10th March 2008

Eileen Abbott - 2007 Art of Fashion

Introducing RED THREAD

I am looking forward to our RED THREAD event in Sligo in a couple of weeks. Its really exciting, our very own red carpet event! I am busy organizing the press release for same and about to put together a gown that I designed specially for the event using the RED THREAD theme. It’s tight going as all has to be complete by the weekend. The more pressure the more creativity flows!!! Bring it on….

Eileen Abbott
Couture Designer
Mohill, Co Leitrim

RED THREAD - Design & Applied Art is a new co-operative body established to promote the work and interests of a group of designers, artists and craftspeople who were brought together under the Leitrim Design House’s Art of Fashion and Business Development programmes. Here are some of the RED THREAD designers and makers at the launch of the Leitrim Design House - “Art of Fashion”

Left to right:
Michelle McCarroll, Eileen Abbott, Wendy Knight, Renate Regan and Aistrid Tomropp Hoffman

19th February 2008

Erika’s New Directions

A lot of last year was taken up with developing a new direction for some of my work; more conceptual, less functional, and on a larger scale than the jewellery I had been producing before. I completed a number of commissions during the year, one being the large silver bowl on a ‘wave’ stand that, to date, is the largest piece I’ve made, measuring about 8 inches across. I made quite a lot of spoons and ladles, many of which were commissioned as christening presents.

During the year 3 of us from Leitrim, Brigitta Varadi, Peter Fulop and myself, met President McAleese in Aras an Uachtarain. We were there as part of a group of designer/artists being acknowledged for their contribution to the arts of Ireland. This was not only an honour but a pleasure, and the gardens are gorgeous! The President made an excellent speech, entirely without notes, and seemed to know her subject very well.

In November I took part in SOFA (Sculptural Objects and Fine Art), an enormous annual exhibition held in Chicago, where the Crafts Council of Ireland had a stand showing the work of 17 makers from Ireland. The work from Ireland ranged from silver and ceramics to wood, glass and textiles, and was easily of a standard equal to any work on show in any of the other galleries taking part.

For this exhibition I had developed a collection of silver pieces inspired by my research into antique ladles and spoons. I found that many of the pieces I was looking at made no sense to me at all until I read their description, and I decided I wanted to make objects that held out the promise of having a function while not actually having any - being so ambiguous as to be entertaining and puzzling.

The collection has an element of playfulness while also having a simplicity of form and balance - the injection of humour seems to be the element that was I was missing in my work, and I’ve found it very stimulating, enjoying it more than anything I’ve done for many years. The show was very successful and I learnt a lot about working in a wider arena. Spending 5 days in Chicago was also fun!

This year I want to extend the collection into sculptural pieces not necessarily made in silver, as I feel the different metals will add a different dimension to the work, developing the ideas further and bringing it to a wider audience than that solely for collectors of silver. I made a piece for an exhibition (’Side by Side at the Hunt’), held in the Hunt Museum in Limerick, at the end of the year - a silver bowl about 8cm across. It was inspired by a porcelain tea bowl in their collection, with the 2 pieces being shown alongside each other. The images on the porcelain bowl of people talking in a garden surrounded by nature gave me the idea of making a piece that combined ancient and modern themes from life in Ireland, along with recognisable natural elements, like trees and animals.

Despite branching out into this new area, I continue to work to commission and make jewellery in my real life, - I’ve included a picture of a pair of earrings I made recently for a client. I want to try to maintain both strands of my work now I’ve discovered how enjoyable working on conceptual pieces can be.

Erika Marks

Jeweller

11th February 2008

No such thing as a quiet January ….

It always surprises me when people complain about January being quiet and boring after all of the excitement of Christmas. For me January whizzes by in the blink of an eye. As soon as the RDS Christmas Craft Fair is over in early December I am straight into making samples for the January trade shows. This year we tried Top Drawer in London, which was a week before Showcase in Dublin. That meant two sets of samples! Top Drawer was quiet but still worth doing, we picked up new accounts and received good orders from existing customers. The same could be said for Showcase. The economy here and in Europe and America definitely had an effect. But, overall we were happy with the level of orders. The only slight problem was that everyone wanted delivery by Easter, which, of course is hideously early this year.

Without a doubt the best part of Showcase was winning our 5th Index Award. We were listed as one of the Top 50 Products of the show for our new weekend bag and matching dog lead and collar (well, one has to travel in style!). It was a great endorsement of our work.
Whilst at the show we also received a rather exciting phone call. We had been accepted as one of the chosen design companies to sell in the exciting new shop at the London Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey. This will be an amazing showcase for us and the PR alone should be great.

Perhaps the most exciting part of January was the surprise call from RTE’s Nationwide asking if they could film here! “Yes, no problem I said, when?” it turned out to be the day before I left for Showcase - argghhh! Never mind, it will excellent publicity when it is aired on February 13th.

So, sample making, filming and trade shows over it is down to serious production and no rest until Easter. January, quiet and boring? Not for me.

Angela Hope

8th January 2008

National Craft Fair experience

I’m writing this a week after coming back from the National Craft Fair. I was delighted with the response to my work this year and more delighted that I sold very well and will be able to enjoy the holidays without worry. This was my third year to have a stand with the Leitrim Design House at the National Craft Fair, and I know that I was more prepared than in the past.

It is a lot of work to get ready for the Craft Fair because the pressure is on to have a lot of product but to also have good product. The people who come to the National Craft Fair are shopping for Christmas presents but many are also looking for new ideas for their homes or luxury items for themselves.

As always, I found that when I was in the middle of making work - with only a few weeks to go until the Fair - I had a lot of new ideas that I wanted to try out. This is good and bad. It’s great to feel the buzz of finding new ideas that work, but you also are in the middle of making things that people are familiar with and will want to buy.

This year I am making wall-hangings for the first time and was quite happy with them. I know, however, that I am only at the beginning and by this time next year will be much happier with this part of my product line. The brooches and tea cosies I make, however, I know people like. In fact, I sold 80 brooches at the Craft Fair, completely running out.

In addition to preparing for the Craft Fair, I was also making wall-hangings for my exhibition at the Leitrim Design House. It was a lot of work to prepare for an exhibition and the Fair at the same time, but the Design House is also a great forum to show my work and I was glad of the opportunity.

I’d like to wish everyone a very happy holiday and a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

Suzanne Woods