What is this?

Throughout the month of January, Artisan Crafts Month, I will be posting interviews with artisans who have made a difference on dA either through their own artisan crafts, or the effort they put into the community (and it's usually a combination of the two!)

This is the interview with `kittyvane, Textiles Queen.

First, a little about `kittyvane.

Having learnt how to sew at the age of five from her grandmother, this artisan knows a lot about textiles. After high school she found herself at school learning costuming, and sometimes found herself elbow deep in projects. After graduating, she took a 4 year break from the Costuming world - she simply needed a break. She now spends her time creating small toys and doll clothes. She has learned a few things from her work in textiles, and perhaps the most important is, as she says, "there really isn't anything you can't do if you just believe it's possible and put your mind to it. The trick is to never think that it can't be done."

The Interview

Life on dA.

Q: How has your artwork changed since you joined dA?

A: For one, coming here broke my 4 year block of no sewing. The sheer flood of inspiration is just too overwhelming to avoid getting bitten by the crafting bug yourself and having such an encouraging, supportive environment to share your work with just adds more fuel to the fire.


Q: You often post themed news article features. What is your inspiration for these?

A: The purpose of the Plushology articles is to promote the idea of plushies as art and to bring attention to unknown artists. I believe that plushies are just as much an art form as say, painting or sculpture. Plushie artists express a myriad of emotions and ideas through their work and I try my best to showcase this.
That and it's such a whole lot of fun to wade through the Plushie gallery looking for new work to feature! I keep a long, long list of artists and plushies just waiting to be featured and I add to it pretty much daily.
I really hope that the community enjoys the Plushology articles as much as I do making them.


Q: How have you seen Artisan Crafts grow since you joined dA?

A: When I joined DA way back in 2002, there wasn't a separate gallery for artisan craft pieces, so you just had to plop them where ever you thought would best suit the piece in question. Since the birth of the AC-gallery, the volume of artisan craft pieces submitted here has exploded! And it just keeps on growing!
In addition to the ever growing number of AC-deviations, the selection has diversified from what it was all those years back, with all sorts of crafts being represented here now, from woodworking to culinary art and everything in between.
I think it's great that more and more crafters are joining DA, bringing the joy of crafts to the attention of more "traditional" artists and the public at large.


Q: What AC projects are you involved with on dA?

A: Umh... I'm a little ashamed to admit that besides the Plushology articles, none.
There's a lot of stuff I'd love to take part in, but sadly I never seem to find the time to do so with real life taking up much too much time.
I think this year I'll try and take a more active part in the AC-community.

Life through ART.

Q: Where and how did you start Textile work?

A: Like I said earlier, I've been sewing since I was a kid. My main motivation to take up sewing was so I could make soft toys for myself and to clothe my Barbies. Since then, nothing much has changed.


Q: What is your inspiration for your Textiles?

A: There isn't just one thing I could pin point as to being the source of my inspiration. I have no idea where inspiration actually comes from, or why it seems to always come at the most inopportune moment, like when I'm just falling asleep of in the loo!
Ideas can come from anywhere, it can be something I read, saw on telly or heard somewhere or a particular piece of fabric can give me and idea of what to use it for. I watch a lot of cartoons and I read a lot of comics and they influence my work a lot. I love cute stuff and I like dichotomy. I prefer minimalism in design, paring everything down to it's bare essentials and I enjoy the challenge of making something as simple as it can be without losing any of the meaning.


Q: How has your style changed from when you started, to where you are now?

A: I've gone through a whole lot of different phases and styles and my work still keeps evolving. I've been into realism, gothic styles, grunge & deconstruction, naïvism, and the list goes on... Right now I'm into cute minimalism with a retro vibe, using as natural materials as I can.


Q: What techniques do you use in creating your artwork?

A: Mostly just straight forward sewing. I sew mostly by machine, but I do a fair bit of hand sewing too when a piece is too fiddly or too small to fit under the foot. I embroider as well, but it's slow going as I'm not that good at it.
I recently learned how to crochet, and I've known how to knit since primary school, but I still prefer sewing to any other technique. There's just something almost magical about taking a piece of fabric and by applying scissors, needle and thread to it producing something wonderful.


Q: Are there any tips you can share regarding Textiles?

A: Iron, iron, iron! There's not a lot that can not be made better with a good pressing and it's amazing that so many people disregard ironing as being unimportant to the process. You can do magic with just an ordinary iron.
Also, never ever think that something is impossible. Don't give up on something if you haven't even tried it yet, just trust in yourself and your skill and have a go.
Oh, and you don't need a fancy machines or expensive tools to make amazing things, it's not the equipment that matters, but what you do with it that counts. I have a very basic sewing machine and a cheap steam iron, and with them I can do everything that I need to, just as good as with "better" equipment.


Q: What is the one fundamental thing you keep in mind when creating your artwork?

A: Simplicity, in both the design and the execution. I plan everything from pattern drafting to cutting and especially construction before I start so I can streamline the whole process. Deep down I'm a lazy person and I don't like having to do more work than I have to, so planning ahead helps me cut down on the unnecessary bits. That being said, I'm not immune to mistakes and I do still need to unpick and re-do stuff just like anyone else.
I also try my best to keep it fun. If I'm not enjoying myself while working, I must be doing something wrong.

The Future.

Q: What do you think the future is for Artisan Crafts on dA?

A: Gosh, that's a tough one... Crafts have slowly slipped more and more into the mainstream and become something other than just grannies knitting tea-cozies, the whole crafts-culture is growing and evolving now, not just here on DA but everywhere else too. And with the increased popularity and visibility of crafts I think they'll become more known and familiar to the public at large. This in turn should mean more attention on AC and more people taking up crafts, which in turn will bring more people to the realm of crafting and so on.
It's all just getting bigger and better!


Q: What would you like to see in the future for Artisan Crafts?

A: Simply put, more of everything: more crafters, more crafts, more attention on crafts and crafters, more AC events, more, more, more!
On a more specific note, it'd be nice to have the Senior mentoring program (`seniormentors) expand a bit more in the area of Artisan Crafts.


Q: What are your goals for the future through your artwork?

A: I hope to get my own business started, I hope to learn new skills (embroidery would be first on that list) and to become an even better toy-maker. I hope to be able to inspire others to take up toy-making too, it's just too much fun not to share the joy with others!
As far as actual projects go, I have a head full of ideas just waiting to happen and I hope to have the time to see to them all this year. I wish to some day make a giant plushie, to hold a plush-art show in the ilk of Plush You ([link]) and well, I have so many dreams wanting to be realized that it'd take forever to list them all here.

Closing thoughts.

Q: Are there any last thoughts you would like to say here?

A: Keep it fun, believe in yourself and don't forget to iron!


Q: And finally, which Tutorials would you recommend for other Textile artists to use?

A: I know it's a bit lazy to just link to the article, but see list here: [link]
Also, this tutorial: [link]
is great for not only plushie makers starting out, but for anyone who's new to sewing.






Thank you for taking the time to read this interview with `kittyvane, and a special thank you to her for participating! Please stay tuned for more!