Tell us a little bit about what you make

We make bags and leather accessories inspired by cycling using waxed cotton/canvas and leather. 

Could you describe your studio to us? What is your favourite thing about the space and how do you get into the mindset of making?

The studio is our front room which has granny net curtains and a fireplace. The room overlooks fields of cows and sheep. It also has a huge workbench which dominates it and where all the magic happens. What we love most about the space you ask? Well, that's simple. It’s having space! Previously our home/studio in London was so small, we could barely fit both of us in, we had to cut fabric on the floor etc. So the fact that we have a dedicated studio space that can accommodate all the equipment is simply awesome. This also helps with the headspace, once you’re in there you’re at ‘work’ even though this room is a few steps from the kitchen and cupboards full of treats. Once we’re there, we turn on the sewing machine, the lights and the music there’s no stopping us unless we get an exciting delivery or the sun is shining too bright and we must go out cycling.

What is your favourite tool and why?

This requires two answers. For Greta, the favorite has to be Pfaff, the sewing machine. I mean it’s like magic, once the flat pieces of fabric and leather meet Pfaff, they become 3D, they become a thing, an object, a design. For Zulfi it’s the metal ruler and the scalpel, it’s the hole punch, it’s the mallet and all the masculine things that come in the process of making a bag.

Can you describe the making process and inspiration behind your nip out bags?

The Nip Outs were inspired by the cycling bag ‘musette’ you’d see people using out and about on the weekends stuffing it with snacks etc. It’s the equivalent of a cotton tote bag but for cyclists. We loved the simple concept, but we wanted a cool, stylish one that would close properly and would adjust in height, so we just had to make one! The colours just sort of came to us, there is so little sun in UK & Ireland that once we saw the blue waxed cotton we just had to have it and create our own little sunshine you could carry with you. As for the making process.. Well, we start by cutting the fabric, leather, lining, and webbing. We then treat the leather edges, smoothing them over, then pairing them with the fabric using sam brownes, we move on to the lining, attach the metalwork onto the webbing and finally combine it all together! Voila! We have a little Instagram video in the ‘highlights’ if anyone is interested in seeing it rather than reading it.

What led you to choosing this craft as a profession? What do you love most about it? Dislike most? 

So we came from two different backgrounds, Interiors/furniture (Greta) and Fashion (Zulfi). Vel-Oh slowly started to become a thing once we started to cycle to work on a daily basis and quickly realised none of our bags suited this new daily way of commuting. We wanted a bag that wouldn’t look out of place at work, yet was comfortable and could deal with any weather whilst we’re out on the bikes so one day we decided to just make one! 24hours of non-stop sewing we had a prototype and we were really impressed with ourselves (haha) so much so that this project which was only meant for ourselves started to look more of a business opportunity. We loved being creative and didn’t want to stop doing it! that’s definitely our biggest motivation, having an outlet for our creative minds. As much fun as all this sounds it came with so SO many challenges, of course, being a two people business we constantly battle suppliers who would only deal with big companies that were buying 1000000s of meters or materials, we were unable to find a manufacturer willing to work with us on small-scale etc. But we took all this with a pinch of salt and didn’t give up. We finally found a few awesome suppliers and Pfaff the sewing machine just sort of happen to come to our attention so we started making it all ourselves! I guess you could say that our biggest dislike is that we have to rely on others in providing the material on time, and having it in stock when we need it etc. But no job comes without its cons, right?

We stock a selection of Vel-Oh bags, including the classic Blackpack and super handy Nip-Out bags.

Established in 2014, Hata is run by Donegal native Ronan Hanna, who grew up steeped in the local tweed tradition. Ronan brings a contemporary feel to his custom tweeds while continuing relationships with local weavers and spinners. We recently asked Ronan a few questions to gain a greater insight into his creative process:

Tell us a little about what you make/design:

We design and handcraft tweed apparel and accessories from custom tweeds which are woven from locally sourced luxury merino and mohair yarns.

Could you describe your studio to us? What is your favourite thing about the
space and how do you get into the mindset of making?

Hata is based in Donegal town. The studio is in a constant need of cleaning/tidying which I attempt often but the result is temporary. The first thing is always music. Music might be the closest form of art, it certainly frees up the mind and gets it into a rhythm of creativity.

What is your favourite tool and why?

I have tailor’s shears which have been in the family for generations, which
amazingly are still sharp and use them daily.

What led you to choose this as a career? 

I grew up in the tweed industry and having lived abroad and been away from it, wanted to explore the possibility of designing and producing a luxury tweed to produce clothing and accessories.

You can purchase Ronan's distinctive handmade tweed bow ties here. 

Tell us about what you make:

I make natural plant based skincare & perfume using botanical, organic and active ingredients. All products are made by hand in small batches in my studio in Stoneybatter in an ethical and cruelty free manner. The company is named 'Oxmantown' after the area in which the products are made.

What led you to choosing this craft as a profession? What do you love most about it?

My background has been in the health & wellness industry. Being an aromatherapist, my passion is in how people experience the world through smell. I love creating fragrances from essential oils, and the idea of creating something new and that people will enjoy.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I take inspiration from my travels. I've created my scents & perfume from the experiences I've drawn from travelling. For example Jasmine, Ylang ylang is inspired by my trips to India. The Cedar Atlas is from my trip to the Atlas mountain in Morocco. Lemongrass from my time in Thailand.

I also get inspiration from what the Irish landscape has to offer. Some of my favourite scents remind me of growing up in Ireland. I am forever fascinated between the link between smell and memory, how it can remind you of a person, a place, or an experience and the effect that it can have on your mood.

Could you describe your studio to us? What is your favourite thing about the space and how do you get into the mindset of making?

I'm in the process of building a new workshop, but for now I work from a small studio in Stoneybatter.

To get into the correct mindset for making, I find getting the light, music & smell right can really help. So I allow as much natural light in as possible. I burn oils to get motivated and to help me concentrate such as rosemary & basil or orange & bergamot to feel uplifted. Coming into autumn and winter I graduate towards burning the warmer scents such as ginger, sweet marjoram and black pepper.

What is your favourite tool/ describe the making process?

The process of making a cream/lotion involves heating the ingredients to desired temperatures in different stages, allowing them to cool & adding the heat sensitive ingredients at the very end such as vitamins and essential oils. It's hard to choose a favourite tool as all are equally as important as the other. If I had to choose, a good whisk is vital when making creams, lotions and body-butters. The blending process is time consuming but the result is rewarding, it is key to ensuring all the ingredients emulsify properly so that you get the desired consistency, texture and smell.

To find out more and to purchase Oxmantown skincare products, click here. 

• What do you make?

I make jewellery. For the past two years, along with my partner in crime Clare, I have been producing a range of jewellery, Names, that we believe reflects both of our skills and personalities in equal measures. We have designed two collections so far, with another micro collection in the pipelines at the moment.

• Could you tell us a little bit about your studio? Favourite thing about the space and how do you get into the mindset of making?

Our studio is just above Irish Design Shop, so we share our time between the shop and the studio. Sometimes it can be difficult to change over from shop mindset to studio mindset, tidying up the workbench is always a good starting point, and we always have a to-do list on the go to refer to. It’s a great space with really good light and a great view of all of the comings and goings on a bustling Drury Street. We share the space with six other jewellers so there’s always someone around to chat to.

• What is your favourite tool and why?

I have quite a few favourite go-to tools, one file that I prefer to all of the others, a nice new calipers that’s great for measuring and marking, but my mini rawhide mallet is probably my favourite. It’s made of rolled up animal hide, so you can use it to shape metal without marking it like you would with a metal hammer, but this one has a little weight inside it, so it gives an extra bit of power behind it, it’s small but mighty!

• Can you describe the making process and inspiration behind your Muriel bangle?

The Muriel bangle is one of my favourite pieces from our second collection ‘Homespun’. It kind of brings together a lot of the ideas in the two collections. The combination of the solid and hollow forms sit really nicely side by side or apart, and move freely around the solid round bangle.

The two moving components were originally formed in wax on the lathe and then cast in solid silver, the casts are cleaned up before being threaded onto the round wire which has been shaped into a round bangle. The bangle is then soldered closed and the whole piece sanded and polished to show off our trademark contrasting matte and polished finishes. The work is all very hands on and the designs are heavily influenced by traditional jewellery skills, used in a way to produce modern, contemporary shapes.

• What led you to choosing this craft as a profession? What do you love most about it?

I started in art college full sure that I would be studying either painting or possibly textiles. In first year we had to try out a few courses and for some reason, I tried out metalwork, that one week trial totally changed my mind. I was fascinated by the things you could do with metal, how something so solid can be so malleable. I love that with metal, most things are repairable. With ceramics and glass, if it breaks you cannot really fix it, with metal you can almost always fix whatever goes wrong.

For a better look at Laura and Clare's stunning jewellery collection "Names" you can shop or simply have a browse here.

What do you make?

I produce a range of stationery which includes letterpress greeting cards, prints and wedding invitations.  I am presently developing a new product range which will include textiles.

Could you tell us a little bit about your studio?

I work from my garden studio in Donegal. It’s a log cabin that my hubby and myself built one weekend with the help of a carpenter. The studio is lovely and bright but it can get a bit chilly in the winter months.

Favourite thing about the space and how do you get into the mindset of making?

I love the wooden interior, it feels very Scandinavian which is a style I love. I surround myself with nice retro pieces of furniture and objects which inspire me to refine my design ideas. At the moment, because of my peaceful garden outlook, I have been focusing on botanical themes.

What is your favourite tool and why?

Afraid to say it, my favourite tool is my iMac but it's a love hate relationship. It’s great for scanning my drawings, creating artwork for printing plates, and testing colour combinations and patterns, but I hate having to spend long days on it.

Can you describe the making process and inspiration behind your work?

My typographical cards are inspired by vintage type and drawings, I try to keep them very crisp and clean. The botanical Letterpress range involves pressing plants, leaves and flowers in a book which are then scanned and traced to create black & white drawings for plate making. I then use a Vintage 1950’s Adana Letterpress machine to print the designs.

At the moment, I am in the process of developing new work inspired by the rural landscape and the Tory Island Painters. This involves more experimental mark making and repeat pattern designs. Eventually, everything is scanned to my computer so I can finalise designs for production.

What led you to choosing this craft as a profession?

When I undertook my foundation course in art college, I fell in love with printmaking, but I ended up studying Graphic Design. Fortunately though, we ended up doing loads of screenprint on the course. Many paths later (which included a stint studying furniture craftsmanship), I returned to hands-on printing with a final degree in Printed Textiles.

What do you love most about it?

I love the whole process from the experimental drawing and research to the mixing of inks/dyes and finally the physical printing, whether it be letterpress or screenprinting.  

You can browse a selection of work from greeting cards to prints by Maggie in our Drury Street shop. Her collection of fern and ivy prints are available through our online shop here.