She recently gave us some time out of her (very busy) schedule to tell us a bit about her creative life:

Stacey (left) and Jennifer (right).

Tell us about who you are:
It’s a family affair at Scamp with myself and my sister Stacey establishing and running the business. We’re both mums, both into design, and both creative souls, who design everything in our range.

When did you start your business?
We began in 2010 making personalised pictures for baby gifts. We’ve grown a lot since then to include printed babywear, nursery accessories and bespoke gifts for little ones (and some for big ones too!). The world of the laser cutter has meant we’ve been able to create a lovely range of wooden kids room accessories and decorations and most recently customised printing has expanded our baby wear range to include pyjamas and blankets as well, all printed in the UK:

What’s your inspiration?
Having our own children very much defines what we want our product ranges to be like - lots of vibrant, colourful and funky babywear, bold and simple graphics on bedroom accessories (we love Scandinavian styles) and personalised products created with stylish parents in mind:

We design all our products ourselves and spend a great deal of design time thinking about how our designs fit in with modern family life - both ours and yours!

Come and meet Jennifer & Stacey at Homeworks on 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.