We are so excited to have Rosy Appleton with us selling her wonderfully unique products made from fabric woven by her own fair hands! Being involved in every step of the production of her product range is truly inspiring. Come and see her work on Saturday 29th November.
Please introduce yourself….
Hello, I am Rosy from Rosy Appleton Woven, and I make woven things. I studied Textiles at De Montfort University and Winchester School of Art and fell in love with weaving. I liked the preciseness and technical limitations that you have to work around to get something new and interesting.
Describe the products you currently make to sell
My current collection of fabric is all woven with Shetland wool. It is really homely and comforting, very soft and comes in lots of colours. I make my fabric into fashion and home accessories, such as cushions, door stops, lavender bags, scarves, iPad cases and tote bags.
Where and when do you design and make your products?
I design and sample my fabrics on a table loom at home. I am the woven textiles technician at DMU, so over the summer on my days off I got to weave all my fabric on the bigger (and slightly faster!) looms. It was hard work. Since then I’ve been busy on my sewing machine making my products.
How long have you been selling your wares and how did it begin?
When I finished uni I really missed weaving so I bought myself a little loom with some money I inherited. I was living in a tiny flat at the time so I went for the smallest to fit it in. When I first had the idea of making and selling it was too difficult to keep up with production.
So now I have this job it’s perfect to fit in the extra work. And the benefit of working at a uni is fantastic for inspiration, the equipment and having lots of creative brains to pick!
What drew you to the Brighton to sell, if you are not a ‘native’?
After university I moved down to Brighton. My Mum and brother had already moved down and I had visited many times and loved it. I moved back up to Leicester when I was offered my job. I really miss the creative atmosphere and the amazing shops and bars and restaurants. So selling in Brighton is an excuse to soak it all up again.
Any other crafty disciplines you like to practice?
I like to try out all sorts of crafty things. I make some beaded jewelry, I dip dyed a duvet cover, Harris tweed cushions for my living room, anything really. I bake a lot too, if that counts?!
What inspires the things you make?
I tend to come across one thing or another that will spark off a chain of memories which I use as my inspiration. My current collection is inspired by childhood memories. I bought a skirt from Beyond Retro that reminded me of Licorice Allsorts, which reminded me of my Nana, which reminded me of other memories of being little and that started off the process for me.
Personal motto?
‘It is what it is.’ Weaving can be a very slow and at times a frustrating process. There’s no point in getting annoyed if you have to spend time fixing something, struggling with tension issues or rushing to a deadline, as it is what is and you just need to get on with it!
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