Meet the Maker, Made in Britain - Sarah Elwick

Hello, today's Meet the Maker is from textile artist Sarah Elwick, a self confessed colour and pattern addict... over to you Sarah..

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work? 

Hello! *waves* I'm Sarah Elwick, and I design a range of luxury knitwear accessories, known for their eye-catching combinations of colour and graphic pattern. My accessories machine knitted from either 100% highest quality Scottish Lambswool, or finest Italian merino. It's not an overstatement to say am a colour and pattern addict! I am never happier than when translating my ideas into delicious new combinations of yarn and stitch combinations. I create my designs on amazing the Japanese digital knitting machines we have at Winchester School of Art, which allows me to produce beautiful fine gauge intricately patterned fabrics, that I would not be able to produce any other way. 

Apart from creating things what else do you do? 

I also teach part time on the Fashion Knitwear BA (hons) course at Winchester School of Art, where I studied myself before going to study for my MA in knitwear at the RCA. It's so great to be back teaching there now, working with and teaching up and coming knitwear designers. Hopefully giving them a good grounding in the technical and creative aspects of the subject. So my work life is 100% knit focussed which is great! 

When did you know you were an artist/maker? 

After graduating from my MA in knitwear I got a bit of a shock when I started working in industry, as after five years of studying knitwear design, a very practical and hands-on subject, I was surprised how far removed, and computer based my working life was. I really missed 'hands-on' making, creating and manipulating actual fabrics myself. So, after gaining a few years industry experience, at the end of 2009 I started my own business, primarily to get back to hands on making. I initially knitted everything myself on my domestic knitting machine at home, and through customer demand have gradually seen this expand to include utilising digital knitting technology. This allows me to produce finer, more highly patterned, luxurious knitted fabrics, than is possible on any other knitting machine, consequently allowing me to produce much higher end, and unique products. Last year, due to customer demand I sourced a small scale knitwear producer in the Shetlands to help me to reproduce my designs, which has been a very exciting step for my business! 

What do you love most about working in your chosen discipline? 

Working with colour, pattern & texture. This is an instinctive and intuitive urge for me. It's why I got into textiles over other disciplines I could have chosen on my Art Foundation course in 1998, and that love has stayed with me ever since. I love the feeling of that A-ha! moment when you've been sampling and testing different pattern and colour combinations, and suddenly something clicks into place, and you feel like you've hit on something that really speaks to you. I also love the fact that with knitwear, you have complete control over not only the colour and stitch structure, but also the shaping, so you can literally control the entire shape of the piece that you are making. 

Where does your inspiration come from? 

I get inspiration from all over the place, and am constantly taking photo's, but beautiful art & design books, exhibitions, and travelling are always good places to start. Since September last year I have got into the wonderful world of Instagram, and am still (a little too!) obsessed with it. It's such a wonderful visual log of your world, and a way of sharing this with other people. 

Describe your studio or workspace?

I work part time from Winchester School of Art on the digital knitting machines, and part time from home on my domestic knitting machine. I also put everything together by hand on my domestic linker. 

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be? 

Ooh good question! Maybe William Morris? I love his work, & he's such a figurehead for excellent craftsmanship particularly in textiles, and it would have been great to see how he worked. 

How would you describe your creative process? 

I initially do quite broad research into pattern and colour that I'm inspired by. I then compose mood boards of particular 'looks' and colour combinations, to give me a starting point, and then start sampling stitch pattern and yarn combinations. This is the really fun bit, where you can test new ideas out, and hopefully come up with some ideas that you may not have originally thought of, through a trial and error process. I'm a big fan and advocate of the happy accident in the design process! I then hone and perfect these ideas into product ideas, as the finish of my pieces is hugely important to me, and want them to be finished to to highest standard possible. 

What handmade possession do you most cherish? 

A beautiful woven 'HOLD' wrap by my friend Holly Berry, a woven textiles designer. We did a scarf swap with each other last year when we did MADE LONDON, and we were both over the moon with it! 

What do you when you are stuck in a creative rut?

I have learnt the hard way over the years to make myself step away from it, rather than banging my head against a brick wall for hours trying to force things to work. I now let myself have a break and do something else. Maybe swimming, going for a walk, tidying my workspace, baking a cake, etc... and let my subconscious mull it over for a while - when I come back to it later it's usually a whole lot easier, and less painful experience than it was in the block. I also read a brilliant book last year called '12 Rules of Creativity' by Michael Atavar, which I would highly recommend for anyone experiencing a creative block. 

Where would you like to be in ten years? 

I would like to be happy and healthy, & doing what I love. I would like my business to have built up to a point where I can do that full time. To be in the position to employ a few brilliant people to work with me, and support me in my business, taking it from strength to strength.

Thank you Sarah - your blankets will brighten any home.  Sarah's work can be found in our Made in Britain shop until June 2013.

Made in Britain is open

Mon - Fri: 10am - 6pm

Sun: 11am - 5pm

Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol

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Meet the Team: Joe Kang

We recently caught up with maker extraordinaire Joe Kang to ask her about her involvement in the current Paper • Scissors • Stone Temporium and her experiences as a creative living in Bristol. 

Why is Bristol a great place to be a creative?

There's a real presence of creativity in the air in Bristol which for me means that I am always finding new inspiration around every corner. People in Bristol like to think outside the box a little with their creativity too. There is definitely a real community spirit and warmth about Bristol's creatives which means that in fact everyone's there to help each other out rather than being competitive, which I love.

What do you think makes Paper • Scissors • Stone special?

Paper Scissors Stone is all about supporting the local talent and artists in Bristol. It brings together like-minded people from all kinds of different creative backgrounds and allows them to thrive off one another in a shared space. It also provides Bristol artists with an outlet to showcase their work to the public who may not always have the opportunity to access the material in an open forum whilst also having the opportunity to meet the makers.

Do you have any advice to other artists wishing to sell their work?

Have faith in what you do and take the leap...!

What's the most enjoyable thing about your chosen discipline?

It allows me to express my creativity in many ways. I don't have one specific media that I enjoy to work with, I have many, so i'm always building new skills and learning new things about myself.

What has proved the biggest work challenge so far this year?

I think the biggest challenge for me this year has been to juggle my creative work with my paid and voluntary work simultaneously, and realising when the balance needs to be readdressed.

Where do you go or what do you do to find inspiration? 

I love to travel when I can. To me that is one of my biggest inspirations because it opens my eyes and mind to the colourful world we live in. I love the smells, colours and creativity of other cultures that you just wouldn't experience being sat on sofa in front of the t.v. all day.

Are you planning any special Christmas creations? 

Watch this space...

What new tool, skill or resource would have a positive impact on your business?

I'd love a new modern sewing machine & an overlocker. Sad I know, but the machine I have now is second-hand which I stole from my mum few years ago after 'borrowing' it. She hints every now and then that she'd like it back!

Describe your studio or workspace?

Hmmm...I am lucky enough to have a pretty nice second room which started off as my studio space with a fab trestle table that I work on and shelves stacked with goodies. Over time however, it has filled with much clutter and needs a clear out. Right now my sewing machine is naughtily sat on the dining room table where I have been working of late and seem to have slowly started taking over the living room too with piles of fabrics & boxes of things as my business grows! Luckily I have a pretty understanding boyfriend, but I'm sure he'd love to have his space back soon.

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram…describe your relationship/experiences with social media….

As much as I hate to say it, Facebook has been a pretty good tool for me in terms of social media. It allows me to make little updates about what i'm doing, I can upload photos of new makes, customers can send me appreciation photos, I can link in my blog and other peoples blogs that I like to read, and the big wide world is my audience should they choose to read it. I am yet to use twitter properly. I only registered last week and am still nervous about how to use it. 

I set up a blog using blogspot quite recently, but am not very good at using it regularly enough, but I'm sure it'll come over time. I need to make a routine and set aside time every day purely for social media. I spend far too much time reading other peoples blogs and getting sucked in by all the interesting things there are to read on the internet. It's not uncommon for my computer to get annoyed and come to a halt as I have about 20 windows open of all the interesting things I come across.

Which is your favourite local independent shop or eatery in Bristol & why?

My favourite place to hang out has to be Cafe Kino. It's around the corner from where I live. It's a non-profit co-operatively owned business, operated by its workers, and run in part by volunteers. Their food is delicious, ethically sourced and very reasonably priced. They open quite late and regularly host creative events and music. It was my home when I was getting to grips with starting a creative business and didn't have internet at home. The staff there are absolutely brilliant!

Tell us a secret….

I have a new shaped cushion coming out soon.

Finally if you where a biscuit, what would you be and why?

I'd be a custard cream because they have a certain vintage appeal to them, they're good old fashioned, sweet centred and you always know where you stand with one!!

To read more about Joe Kang and what she is making next click here and do come and see the lovely products that Joe has made in the Volume 4 of the Paper • Scissors • Stone Temporium, located in Cabot's Circus, Bristol. We look forward to seeing you there!

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