University News Last updated 04 October 2012
A textile design lecturer from Birmingham City University hopes to bring the outdoors inside with the launch of a collection of handmade textile and paper products inspired by her love of kitchen gardens and allotments.
Kate Farley, a lecturer on the Textile Design degree course at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) – part of Birmingham City University – launched her ‘Plot to Plate’ collection at the Top Drawer gift trade show in London last month.
Taking inspiration from her own allotment in Birmingham, Kate’s collection reflects the journey of home-grown vegetables - from the vegetable plot to the plate - celebrating the home-grown, home-cooked ethic. The collection consists of tea towels, notebooks and cotton bags with designs featuring garden rakes and kitchen whisks to knives and forks.
The Top Drawer show proved a great success with the collection being awarded ‘Product GB’ status as Kate sources quality British paper and currently prints and stitches the products herself.
Kate commented: “Outsourcing is clearly something I need to consider now, but it has been fantastic to receive such positive market feedback and interest in well-made, crafted items with design integrity.”
The hard work of designing, sourcing materials and making products, as well as promotion of the collection has been carried out alongside Kate’s day-to-day job at the University.
She added: “It’s so important to me that as a lecturer I practice what I teach, that the students can see how things happen – and for me, that I don’t only tell others how to do it, but that I get on and do it too – even if that means being very busy!”
For further information on Kate’s designs or to make a purchase please visit her website.