Merry Christmas and thank you all!

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Hi everyone , I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for all your support over the past year.  We have had such a great response to the give away, from wall paper to hairbrushes!  some of your suggestions are already in the pipeline so keep an eye out in the new year.  We will announce the winner at the end of December so keep them coming!
A couple of the suggestions have been done already! so I wanted to show you a couple of things you can get on the website, or check the stockists details for a shop near you.
Very cosy bed socks, they are knitted in double thickness lambswool, made in Scotland, and I can personally vouch for these, they are sooooo cosy!  I wear them in my boots to keep my toes warm in the studio.
Also, I have a book that you can find lots of pattens to knit your very own creatures.  You need to have a little exerience in knitting, but the patterns very from simple to more advanced.
It's called the knitted odd-bod bunch, and we have some on the web site, but you can also buy it at any good book stores.
This is one of my favorite patterns as you can knit your very own draft excluder.
Published by Cico books, available in the UK and the USA.

well all that leaves me to say is HAVE A LOVELY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
 ps. we're not at wok from the 22nd of December until the 4th of January, 
so see you in 2011!


December give away!!! £100 to spend on the web site

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Ok, finish off the year in style I would like to offer one lucky person a £100 gift voucher to redeem on the website.
This voucher could have your name on it........all you have to do is add a comment to this posting suggesting something you would like to see us produce next year!
The winner will be chosen at random at the end of December.  I'm excited to see what you'll come up with.

xx

Knitted Wedding

Back in 2005 I was lucky enough to be part of this Knitted Wedding! Organised by Rachel Mathews of Cast-Off knitting club, (and prick your finger knitting shop) for Freddie Robins and Ben Coode-Adams.
As you can see EVERYTHING was knitted.........

even the minister's dog collar
......the guest's cameras

the flowers and decorations and the cakes and sandwiches!

...the train, which I knitted on my machine was 30 meters long!
....and the confetti was made from 1000's of pom poms!

It was the best wedding ever! to find out more and see more pics, go to http://www.castoff.info/
Then we had a knitted disco!!

(not so) christmas cards .... Brand new!

Monday 6 December 2010

Hello everyone, feeling Christmassy yet?
Well with the snow here and the smell of mulled wine in the studio (left over from the weekends sample sale) WE ARE!!
and just in time, unless you are super organized we have added some new Christmas cards to our range.



Beautifully printed on thick card these are special cards to send to your loved ones. Not just for Christmas as they are blank inside for your own personal message. Each pack contains 5 different cards - Oh deer, Use my beard to keep you cosy, Eskimo Girl, Wolfie and Olive Owl.
size A5 21cm x 15cm

They are £12.00 for the pack of 5 and you can get them exclusively on our website.
follow this link:
Happy Christmas!!



Donna Wilson article in the Guardian Saturday 4th December

Sunday 5 December 2010




I've been very lucky to have had lots of press at the moment, here's one I'm really proud of. 

Article by Hannah Booth.

Homespun is cool

Her folksy designs are tapping into the zeitgeist. 
But can Donna Wilson stay cool while making it big?
Wilson produces most of her work from a cramped workshop in east London. Photograph: Daniel Stier

At times, a designer can be so "of the moment" it seems daft for anyone else to bother. In the late 90s, Cath Kidston's 1950s florals swept everything before them, but despite jaw-dropping profitability her cutesy chintz began to take on the tinge of over-exposure. A few years later, Orla Kiely designed a much-desired graphic flower that has become so ubiquitous it's now decorating radios and casserole dishes.
This, though, is Donna Wilson's moment. The Scottish designer, 33, iseverywhere: her knitted, animal-shaped cushions are best-sellers at John Lewis and Heal's; her patterned sofas, armchairs and pouffes are one of furniture retailer SCP's most popular products; and her cutesy-scary stuffed creatures are the biggest thing in Japan since sushi. Her work sells in 25 countries.
As with other success stories, it's part luck, talent and timing. Wilson, who grew up on a farm in the Scottish countryside, is purveyor of a kind of naive craftwork — all Nordic patterns, cosy knits and owls. Her products, including blankets, ceramics, scarves, gloves, hats and, from January,rugs, are warm, comforting and nostalgic, perfect for a Britain gripped by swingeing cuts.
Wilson produces most of her work from a cramped workshop in east London, employing two full-time staff. All her smaller pieces, such as toys and scarves, are knitted on a machine – "I'm such a slow hand-knitter," she says. Larger blankets and cushions are knitted by a small, family-run business in Galashiels on the Scottish border. When I visit, the workshop is littered with cushion covers pegged on to lines to dry, and smells strongly of wet sheep. "I could have gone down the factory route, but I wanted to keep as much control as possible," she says.
Donna Wilson pieces
She studied at the Royal College of Art and knew from the off that she wanted start her own business. While still a student, she knocked on the door of west London design store, Couverture, showed them her knitted dolls – a college project – and they bought six on the spot. From then on, they ordered 20 a month. "They were £20 each, so they paid my rent through college." Wilson graduated in 2003.
Her first big market was Japan. She took part in a design show there after graduation, and by the time she'd got home, there were large orders for her animal scarves and knitted creatures, particularly the weirder-looking ones. "I thought, oh my God I need help," recalls Wilson, who then hired her first employee.
By the time SCP had spotted her, buying first her creatures, then cushions and blankets, Wilson's flat, which was doubling as her studio, had grown too small. So she took on a studio space with a friend. "It felt like a huge risk at the time."
The high street came calling two years ago when Heal's approached her to design a cushion. John Lewis contacted her soon after. "I never thought my work would sell there," she says. Why? "It's so huge, I always assumed I'd just end up in small design shops."
Does she feel her rise has been meteoric? "It feels more slow and steady," she says. "But things have really taken off in the past two years. I was worried about the recession, but that's because we're a small company. We've always been really resourceful, and luckily it doesn't seem to have affected us – we're still growing and it's going really well."
How about her status as the next big thing (the day after we meet, she emails me to tell me she's just been awarded Elle Decoration's British Designer of the Year)? Does she worry about exhausting the Donna Wilson brand – and that her faux naive designs will end up on laptop cases?
"I'm not doing any conscious brand-building," she says. "I am an admirer of the likes of Orla Kiely, but I like being slightly more niche. I like being hands-on, it's the part of my job I enjoy the most. I still feel more comfortable with a needle and thread as opposed to a calculator."
Wilson hasn't taken a holiday this year. "I don't mind working hard when it's my own business, but I get homesick for Scotland. I miss the countryside," she says. Her parents, both farmers, are hugely proud of her success. "But it wasn't until I was featured in The Press and Journal when they really said, ooh, she's made it."

studio sample sale extravaganza !

Friday 26 November 2010

 Hi everyone, we're having our sample sale next weekend. lots of bargains and goodies for Christmas. Cushions, scarves, little unwanted creatures, and lots more!


here's the info:



FESTIVE STUDIO SAMPLE SALE

opening times:
Thursday 2nd December: 18.00 - 21.00
Friday 3rd December: 12.00 - 18.30
Saturday 4th December: 10.00 - 18.00
Sunday 5th December: 10.00 -15.00


address:
Unit 12, 10-14 Hollybush Gardens, London, E2 9QP.
less than 1 minute from Bethnal Green underground on central line. Our studio neighbour Thorsten van Elten will also be opening his warehouse, which will be packed with bargains too! Go to: www.thorstenvanelten.com or www.theo-theo.com to have a look at what may be on offer there.

Donna's House at the Future Perfect New York

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Hello! wanted to tell you about my first show in the USA, in their two shops in New York. The fantastic Future Perfect have built me a wooden house and filled it with knitted goodies. Everything in the show is for sale, so perfect for your Christmas shopping! Exclusively for the show there are four very tall knitted people who will be watching you as you wonder around the magical, colourful knitted wonderland! 


Here are the details:


Come visit Donna Wilson's house loaded with creatures, pillows, poufs, china, mittens, scarves, furniture, trays, porcelain and specially created one-of-a-kind pieces at The Future Perfect. At both shops and runs through the holiday season.

Her "HOUSE" is at:
The Future Perfect Manhattan
55 Great Jones Street
New York, NY 10012
(bleecker 6 stop)

And there's a brand new selection of items at:
The Future Perfect Brooklyn
115 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(bedford L stop)



Donna Wilson wins the British designer of the year - Elle Decoration

Friday 12 November 2010

A couple of months ago I found out that my Mog plate was shortlisted for the Elle Decoration design awards, unfortunately Mog didn't win, but I just found out that I won the designer of the year!

So thank you to all my lovely customers for all their support, and of course my fantastic Staff as without them I wouldn't be able to do what I do:  Erin, Laura, Kate, Kristina and Imogen who all work so hard (especially over the last couple of months) (sounds like I've won an oscar!

Also thanks so much to Elle Decoration and http://www.thebritishdesignawards.com

The article is in Decembers Elle deco out now.

Designer of the Year

Donna Wilson

There’s no-one quite like textiles queen Donna Wilson. Her fabulous products include colourful cushions, tea-time accessories, playful ceramics and, of course, the starting point for the whole shebang — her collection of curious knitted creatures. In 2010, three new additions to the creature family have won our hearts: bashful ‘Wolfie’, who collects spoons; ‘Peanut’, who needs coaxing out of his shell; and ‘Puddle Man’, who likes to whistle when it rains. Imaginative, quirky, cool. Need we say more?



Donna Wilson article in the NYTimes

Thursday 28 October 2010


Donna Wilson has become the Tim Burton of London’s knitting circle. Back when the designer was a student at the Royal College of Art, she began crafting dolls out of old ‘‘jumpers,’’ the British word for sweaters. The leggy dolls without noses or mouths were picked up by Couverture, a chic lifestyle shop. Today, Wilson’s quirky menagerie includes 30-odd creatures, like the charming hybrid Cyril Squirrel-Fox and Puddle Man (essentially a pool of water with a face), all of which are made from knitted lamb’s wool in Wilson’s East End workshop, not to mention cushions, throws, ottomans, sofas and rugs. Many of these are commissions from and collaborations with SCP, the British home furnishings manufacturer.
The daughter of farmers, Wilson grew up in Banff in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and recalled an idyllic childhood playing in the fields. ‘‘It
was inside me but also encouraged by my grandma,’’ Wilson said of her urge to make things. When she taught herself machine knitting, she discovered that she could ‘‘replicate textures found in nature,’’ and her memories filtered into her art in the form of natural landscapes and textures like moss, bark and stone. ‘‘It still amazes me that you can create a fabric from a bit of yarn,’’ she said.
At the R.C.A. she was tutored by the artist Freddie Robins, whose freehand method of knitting fascinated her. She ended up participating in Robins’s wedding, a six-month performance project that involved knitting every detail of the celebration, including the flowers, cake, confetti, sandwiches and patchwork wedding gown, for which Wilson contributed the 98-foot train.
Wilson’s homespun aesthetic is a patchwork as well. ‘‘She has an instinctive understanding of color and design, plus this strong knowledge of materials,’’ said Sheridan Coakley, SCP’s founder. An early commission from SCP was the Motley, a rainbow-colored Chesterfield ottoman. Recent collaborations include Nos Da (Welsh for ‘‘good night’’), a collection of throws, blankets and pillows — in brilliant hues and hyper-geometric patterns — that is manufactured in Wales using a heavy Yorkshire yarn that exploits the traditional Welsh dobby weave. And a series of Sundara rugs woven in Bikaner, in Northern India, has oversize patterns reminiscent of brightly colored Fair Isle sweaters, a signature knitting style from Wilson’s native land.
This month, the Future Perfect will present a selection of Wilson’s new work at its Brooklyn and Manhattan stores. ‘‘At first glance, Donna’s work is childlike, but when you get to know her, you see that there’s really nothing childish about it,’’ said David Alhadeff, the Future Perfect’s owner. ‘‘There’s something about knitting that’s very familiar, simple and comfortable.’’ Indeed, even Wilson’s weirdest creatures are not without their comforts. ‘‘They’re odd,’’ she said. ‘‘But you want to look after them.


Article written by Melissa Feldman

Thanks Melissa!

Otto's monster

Wednesday 27 October 2010


 I had a visit to the studio today by Otto who is 10. He is making his own monsters with bits of felt, he hand stitches them and fills them with rice. He told me that he attaches plastic bags onto them and when they're thrown up in the air, the plastic back becomes a parachute.  He showed me his amazing sketch book which was full of sketches of monsters he's going to make and sell to his friends.  Reminded me of my sketchbooks that I used to do when I was young, I used to sell things made of Fimo to friends and family too. (lucky them!)

Here's a page from his book with pictures of my creatures as inspiration, but I think I was the one who was most impressed! well done Otto!

Our knitted banks in Isetan windows Tokyo

Thursday 21 October 2010

I've blogged about this already, but just wanted to share some of the photos I have just been sent from the piggybank exhibition at Isetan. The windows look great!


Piggy banks at Isetan

Thursday 14 October 2010

I was asked by Isetan, the Japanese department store to design design a piggy bank, and naturally thought of the ceramic variety, but they wanted me to knit them!
Here's a sneak preview of the different characters. If you squeeze their mouths together they open up so you can stash your cash in them!


The show will be on at Piggy banks collection at Shinjuku Isetan
from 10/27-11/9 2010
At stage 5 on 5th floor

Donna Wilson biscuits and sweets!

Tuesday 5 October 2010

 I've been working with my Japanese distributor Trico recently, designing buscuits and chocolates  for Japanese department store Isetan.  Here are a few pictures,  They are fantastic!


 This is an image from their catalogue. They have made them so delicate and beautiful! 


 cloud biscuits with faces! made by http://www.angkorcookies.com



some images from Isetan http://www.isetan.co.jp/



so if you are in Tokyo please go and have a look and get some cookies- they are only on sale there for a limited time!  I am getting some sent over so I will let you know how they taste!!

London Design Week

Thursday 16 September 2010

Can't believe it's London Design week again, time is passing so quickly!

We have a few exciting things to tell you about this year.
--------
SCP
We are having a London Launch of all our new Rugs upstairs at SCP 135 Curtain Road, East London.
 The Sundara Rug collection is a range of 5 designs using different techniques such as hand tufting, weaving and braiding. They are wonderfully textural and of course a feast of pattern and colour!
 www.scp.co.uk for more information.
So come along and see them in the flesh(or wool!)
18th till the 26th of September

Also at SCP 'All lovely stuff' are launching their range of unique household products. can't wait to see that!

 --------

British furniture company Ercol are exbiting at Tent London

I am delighted to collaborate with Ercol on a special peice for the show at Tent. No images to show yet as we're still working on it, but we have created a giant knitted cover for the studio couch. It's beautiful, hand made, soft and textural! The studio couch is one of my favourite peices from the Ercol collection originally designed in the 1950's. and proud to say they are still being produced in their fantastic Buckinghamshire factory.

------------

 I also have joined an exhibition called what's mine is yours, which has been kindly organized by Richard Shed.

What’s mine is yours is a collection of furniture, product and graphic works which explore the shared domestic space between children and adults.

Venue: 270 Hackney Road, London, E2 7SJ
Dates: 23_09_2010 to 26_09_2010
Open: 10:00 to 19:00

go to: http://whatsmineisyours.posterous.com/ to find out more about the projects.

------

so enjoy design week, and for those of you that can't make it I will update my blog with images next week!
... over and out















Mog has been shortlisted for the British design awards!

We are excited to announce that our Mog plate has been shortlisted for the British design Awards 2010!
Featured in this months Elle decoration, this is what it says:
"Since Donna Wilson started out seven years ago making curious knitted creatures for her Royal College of Art graduation show, she's carved out a unique niche with her playful textiles and ceramics. This graphic bone china plate is mischevious yet minimal. £20 (donnawilson.com)"

.....Thanks Elle Deco!

to vote and see what else has been shortlisted go to www.thebritishdesignawards.com

(voting closes on the 13th of October)

Sundara Rug collection with SCP

Monday 23 August 2010

I have just launched a brand new collection of rugs, with British design manufacturer SCP.  Rugs are something I've wanted to do for a while, as they are in between textiles and furniture, so they were a perfect collaboration for us.   I even visited the factory in India where these are made. it was so inspiring to see everything being done under one roof, from sorting out the raw fleece, to spinning , dying and weaving.  it was a great set up.

Above is Mountain spot, which is a flat weave kilim, so very practical and usable in any house, inspired by some of the geometric mountain peak like patterns that I like using. This one is in beautiful shades of blues and turquoises.


Above is Fairisle, which (as the name suggests) is inspired by fairisle sweaters, it's woven from thick textural yarn, 100% New Zealand wool and is available in 3 colourways. It's really thick and soft, and is made using a really interesting technique which looks like knitting!

These are the two other colourways- slate grey with almost neon pink, and a natural brown with a contrasting zig zag of mustard- delicious! 
Scope is a tufted rug inspired by fragments of shape and colour like a kaleidoscope, in beautiful turquoises and peaches.
Whirl, is made up of hundreds of autumn leaves, in may trademark naive style, will be available in two more colourways.


and finally - corners, a plain rug with bright contrasting corners, ideal with a coffee table or sofa on top!

for more information about the rugs, sizes/prices etc, please contact http://www.scp.co.uk/

but let me know what you think xx