Come and see a very talented group of designers this week-end, at Banks Mill Open Studios.

As I’m an associate member I will be studio sitting for Mazha Hussain, on the top floor, who can’t be there.  I’ll have my work on display, and for sale, and will be available to discuss ideas you may have for commissions.

This year is Banks Mill’s 10th anniversary, so should be a great week-end.

I’ve made a presentation in Google for Alison Yule Textiles which can be viewed here:

http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dgkvqvdd_27hp4dpbg2

Please let me know what you think.

I’ve just had the great news that I’ve been selected to exhibit at Maison & Objet, next January, in L’Espace!

This is a huge honour for me and five other members of Design Factory,  as we are being sponsored by Ateliers d’Art de France, the French equivalent of the Crafts Council and UKTI.

Maison & Objet takes place at Parc des Espositions, Paris-Nord, from 22 – 26 January 2010.

My work has been reviewed by Design Week on their new Interiors Talk website. You can find the review here: http://www.interiorstalk.com/news/als/als100.html

What a fantastic show, more cutting edge design, less corporate stands, some great new designers!  There was a real buzz about the place, so I feel really privileged to have been there.

I was really pleased with my stand and had some great comments about it, which made all the drama and hard work of putting the collection together well worth the effort.

Here are just a few images of my stand.

There was a post on the Textile Designers Group of LinkedIn recently asking whether designers are influenced by art and artist which got me thinking.

I love art and, in particular, brightly coloured pieces!  I met an artist at Banks Mill Studio’s last year, Deborah Allitt, who’s work is really beautiful, big, bright, bold and colourful.  She uses texture in her work, too, which was also a big draw for me and she’s allowed me to use one of her pieces as inspiration for a new collection, which I’ll be working on after 100% Design.

So, in the LinkedIn post, apparently, some design studio’s don’t allow their designers out into the Art Galleries to be inspired by art during their working week, even for an afternoon during an “Art Week”, for example.  But, to me, that isn’t necessary, you can be influenced by art in all manner of ways, for example, on my iGoogle page I have several “Art of the Day” widgets which I find very inspiring, today’s Van Gogh piece was “A Young Scheveningen Women Knitting” which I’ve never seen and is really beautiful, soft greys and blues, sensitively painted.  It would be great to use as a collection, as one of the current trends for A/W 2011 is dark inky blues!

Hi,
for various reasons I couldn’t work yesterday, so find myself at my desk and loom today! Not a hardship for me, but I came across this link to some very useful advice:
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/08/14/things-to-do-on-friday-to-make-monday-manageable/

Although I try do my accounts and other admin. jobs as I go along I often find that a Friday is when is when this work gets done!

The advise the blog give is so useful, particularly the last point, keeping your clients informed.

When working to a deadline it is so easy to get absorbed in the work, whether weaving, graphics, web design or any other, that a little time out to let your client know that all is in hand and at what stage you are at can be forgotten,.  This isn’t to say that your client isn’t important, just that you’ve got so deeply embedded in the work that that’s all that you are focusing on.

Not only is it a professional curtesy to keep your client informed at all stages, but it is so reassuring to them.

Well, I know a lot of perspective clients ask this question before they even ask to see my work and I can understand their concerns, after all a piece of hand woven fabric is really quite expensive compared to fabric from a retailer who’s fabrics are mass produced and repeatable, even though they are beautiful!

So, what can I offer that’s different?
Well here’s what!

• My fabrics are designed exclusively for you. For example, one of your prize possessions can be used as the design source to ensure that the collection or piece woven by me will sit comfortably in your home and no one else will have anything like it!

• I will only use hand weaving methods that industry can’t emulate. I can manipulate my yarns and weaves in ways that industry can only dream about!  My designs can be current and cutting edge as a result.

• Top quality yarns, sourced in the UK or Europe, that haven’t had to travel thousands of miles from the Far East, are my preferred choice, but I can use yarns that you specify, again ensuring something totally unique for you.

• You will have access to my sketchbooks and mood boards at all stages, enabling you to feel totally informed.

• I will present a set of woven swatches for you to choose from before I start to weave you collection or piece of work.

In short, you will have a collection or piece of work that not  only reflects your self and your life style, but will have a little bit of me in it, and after all I’m an award winning textile designer!

Hi,

I want you to take a look at: Interior Designers – Build Your Tribe

The advice is useful for all with a web presence and not just Interior Designers!

Alison

Here is the image I’m currently working with.  I’ve designed a lovely motif that would make a great print repeat, but I’m going to be weaving with the Theo Moorman technique and have produced some linen swatches inlayed with wool which would make beautiful window panels.

Euonymus design image