More pieces now available on Folksy!

I've just added several new pieces to my Folksy shop, check them out here: http://folksy.com/shops/LouiseDawsonDesign

Each piece is an individual one off and remember that I am also more than happy to make pieces to commission, just send me a message via enquiries@louisedawsondesign.com I'd love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LouiseDawsonDesign Look out for exclusive to Facebook competitions to win Louise Dawson Design pieces, coming soon!

Hand embellished ring £12
Find it on Folksy http://folksy.com/items/4103854-Embellished-felt-ring

All pieces come beautifully gift boxed!

Harris Tweed Brooches

It's been a frozen day in the studio today, but Cuckoo Farm does look especially magical in the snow, even if I do get very cold toes! Lots of tea has helped me through the chill today though and I've been making new pieces that I'm going to add to my Folksy shop- look out for the Harris Tweed brooches coming soon!

I've also just joined Pinterest so I'll be having fun learning how to use that, I'll keep you posted!

A belated Happy New Year! Thank you everyone who supported me last year by buying my work, reading my blog and giving me great advice. Here's to a successful and happy 2013 for you all.

 I'm looking forward to working towards some big goals with my work this year and I wanted to share with you the lovely new materials that I am starting to work with in the studio!

Treasure! A friend of mine has kindly given me her collection of lovely lace, buttons and fabrics
 which I can't wait to get started on!

Off cuts of Harris Tweed which I'm transforming into brooches

I've also been waiting to show you my first pieces knitted using double pointed needles! I used a pattern for Owl cable finger-less gloves from the beautiful Molly Makes magazine and I caught up with a good friend of mine this week to give them to her as a Christmas present! I found the double pointed needles a little fiddly at first, especially when the cable needle came into play (!) but I quickly got used to it and now I want to make a pair for myself and everyone I know!

Owl gloves!

I now sell my work online!

I just wanted to let you know that Louise Dawson Design jewellery is now available to buy online on folksy.com - I've got a couple of pieces available to start with, but keep an eye on it because I will be gradually adding more pieces. It's all very exciting! Each piece comes gift boxed too, which is ideal for Christmas!

Here are some new little knit and fabric brooches, these (and more) are available to buy at the Jessica Muir Gallery, Long Melford, Sudbury. Please remember, if I post images of things you would like, everything is available to buy and I am more than happy to make pieces to commission. Contact me at enquiries@louisedawsondesign.com

A very big  thank you to everyone who visited me on my stand at the Selvedge Winter Fair in London earlier in the month, I met lots of lovely people and very much enjoyed the day. Here's a few pictures!

Setting up!

I wanted to give my display some height and I found the perfect way to do this with a wooden stand I found in a second hand shop and painted white!

Cover button brooches

 I'm currently making a new addition to my blog- check out the gallery page. Stitch wise at the moment I'm making a little collection of work for the Jessica Muir Gallery in Long Melford, Suffolk (images soon) and I'm planning a joint venture at Spitalfields Market in mid December, I'll keep you posted! Also, look out soon for some new experimental resin and fabric brooches coming soon.

The Selvedge Winter Fair

On Saturday 10th November I will be taking part in the Selvedge Magazine Winter Fair at Chelsea Old Town Hall, King's Road, London. It's on from 10am-4pm, do come along and pop in if you're in the area. There will be over 60 exhibitors and I'll have a range of brooches, rings and necklaces on sale-it's a great opportunity to buy some lovely handmade gifts for Christmas, or just to treat yourself! Find out more at selvedge.org

A selection of knitted and felted necklaces I'm working on, embellished with found objects and broken jewellery

Detail of knitted necklace embellished with beads taken from broken jewellery

Hope to see you there!

My other train of thought

I'd like to share with you some previous work to give some background to my working process.

I love to have the freedom to develop ideas without the constraints of making a functional piece and it is mostly through working in this way that the ideas for my jewellery are formed and developed.

"Curiosity"

As you will know by now, my obsessions are knitting and felting and my main objective through my work is to explore the possibilities of these crafts and subvert wool as much as I can! For my last main big project "Curiosity" I was lucky enough to have a month long residency in the Benham Gallery at Cuckoo Farm Studios, which was essentially an exploration into the sculptural and textural possibilities of knit and felt. This subject is something I want to continue to return to in order to explore the infinite possibilities surrounding this subject and I hope that one day I will have the time and the organisational skills (!) to work the two strands of my work, being the conceptual pieces and jewellery, side by side. Ultimately, in everything I make I want to ensure that there is integrity in the thought processes behind the pieces.

I made this piece from two separate knitted tubes and Shibori felting experiments.


The bobbles run all the way through the middle of the piece! The pieces were hung from the ceiling using invisible thread, creating an ethereal presentation.





Many visitors to the exhibition said the pieces reminded them of sea creatures

Knit and crochet piece- I added my Crocheted strings by hooking them into the knitting machine needles when constructing the tube 

Once I get the Gallery section of my site up and running I can share more, but for now I hope this gives you some insight into how my work and my thoughts develop!