Inside the mill

If you have ever wondered how tartan is made, here are some photos of a mill I visited this week in Scotland.  I love visiting factories, and most of these mills have amazing clanky old victorian machinery that still work, so many skilled workers, and lots of colourful wool! 

Design for the Fogo Island Inn

A couple of years ago, I was asked to visit the most remote Island called Fogo Island. Off the coast of Newfoundland the island had around 20,000 inhabitants, and the population is dwindling.  An amazing woman called Zita Cobb was born there, and after a successful career in Canada, she had decided to set up a foundation to create employment and to try to give youngsters a reason to stay.  She decided to create an Inn and everything from the building work to the materials, right down to the sheets on the beds had to be sourced and made on the island with the skills they had.  I was lucky enough to be selected by Ilse Crawford to help with the interiors.  The Inn is finished now, and it looks breathtaking!

The most amazing view- The inn sits on the shore and all the rooms over loo the powerful sea.  

 The Inn was designed by Canadian Architect Todd Saunders, and modern structure echoes the fishing huts which are built on stilts all around the shore.

 Here are some shots of the interior- I designed the chair, pouffe and wallpaper above.

 The patchwork quilts are made by the islands guild.

Close up of the Bertha chair, which was inspired by the Island's tradition of boat building. The chair was made by the boat builders, and cushions made by the patchwork guild. http://www.fogoislandinn.ca/fii/a-chair-named-bertha/

What an amazing place! http://www.fogoislandinn.ca

Valentine's Day, Mid-Winter Sample Sale, and February Giveaway!

February is one of our favourite months because of Valentine's Day! It's nice to have a little holiday to remind us to celebrate and treat the people we love.

We've put together some gift ideas for you, which include two new prints - a great gift to show someone you like how much you appreciate them, and each print is signed by Donna:

And in the spirit of celebrating those we love, for our giveaway this month we'd like you to share with us your favourite thing(s) about a person you love in the comments section of this blog! Two lucky winners will win our House Scarf in red. Thank you for participating and we look forward to reading your entries! :) (Our lucky January giveaway winner was Kerstin Duffy.) 

And in other news this month, we are excited to announce our first ever mid-winter Sample Sale! 

This is an opportunity for some happy shopping as well as to see where we work as it will be in our studio. 

Here are the dates and times:

Friday, 21 Feb (6-8pm)

Saturday, 22 Feb (11am-5pm)

Sunday, 23 Feb (11am-4pm)

Location:

Donna Wilson Studio

17 Pundersons Gardens

Unit 8a (Ground Floor)

E2 9QG

1 min walk from Bethnal green underground station

We will be offering a whole slew of winter woollies: scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, and lots of ceramics too. Please note that this time around we will not have a large offering of cushions.

Up to 50% select scarves, hats, and mittens so stock up now! 
Our winters here are long! 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here to see the Facebook Page. 

Make Something: a collaboration with John Lewis + January giveaway!

Happy new year to all!

In the spirit of new beginnings and the hope of great things to come this year, we are offering our Oak Leaf Tree Cushion for our January giveaway!

To enter the giveaway, please submit a few lines about new beginnings and fresh starts as a comment on this blog post! And don't forget to include your email address so we can contact you for your address if you're a winner! :)

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This month we are also very proud to present to you Donna's most recent collaboration with John Lewis:

Make Something is a collection of knitting, sewing, and other craft-oriented accessories designed by Donna with the hopes of promoting hobbies and activities that give people a chance to use their hands.

These days, so much of what we do involves looking at a screen or interacting with a device. Nearly everything seems to be turning virtual and as a result, we can easily lose touch with the tangible world around us and our ability to use our hands and be creative.

This range was designed with this in mind, and the idea that maybe we could benefit from taking some time out every now and then to slow down and make something!

 
 

 
 

The collection includes handy totes, knitting cases, sewing kits, and more, all available at John Lewis stores and online.

Donna Wilson Book Launch + Happy Christmas!

It's nearly Christmas now and we have had such a busy holiday period! Today is our last day in the studio for 2013 but before we close the year of our tenth anniversary, we're proud to announce the release of the new Donna Wilson book:  Odd Objects & Textiles.

 This book is the first complete retrospective of Donna's work over the past decade. With each page, you get a glimpse into Donna's world and insight on her inspirations and design processes. Vibrant photographs document her collections, past and present.

 
 

Donna would like to add:
"Doing this book has made me look back on all the projects I have been involved in and the wonderful people I have worked with along the way. I would like to say a special thanks to all my customers, some have collected my work, and supported me from the very beginning. Thank you, without you I wouldn't be able to make the things I make!"

 And with that, Happy Christmas everyone, Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you all in 2014!

 xx