• What do you make?

I create a range of functional and decorative products made from my own handwoven woollen cloth. At the moment, this is mainly cushions and small zipped bags, but I'm currently working on a couple of scarf designs for winter. I'm really excited about these because I love the idea of creating something that people can wrap themselves up in and use to keep warm! I also sometimes weave larger pieces like wall hangings and rugs for exhibitions.

• 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?

My studio is in north Belfast, in an area nick-named 'Little America' because of the many American street names. It's a part of the city that I didn't know at all before, but I love it now - there's a gorgeous park called the Waterworks very close to our building with so many birds, and we have a lovely view of Cavehill.

I share the building with the architectural practice Oscar & Oscar, who saw its potential a few years ago and as well as using it as their own base, decided to let the other spaces out to artists and makers. It's a lovely light-filled office building from the 60's, and I don't think much has been changed since then, which gives it lots of character! We also have a couple of bakers who make sourdough bread and other delights for sale in the local area.

I do most of my computer-based work at home, so when I get into the studio I have few distractions to take away from designing and making time. That definitely helps! Of course, smartphones can ruin this a little so I keep my phone on silent a lot of the time and try only to check it for a few minutes at break-times - easier said than done.

• What is your favourite tool and why?

Hm, that's tricky as I have quite a few but I'd have to say the warping board that my brother made for me when I first started to weave at home many years ago. It's basically a long piece of MDF with short dowelling pegs, mounted on the wall. I wrap long lengths of yarn around it to make my warps - this is the first practical step (after the technical design) to weaving cloth so it always feels very positive. It could be quite a monotonous task (depending on the width of the cloth and structure I might have to wrap up to 800 ends), but I often listen to music at the same time so that it becomes a repetitive rhythmic movement.

You can get much more sophisticated equipment for warping but it's expensive, and I love the simplicity of my warping board. I travelled to Peru and Bolivia many years ago to see their woven textiles and one of my most vivid memories is seeing an indigenous lady warping outdoors on top of a hill in Cuzco - she had two sticks stuck in the ground and was wrapping her yarn around them. They can weave amazing cloth, using the most basic tools and keeping everything in their head, so it made me realise that you don't need complex equipment to create.

• Can you describe the making process and inspiration behind your Newgrange clutch?

I actually first came up with the idea for the cloth way back when I was at college in NCAD, probably 2004! I had visited the passage grave at Newgrange in Co. Meath for a project and was intrigued by the geometric stone carvings and the mystery of their significance. Perhaps they contained messages, or maybe they were purely decorative like doodles on a page. One of the carvings had a design with interlocking diamonds and zig-zags. I played around with this a little and realised that it worked perfectly with the symmetry of simple reflective threading techniques in weaving. When I started up Olla Nua in 2015 after several years working in other fields, it was the first design I wanted to weave, so it had really stayed with me.

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

Sometimes I'm not sure if I chose it or it chose me! I've always been a very indecisive person, and tend to think too much before making decisions, so I had many different ideas of what I should do for a living...but somehow I kept thinking about textiles. My mum taught me to sew and knit from a very young age, and we had an attic full of fabric - I'm sure that had something to do with it!
I love being hands-on with natural materials, right through from initial design to finished cloth, and I enjoy finding satisfaction in the process and repetitive tasks. Weaving is quite a structured craft and I think that suits my personality. I'm also very thankful for the support of my family - it simply would have been impossible for me to get my business started without their support and encouragement.

The photographs featured in this maker story are by Simon Mills. The Olla Nua clutch bag is available to purchase here. 

Visitors to our shop love to hear the story behind the item they are purchasing. In an age of mass production, the handmade is still, thankfully, cherished by many. Over the Summer, we will be highlighting a selection of our favourite stockists who are masters of their chosen craft from wood turning to weaving. Every week, we will add a new story which will give an insight into a specific making process and the life of a craftsperson, from their favourite process and studio set up, to what led them to pursue a career in craft and design. 

Our first maker story featuring Nicola Gates of Olla Nua will be posted early next week. 

Our search for a manufacturer of Irish linen led us to the sunny south east and Emblem weavers. With no finalised product in mind, we arranged to meet Stephen, who talked us through the various fabrics they produce, the weaving process and the history of this family business. Established in 1962 by Jim Conway (Stephen's father), Emblem Weavers grew from humble beginnings in a basement on Dublin's Amien Street. Having received money as a birthday gift from his mother, Jim bought two secondhand looms, made a yarn winder from a bicycle wheel, and wove his first lot of fabric samples. Initially selling door to door, Jim quickly gained a reputation for producing wonderful wool fabrics and began supplying large department stores and Dublin-based designers. 

In 1981, Emblem Weavers invested in modern looms and began to weave colour woven Irish Linen. This was an immediate success following the presentation of the first collection at Interstoff (the international trade fair in Frankfurt.) and as a result, Emblem began supplying International fashion houses with their high-quality Irish fabrics. The growth of the business led Jim to expand Emblem Weavers and move location to Wexford. 

Today, Emblem Weavers is very much a family affair with three of Jim’s nine children, Seamus, Stephen and Debbie directly engaged in the running of the business. They continue to produce the finest Irish linen and supply leading fashion designers Internationally.  We hope to further develop our linen range with this family business in 2017.

You can shop our Emblem range here which includes our exclusive tea cloths and napkins.

For more information on the business and to view their current selection of linens, check out the Emblem website here. 

Our very own jewellery line Names Dublin was launched last Autumn. Even after months of brainstorming and experimenting in the studio, we could not have predicted how popular it would prove to be. Over the months leading up to Christmas, we noticed how much our male customers seemed to really love the jewellery, the appeal being the bold geometric shapes, the matte and polished surfaces, the satisfying weight of the brass.

The idea of producing a range of cufflinks seemed like a natural progression for Names, and so in January we began prototyping. What has always bothered myself and Laura about cufflinks are the backs, how flimsy they tend to be, an afterthought to the design of the front. Our focus was to produce each cufflink as one complete shape, giving equal importance to the front and back, ensuring both complimented each other perfectly. Constructed in three parts, each cufflink has been formed by cold connection, as in there was no soldering involved. By using this process, the end result is much cleaner and a strong geometric design is achieved. 

The overall process, from initial drawings to finished pieces has been a challenge, but we are really pleased with the end result. The four designs in the range are named after our fathers and grandfathers, John, George, Martin and Mick. Each set of cufflinks is available in either rose or yellow 18carat gold plated brass and packaged in our custom made jewellery boxes. 

We have been fans of Helen Faulkner's work for some time now, the contrast between the dark terracotta clay and the creamy coloured glazes she uses is very appealing. We were delighted when she agreed to create a range of plant pots for Áras, our new collection of home wares. We interrupted the production of our new plant pots with a few questions about what inspires her work and how it is made.

 How did you first get into working with clay?

I was introduced to clay during a foundation art course but the first time I got to trying throwing on the potters wheel was a couple of years later on my Contemporary Craft Degree in England and from then on it was all I wanted to do.

What inspires the shapes and colours of your pieces?

My inspiration comes from how the pots are going to be used. I love cooking and eating! So my tableware range is all about food, a smooth curve on the base of a mug that rests comfortably in the hand or thinking about what colours the food will look great on, such as a leafy green salad in a bright blue bowl.

You have designed a collection of plant pots for us, what was the most challenging aspect of the project? what was the most enjoyable?

Making a final decision on decoration was hard, throughout the design process I go through so many ideas that it can be hard to settle on just one.  I really enjoyed going through the design ideas sent sent through by yourselves, trying to pull out the most important aspects of the design to you and bringing them together with my style and ideas, it's a challenge I enjoy!

What sort of plants do you envisage people putting in the pots? Did you have something specific in mind when designing/prototyping?

With the tall pot I can imagine spider plants, the stripy leaves that droop down would be a great contrast against the rich red clay.  I can imagine mini cactus in the shallow pot but something a bit more useful would be an aloe vera plant.  A row of tall plant pots would also look great in the kitchen with herbs in them, again I just can't help but bring it back to food!

Are you currently working on any other new/exciting projects?

I'm working towards a group exhibition that's happening in Down Arts Centre where I have my studio, it's part of August Craft Month in Northern Ireland that is a month long collection of events celebrating crafts, lots of workshops and talks happening too.

What is the greatest and worst part of  being self employed?

The best part of being self employed, aside from making pots every week, is the control over my working life and deciding what is important for me.  The hardest part of being self employed is nearly the same thing, having to control every aspect is a massive juggling act and sometimes I mess it up but it's all learning so I just start again the next day!

Finally, what do you most like to do on your days off? Do you give yourself days off?

I spend my spare time cooking, I love spending time in the kitchen although I usually end up with a lot of dishes to do because I like to use all the pots I’ve collected over the years! My dog Sheva, who spends her days in the studio with me keeping an eye on things, takes up the rest of my day with walks.

Click here to shop some of Helen's fabulous pots and planters made exclusively for the Irish Design Shop ARAS collection.