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| Nicola working in her studio |
How did you get into needlecraft?
I have always had a passion for arts and crafts and spent my early working years in art, design and illustration having gained a higher diploma at art school. My love of needlework came from my mother who was an exceptional needlewoman. She encouraged me to sew and knit from a really early age.
My love for 'petit point' grew steadily after discovering the wonderful world of dolls house miniatures back in 1992. I found it a joy to create designs inspired by historic needlework. I particularly enjoyed the challenge of producing items to scale. I work on a marvellous fabric called 'silk gauze'. This is a fine mesh with varying degrees of hole size. Many of my designs are stitched on 40 count gauze (40 stitches per inch) with one strand of cotton. I also work on finer counts with pure silk thread. My finest designs are worked on 72 count. This is very challenging and a good magnifier is very important.
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| Parrot Cushion |
What inspires you in your artworks?
In the past two years my interest has mainly been in miniature rugs and carpets. I adore the intricate designs of Oriental rugs which lend themselves so well to the medium in which I work. I am currently working on a 'William Morris' carpet which I saw at Tate Britain last year.
When I have time, I love to visit Historic houses, Museums and Galleries. The sumptuous upholstery, wallhangings, cushions, carpets etc found in such places are always inspirational to me. The V&A Museum in London has been a constant source of inspiration. I am also an avid viewer of historical dramas and documentaries.
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| Juliette Rug |
Can you give us an insight into your process of creating your products from start to finish?
Some of my designs come purely from my imagination. As in painting, I just start from a blank canvas with maybe a vague idea in my mind. I have a wonderful cross stitch design programme on my PC which enables me to play around with ideas from a wide pallete of colours. Many of my designs are scaled down imitations of actual designs. Here I often begin by scanning a photo into my PC to give me a vague idea of the scaled down pattern. This then has to be modified and simplified over and over until I am happy with the general pattern (or chart). This can sometimes take a week or more. I begin stitching but inevitably have to make alterations as I go. For this, the cross stitch program is invaluable to me.
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| Scallop Footstool |
How do you keep yourself organised?
I rarely run out of ideas as one design usually leads to another. I try to organize my time so that I don't spend all day (and I mean ALL day) sewing. I have to keep on top of my stock of kits as these are my bread and butter. I sell finished items regularly to collectors but it is very hard to charge a realistic hourly rate. I often receive commissions and usually rise to the challenge. If I am not inspired by the request I will not accept the commission.
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| Floral/Ribbon Rug |
I am not a particularly organised person and once every so often I have to take a step back and assess what I am currently doing. I get so immersed in a project (particularly a carpet or a rug) that its easy to get blinkered. The only time I really manage to organise myself is when a dolls house fair is looming. Each year I attend 5 or 6 fairs. About 4 weeks prior to the fair I set up my stand in my studio to see what needs doing. I prioritise and make numerous lists. It's always essential that I have kits available for all the items I display unless they are 'one-offs'.
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| Strawberry Thief Cushion |
More info about Nicola can be found on her website by clicking on the link above or going to www.nicolamascallminiatures.co.uk
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