Our 'meet the maker' series, showcases some of the wonderful artists and makers who sell their products in the maltings stores.

We recently caught up with Brie Harrison, designer of this year's thread festival image, to learn more about her work as an illustrator and the inspiration behind her designs. Brie's 'Haberdashery' image will soon be available to purchase as an A4 print from maltings stores.

What is your favourite drawing or painting in your portfolio and why?

My favourite piece is probably my Muscari Flowers card - muscari or grape hyacinths are probably my favourite all time flowers and it’s the season right now for them. I don’t seem to to get bored of this image and I like the colour combination and balance.

Flowers and the natural world often feature in your designs. How would you describe your own relationship with nature and how does this translate in your work?

Nature is very much part of my daily life and I love my garden and spend a lot of time in it (my studio overlooks it too so I’m very lucky). I live in a small town but can walk to the river and the woods nearby with my son and it contributes to a big part of our wellbeing. Nature translates into my work I hope by showing the simplicity and joy it can bring to us all.

You work with both fabric and paper. Do you have a preference?

I love both but there’s something so fresh about paper.

When did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career as an illustrator?

I had been working as a print designer for many years in the textile industry and decided I wanted to create work that came from my heart and so illustration felt like the perfect transition.

What piece of advice would you give to someone who’d like to start illustrating?

Start small, keep creating, visit places that inspire you, collaborate on projects with others and participate in fairs/markets.

You created a beautiful image for this year’s thread… a festival of textiles. Where did the inspiration for the design come from?

It came from thinking about my mum’s sewing box she has - I remember loving all the components to it when I was small.

Learn more about Brie and her work by following her on Instagram and Twitter.

brieharrison.com

image credit: @mybearhut