Artisan of the week, Rachel of Melted Fabrics

Oooooooooo OOo OOOOooooo! I've been dying to share the Artisan of the week with you all this week. Rachel of Melted Fabrics' work just wows the pants off me. She uses fabric in a way I have never really seen before and I have to say I really like what I see. I'm going to hush up now and allow you to read all about her and follow the links to her items (Click the photos) so you can drool in delight at her fabulous work.

1. Could you please introduce us to who you are and what you do?
I’m Rachel. I live in Devon and I make textiles, wall hangings, art quilts, bags, art dolls/figurines and I write books about textiles. I make textiles from layered fabrics- I use a lot of recycled clothes. I used to melt fabrics with soldering irons and hot air guns (hence the name of my website- Rachel’s Melted Fabrics) but I don’t tend to do that so much any more.

2. What led you to take up your craft?
I first discovered textiles art at school but I went on to study Costume for the Screen and Stage at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth. In my final year I discovered that I enjoyed making textiles samples more than cursing corsets and sewing and unpicking the same seam over and over!

3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
I guess it depends which type of mood I’m in. I love coming up with ideas- being excited by the possibility of something new. I love layering up pieces of fabric- that’s a pretty peaceful process. I love when I’ve sewn into layered fabrics enough that they start to “firm up” and become one coherent piece I can work into.

4. Which part do you find hardest?
Fitting everything in. I want to create beautiful textiles and write books about them. I have a novel manuscript to edit and then there’s promoting my website and stores which takes up so much time. I also want to spin yarn and knit and learn how to do free form crochet.

5. Where do you hope to be in 1 year’s time?
I hope I’m stewarding a “Melted Fabrics” exhibition, adding the finishing details to an amazing art quilt, thinking about my finished textiles books, finished novel, and my 100 Squidoo lenses, teaching a series of workshops and planning a trip to Peru- maybe that’s a bit too much for one year!

6. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
General advice:
I think it came from one of Paulo Coelho’s books- something along the lines of “If you want something, the universe will test how badly you want it before you get it”. In other words if you really want something then don’t give up because times get hard.

Business Advice:
There’s so much good advice on the web for handmade businesses and I used to let it all wash over me. My advice is to start listening to it!

7. Could you name artisans sites/shops would you recommend are worth a visit?
Here are a few of my favourites.

Colette Copeland Studio
Barbe Saint John
Ebren Designs
Plucky Fluff
Ruth Rae
Noadi's Art

8. What is your favourite sandwich filling?
Anything that isn’t wrapped up with bread- I have a wheat intolerance- and wheat-free bread is like chewing sawdust!

So just how right was I to be excited at seeing her work? Isn't it just spectacular! You can find Rachel's work for sale on her own website, Artfire, Folksy and Etsy shops. I'd advise visiting all of them. Thank you so much for joining in with our blog Rachel. It's made my week. I hope all your plans for the next year come to fruition. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops