Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour with Contemporary Applied Arts
I’m delighted to showcase my original one-off handwoven artworks and digitally printed designs at this prestigious event from 20-24 September 2021
The remaining chair from the Danis Disruption Collaboration with Jonathan Rose Design also featured alongside the work of other members of Contemporary Applied Arts.
There’s really no need to point out that this year has been challenging for everyone, in varying degrees, and as we approach World Mental Health Day on 10th October, there’s never been a better time to shine a light on the work of MIND – the mental health charity. They are actively trying to help those who are suffering from new or worsened mental health problems as a result of the pandemic, as well as campaigning relentlessly to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Charities have been dealt a double blow this year. Demand for their services has increased significantly and fund raising opportunities have been scaled back for obvious reasons. Whilst I can’t fix the negative impact of COVID-19, I can make a small change to the way I sell my luxury woven textiles, and the decision to donate 10% of the profits from sales of The Bristol Blanket to MIND works for me on a few levels.
I could have done this privately of course, but I’m making the donation part of the story for a few reasons. The main reason is that I think that now, more than ever, we need to keep the conversation about mental health at the top of the list. I’ve no specialist experience in this area, but I do know that things need to change with attitudes and the way many of us handle this part of our lives.
Another reason is that it’s slightly unsettling to have a business that’s doing okay when so many industries and individuals are suffering this year. (Rest assured, I’m thankful). Making this one change means that not only can I see a percentage of my profits go towards helping an organisation that can make a real difference, but it’s also helping my own mental well-being.
The Bristol Blanket is all about feeling good. The bright colours in this sumptuous lambswool blanket are designed to lift spirits and bring joy to homes. Inspired by the colourful Bristol houses which brightened up daily lock down walks, the blanket was created in partnership with Bristol Weaving Mill. The optimistic design reflects the connections with our neighbours and local community, which for many were strengthened during lock down. As an artist, I set out to design a textile that reflected the special bonds that formed from the shared experiences, in the hope that we continue to strengthen them and support each other more in the future. The response so far has been astonishing.
Available from www.angiepakertextiles.com
Saturday 10th October is World Mental Health Day and the message from MIND for this year is ‘Do one thing…for better mental health’. Whether it’s going for a brisk walk or doing something creative simply do one thing that improves your mental well being. There’s loads about it here.
Angie Parker is a weaver, designer and colourist, based at BV Studios in Bedminster. She trained in rug weaving in the 1990’s and started her textile practice in 2014. Her latest collection of handwoven designs and small batch produced textiles has been launched ahead of schedule in September 2020. Subscribers to her newsletter are the first to see new designs and also get access to special offers and exhibition news. Sign up here to keep in the loop.
It’s not everyday that I see one of my woven designs on the cover of a Magazine, and it’s it quite fitting that The Bristol Blanket has made it’s editorial debut in this beautiful October edition of The Bristol Magazine.
I’m delighted to see the images from Article Studio, the stunning furniture from Timberwoolf, my portrait by Alice Hendy Photography and not forgetting the superb team at Bristol Weaving Mill for making this launch so exciting.
See the full issue and feature here
Five feel good things I’d like you to know about The Bristol Blanket
The design is inspired by Bristol’s colourful houses, which brightened up our daily walks during lock down in the Spring. Read more here
It is woven in partnership with Bristol Weaving Mill. A renowned micro mill in the heart of my home city of Bristol which specialises in innovative design. Read more here
The optimistic colours in this sumptuous 100% lambswool blanket are designed to lift your spirits and bring warmth and joy to your home, and it is so soft. (I provide samples for those who prefer to feel the quality of a textile product before they invest. Drop me a line if you’d like to receive one).
The design reflects the connections with our neighbours and local community which for many were strengthened during lock down. As an artist I wanted to design a collection that echoed the special bonds that formed from the shared experiences, in the hope that we continue to strengthen them and support each other.
For every blanket sold, 10% of the profit will go to MIND- the mental health charity.
I’m delighted to launch The Bristol Blanket ahead of schedule and hope I can help to bring warmth and joy to more people this winter. I get that most of us like to know just how soft a blanket is before buying so get in touch here if you’d like me to pop a sample of the cloth in the post. Drop me a line if you have any questions and head over to my online shop to check out this uplifting new design from my Bristol studio.
Did you know that Bristol has a weaving mill?
Not only that, but a weaving mill that specialises in niche cloth production and that is a short walk from the City centre, (and conveniently for me, a 20 minutes walk from my studio).
I first heard about it when it was still a concept in 2014. I was a delegate at the ‘Loom’-A Textile Seminar, as part of the Stroud International textiles program. Chaired by Helen Foot, the seminar brought together a panel of contemporary weavers to discuss their woven production methods and how it affects their practices. The audience was a who’s who of established and emerging weavers, and the impressive lineup of speakers included Kirsty McDougall of Dashing Tweeds, and Franki Brewer, and Juliet Bailey, from renowned textile design studio Dash and Miller amongst others.
This was the first time I heard Franki and Juliet, the founders of Bristol Weaving Mill (BWM), talk about their dream and vision of creating a space where innovative fabric design could embrace traditional manufacturing processes. The result is a micro-mill based in the heart of Bristol which opened its shutters in 2015 and has since gone on to create some of the most exclusive, bespoke, and experimental fabrics imaginable for the international fashion and interior industries.
With such an amazing resource right on my doorstep, it’s no surprise that I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to work with this dynamic team since setting up my business. What I didn’t expect was that the perfect project would come about because of COVID-19. (More about that here).
Creating my new product with BWM during this global pandemic was remarkably straightforward. In part because of the location, but mainly because they are such a bloomin’ fabulously lovely, talented, and professional team. With safety at the forefront of our minds, most of the initial production planning was carried out via email, phone and zoom, as it would have been if I lived further away. But one huge difference was the rather happy coincidence that Rowenna, the Product Development, and Sales Manager, lives four minutes walk from my front door. Having the opportunity to meet face to face on those sweltering sunny days, even if it was in the street, was hugely beneficial when working through the samples and fine-tuning how to translate my handwoven designs to a power loom. As we didn’t have to rely on the postal service, it saved us days. I think we’ll all agree that as much as we’ve embraced the benefits of technology, nothing beats a real-life chat.
I’m delighted to reveal the new collection and The Bristol Blanket woven in partnership with the BWM. The design for this luxurious and soft blanket is inspired by the colourful houses of Bristol which became a familiar and uplifting backdrop to our daily walks during the lockdown. (More about the inspiration here). The micro collection of handwoven rugs, woven art panels, and samples created in my workshop have informed the final design, and I love that we have a product that is typically Angie Parker, and typically Bristol! Head over to my online shop to discover more.
Angie Parker is a weaver, designer, and colourist, based at BV Studios in Bedminster. She trained in rug weaving in the 1990s and started her textile practice 6 years ago. Her latest collection of handwoven designs and small batch-produced textiles has been launched ahead of schedule in September 2020. Subscribers to her newsletter are the first to see new designs and also get access to special offers and exhibition news. Sign up here to keep in the loop.
Inspired by Bristol and woven in partnership with Bristol Weaving Mill.
In the Spring of 2020, like many people, I reshuffled my life and business to fit with the changing shape of living through a pandemic. Planned teaching and usual selling opportunities had slipped away and I had to find a different way to sustain my business and reach my customers, (as well as the added bonus of being a less than adequate home school teacher to our three children).
It was an interesting and sometimes challenging transition, but one that I’m thankful for, especially in light of so many livelihoods that simply don’t have the option of adapting to fit new regulations. And out of this shake-up came the opportunity to action a plan that had been waiting in the wings for the right moment. Enter stage right: The Bristol Blanket
The decision to produce the blanket with Bristol Weaving Mill wasn’t really a decision at all on my part. As I saw my handwoven designs, inspired by the Bristol houses, develop on my sampling loom and in my sketchbooks, it became obvious who I had to work with on this project. Click on the links to read more about the production journey and the inspiration in these additional blog posts.
I’ve continued to weave a limited number of commissioned rugs and art panels throughout the year and was also able to weave the capsule collection, pictured below, to support the new blanket design. In the midst of so much uncertainty in the news, the sessions at the loom were refreshingly grounding and I never take for granted that half my job is to focus on the calming rhythmic process of weaving. That said, it’s been quite full-on, and seeing this project come together during the photo-shoot with the superb Article Studio was quite a momentous day after months of planning.
Five feel-good things I’d like you to know about The Bristol Blanket
The design is inspired by Bristol’s colourful houses, which brightened up our daily walks during the lockdown in the Spring. Read more here
It is woven in partnership with Bristol Weaving Mill. A renowned micro mill in the heart of my home city of Bristol, specialising n innovative design. Read more here
The optimistic colours in this sumptuous 100% lambswool blanket are designed to lift your spirits and bring warmth and joy to your home, and it is so soft. (I provide samples for those who prefer to feel the quality of a textile product before they invest. Drop me a line if you’d like to receive one).
The design reflects the connections with our neighbours and local community which for many were strengthened during the lockdown. As an artist, I wanted to design a collection that echoed the special bonds that formed from the shared experiences, in the hope that we continue to strengthen them and support each other.
For every blanket sold, 10% of the profit will go to MIND- the mental health charity.
I’m delighted to launch The Bristol Blanket ahead of schedule and hope I can help to bring warmth and joy to more people this winter. Drop me a line if you have any questions and head over to my online shop to check out this uplifting new design from my Bristol studio.
Angie Parker is a weaver, designer, and colourist, based at BV Studios in Bedminster. She trained in rug weaving in the 1990s and started her textile practice 6 years ago. Her latest collection of handwoven designs and small batch-produced textiles has been launched ahead of schedule in September 2020. Subscribers to her newsletter are the first to see new designs and also get access to special offers and exhibition news. Sign up here to keep in the loop.
6-9 October 2019 on stand J170 with Design-Nation
ANGIE PARKER TEXTILES & JONATHAN ROSE DESIGN
A COLLABORATION AT DECOREX INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2019
Angie Parker and Jonathan Rose are delighted to present a new take on Scandinavian design at this year’s Decorex International.
Danish Disrupted: A collaborative project of limited edition chairs, designed by Jonathan Rose, with original Krokbargd handwoven textile upholstery by Angie Parker.
Angie’s vivid colours and exacting weaves fit perfectly into Jonathan’s Danish design. All framed in black wood, with further colour options and fabric designs available to order.
Bespoke Krokbragd Rugs: Angie’s signature handwoven rugs take the traditional Scandinavian weaving technique to a new level with her skill twists on this time honoured technique, giving it a contemporary look.
We both look forward to welcoming you to the Design Nation stand J170, at Decorex, Olympia, 6-9 October 2019.
