Meet the Maker: Eynonymous Designs
Eddie Eynon from Eynonymous Designs is a designer-maker based in Wales, who creates beautiful, sumptuous patterned textiles and prints inspired by the flora and fauna of her surroundings. She can often be found walking along rivers and through woodlands, gathering twigs, leaves, feathers and other fragments of nature, which then find their way into her collages and multi-media designs. Once digitally manipulated and printed on fabric, these designs are made into cushions, tote bags, tea towels, head scarves and other accessories rich in detail and colour, all stitched by Eddie on her vintage sewing machine. Eddie tells fellow Folksy maker Kirsteen Hoare from Stitch Studio more…
Eddie is offering 15% off all her beautiful textiles plus free postage while she is our featured maker. Just add code ‘FOLKSYMAKER’ when you check out – Shop Eynonymous Designs on Folksy
My interest in texture and vibrancy comes from having synaesthesia – a blending of the senses – which enables me to see and feel colours in a particular way.
Eddie, Eynonymous Designs
Hello Eddie. Would you introduce yourself and your business?
Hi everyone, I am thrilled to be Folksy’s featured maker. My name is Eddie and I am a mixed-media maker living and working in beautiful Mid Wales with my partner and our two grown-up daughters.
Your work is so rich and vibrant. Where do you get your inspiration and ideas?
I am surrounded by gorgeous landscape, wildlife and nature. Even in inclement weather there is plenty to inspire. My interest in texture and vibrancy comes from having synaesthesia – a blending of the senses – which enables me to see and feel colours in a particular way.
Can you tell us a little more about your design process? I see that you often begin with a mixed media collage…
I started collaging by accident. Heat transfer, where inks are painted on to paper before being printed on fabric, is one of my favourite techniques and I wanted to find a way of using the leftover papers. I realised I could use them to create artwork that could then be digitally manipulated into surface patterns in a simple photo editing app.
Heat transfer, where inks are painted on to paper before being printed on fabric, is one of my favourite techniques
Eddie, Eynonymous Designs
My skills are very basic and just involve lots of layering until I’m happy with a design. The finished tile is sent to a company in the UK to be printed on to a variety of fabrics.
What is your favourite thing to design or make?
My favourite design is my ‘Waters Lovely’ fish pattern. I combined my watercolour painting of a trout with a ‘twiggy’ heat transfer print in an attempt to convey the feeling of the fish being just under the surface of the water. It took quite a lot of patience and tweaking to create a seamless pattern tile which works particularly well printed on velvet and made into a cushion.
What would you say your most essential tools are?
The most essential tools I use are pipettes to create random patterns with my heat transfer inks, a heat press, a second-hand laptop and my sewing machine.
I love the thought of you working on your vintage sewing machine. Where did it come from and why do you choose to use a vintage machine?
I was looking for a sturdy sewing machine with free machine embroidery capabilities. Thrift and a love of all things Retro led me to Ebay where, on impulse I fell for a 1970s Viking with lots of accessories. It arrived looking immaculate, but completely unusable. Luckily, with the help of YouTube and a new cam, my very patient partner managed to get it working, and it now takes pride of place in my studio. The Viking lets me sew through the thickest fabrics with ease and seems indestructible. I also own a beautiful Elna which is amazing for delicate stitching.
What do you do to relax when you’re not working?
Walking helps me relax when I am not working. Although I still take my phone with me to take pictures of interesting objects and textures I may come across.
Have you found your work has changed through the challenges of Covid and lockdowns?
Covid and repeated Lockdowns have affected the way we all work. As a fledgling business I have been finding my feet on social media. It has been a huge learning curve, but I have ‘met’ lots of lovely makers on Instagram and taken part in online markets. Folksy has been a constant comforting presence throughout this pandemic.
What are your hopes for this year?
I plan to develop my home accessories range this year. People have spent so much time in their homes that they may feel the need for change. I am also looking forward to taking part in physical markets again. Being able to meet and talk to customers in person is so important.
Treat yourself to 15% off Eynonymous Designs plus free postage with discount code ‘FOLKSYMAKER’ – only valid until 28 February 2021.
Shop Eynonymous Designs on Folksy – folksy.com/shops/Eynonymous
Meet the interviewer
The maker asking the questions this week is Kirsteen from Stitch Studio who makes adorable animals in felt. You can read our interview with Kirsteen here Meet the Maker – Stitch Studio and shop Stitch Studio on Folksy here > https://folksy.com/shops/StitchStudio
