Lucy Patterson HANDS-ON

Autumn Matryoshka

Lucy Patterson — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:42:37 +0000

We’re in the middle of a fierce, Autumn storm on top of our little hill here. It got me thinking about my ‘Autumn’ Matryoshka Russian dolls. She was inspired by purple thunder clouds, fallen leaves, wet bamboo and watery golden sunlight. Here’s a bit about how I created her.

My Autumn Matryoshka focuses on four vintage kimono fabrics. Each of these pieces of fabric came into my collection as one-off scraps, no bigger than a postcard. Sometimes I try to image what the original kimonos might have looked like. I wonder what other details were contained in the full fabric designs. Aren’t they beautiful?

The faces for my matryoshkas were created using a combination of hand drawing and Photoshop. I think of the ‘Autumn’ face as being Japanese, with her deep brown eyes, warm skin tone, soft cherry lips, and salmon cheeks.

For the print on the back, I selected four colours and two little swatches from the kimono fabrics and combined them into a diamond print with my logo across the lower centre.

I’ve made her (and her ‘Summer’ and ‘Winter’ friends) into cushions, keyrings, postcards, magnets and bead strand kits. You can see them all in my Etsy shop. You can also see more photos of my Matryoshka’s here, in my flickr photos. Enjoy!

Collection: cloisonné and satsuma

Lucy Patterson — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:01:05 +0000

I don’t have things because they’re ‘collectable’ or valuable, only because I love them. Maybe they don’t even have much use except to delight me. Such is the case with this tiny little satsuma bowl that I picked up for a dollar or two in a flea market somewhere. It’s only big enough to hold this cape gooseberry seedcase, but I find it so beautiful.

I bought these satsuma ginger jars in a junk shop in East London near where I used to live. I don’t know how the owners made any money. They were so attached to most of their stock that they couldn’t bear to let you buy it! I suspect I only managed to get these jars because I happened to go in on a day when someone else was minding the store for them. It seems they thought their job was actually to sell things…

The first piece of cloisonne I ever owned was this napkin ring. I’ve had it since I was very small. I’ve no idea where it came from and I’m not sure if I ever really used it, but I’ve always treasured it.

I bought the green bangle in Hong Kong in the ‘Jade Market’. The blue one is a flea market find. The beads and butterfly pendant are left over from various creative projects.

Another flea market find. I think it cost $2. So much detail and beauty in a dish that’s simply for holding your pins as you sew. I especially love the combination of that yellow against the turquoise.

One of a pair of vintage Japanese clip-on earrings. I imagine they’re from the sixties, but I’m not actually sure. Again it’s that yellow…

My most recent cloisonne purchase was this incense burner. I saw it in an antique shop just after New Year when we were driving up north to our friends’ wedding. It’s an old piece and has been battered around a bit. I felt the price they were asking for it was too high, so I left it.

While we were away at the wedding though I kept thinking about it and so, on our way back down to Auckland, we stopped in and I negotiated a price that both the shopkeeper and I could feel happy with. I always say, if you’re going to regret not buying it, then get it.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like some of my other collections.

Colour palette: the women of Chefchaouen

Lucy Patterson — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:03:43 +0000

Here are some more photos from my visit to the northern Moroccan ‘blue town’ of Chefchaouen. The local Rifian women wore stripy cloth wraps in a beautiful colour palette: cherry red, mint, cream, salmon, sea green with burnt orange…all set against the chalky blue backdrop of the medina itself.

Click here and here to see my series of photos of the blue doors in the old town of Chefchaouen

Kimono bunting flags

Lucy Patterson — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:12:55 +0000

Last week I picked up a new batch of my felt Kimono Bunting Flags from the printers. It’s always exciting getting a print job back!

First I cut the felt into long strips, each containing the 13 different flags.

Then I cut the individual flags into piles…

I punch two holes into the top of each flag, cut lengths of string to go with each set, and then package everything up (complete with instructions) into reusable zip-lock bags. The finishing touch comes with stapling my new header cards into place.

Voila! All ready for my stall at the Devonport Craft Market!

You can buy your own set of bunting from my Etsy store.

Autumn mornings

Lucy Patterson — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:33:52 +0000

We’re having the most gorgeous golden, fine Autumn days at the moment. Perfect blue skies and crisp chilly mornings. This morning I went for a regular walk that I do with a neighbour. I forgot to take my camera but I just realised that I’d taken some photos on the same walk last year that I never posted on my blog. I just had a look at them and discovered that they are from exactly a year ago tomorrow!

With this kind of weather there’s often a thick carpet of white mist lying across the wetlands in the bottom of the valley first thing in the morning that burns off once the sun gets on it.

Our walk takes us across all sorts of terrain – black sand dunes, native bush, along the side of a stream, and through a pine forest with lots of different fungi.

Can you see the millipede in the last photo?

Wishing you all a happy weekend.
Lucy x

Featured! and special offers

Lucy Patterson — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:55:16 +0000

I was really honoured to be asked to do a Meet the Seller interview for the Devonport Craft Market blog. You can read the full interview here, and if you’re in Auckland, do come along to the market on Sunday, it’s going to be a good ‘un! The market is celebrating its 3rd birthday (congrats!) and has some special things happening for Mothers’ Day.

As part of the Meet the Seller feature, I have two SPECIAL OFFERS running at the moment, one online and one in person at the market on Sunday.
1. If you spend $20 or over in person at my stall this Sunday (and mention that you’ve read my Meet the Seller interview!) you’ll receive 20% off you entire purchase.
2. Or, you can shop online at my Etsy store, and you’ll receive 20% off anything you buy until Monday morning (7th May, New Zealand time) Just enter the coupon code DEVONPORT at checkout to receive your discount. Happy shopping!

Wow! Two features in one day! My friend Amy Tonkin is a very talented designer and works with the lovely people over at Citta Design. Check out their blog for a piece that they ran on me today as well. Thanks! x

Creative kits header cards

Lucy Patterson — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:31:37 +0000

Yesterday I was so excited to finally get my hands on the new header cards for my range of creative kits. Yay!

I picked them up from the printers in their satisfying, shrink-wrapped bundles of 100 cards, all perfectly cut, creased and with holes drilled, ready to be stapled onto the tops of the kits. I’m really pleased with how they’ve turned out. I’ll post some more photos soon to show you how they’ll actually look once they’ve been attached to the kits.

It’s the most beautiful, crisp, fine Autumn day today. Stunning! But I was definitely happy to have the fire lit this morning.

Hope each of you is having a happy day wherever in the world you are.
Lucy x

Chefchaouen blue doors PART TWO

Lucy Patterson — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:39:01 +0000

Part Two in my series of blue doors from the Moroccan town of Chefchaouen (here’s Part One). This post’s all about the little close-up details: handles, locks, carvings, rivets, textures…and all those different shades of blue. You can see more of my Moroccan photos here and my other blog posts about my trips to Morocco here.

Crafternoon Tea Craft Market

Lucy Patterson — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:37:42 +0000

On Saturday I had my first stall at Crafternoon Tea Craft Market in Kingsland. Here are a few photos from my stall.

I display my Matryoshka Doll Cushions in a battered, green metal trunk that I brought back from India in my backpack when I was 21. The purses / make up bags are made using my own fabrics.

My postcards (vintage kimono and matryoshkas printed on 100% recycled card), packs of Kimono Felt Squares, and needle cases and pincushions made from Kimono Felt.

The rest of the market framed by my Kimono Bunting Flags.

A vintage plate with my business cards on it. The artwork on the cards (and on the header of my blog!) are created using my Kimono Paper Craft kits.

During those ‘in between moments’ I kept myself busy appliqueing Kimono Felt wings onto birds for a birthday present for our one year-old neighbour.

My new fabric shop on Spoonflower

Lucy Patterson — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:49:18 +0000

I’m delighted to announce that I’ve just opened my own little fabric shop through Spoonflower! I have a range of prints that I’ve designed myself which are available to buy as swatches, fat quarters or by the yard.

You can get my designs printed onto a beautiful range or natural fabrics, including organic cotton, silk, linen-mix etc.

Several of the prints incorporate gorgeous little details taken from my collection of vintage kimono fabrics. I’ve mixed those details up with blocks of colour and geometric patterns.

I’ve also done some monochrome prints like this simple, geometric Indigo Shibori (Japanese tie dye) print below.

I can imagine so many uses for these prints! Cushion covers, purses, upholstery, pillow cases, table cloths, all sorts of lovely things for kids…

This classic indigo and white print is inspired by ikat fabrics from Uzbekistan. The print looks like it’s woven into the background.

Visit my shop to view the full range of my fabric prints. And while you’re there, did you know that you can design your very own fabric prints through Spoonflower too? Enjoy!