I have a huge passion for hand printed fabrics having studied it at Winchester School of Art during my degree. I loved the process of it, from the initial drawings, transferring them to the screens and mixing colours and then the slow, careful repetition of printing. There is something so wonderful about transferring a drawing into a printed fabric or wallpaper and I have complete admiration for those who are talented enough to produce the quality of design and printing that the people listed below display. 

Fanny Shorter

If you’re looking for bright and bold colourful patterns then Fanny Shorter’s beautiful designs are for you. Her work is unmistakingly inspired by traditional English style as an ode to her upbringing in the countryside. Yet at the same time her prints remain bold and contemporary with the use of vibrant colours and intricate patterns. Her iconic prints can be seen adorning the pages of Vogue, House Beautiful and Country Living, to name a few. Her bold prints have become synonyms with her brand making her a go to for anyone looking for beautifully hand printed textiles. We’ve actually used the Fig – Dove fabric in our recent Cotswolds project. It was used to upholster a chair making in the perfect feature of the client’s Master Bedroom. For more pictures of this head over to our portfolio. 

If you are interested in the process of printing, then Fanny has kindly let us share her film which shows the process that she goes through to create her fabrics. 

Rapture and Wright

Rapture and Wright was founded Peter and Rebecca in ‘an effort to save the British textile industry’. They create their fabrics and wallpapers from their Cotswolds workshop, which is one of the few remaining hand-printing studios in the UK. Utilising traditional techniques, they create beautiful classic and contemporary prints. They also have a really interesting video on their website which gives a bit more insight into the process of hand printing. The beauty of this rather time consuming process is the wonderful uniqueness of each print. The range of Rapture and Wright fabrics are gorgeous, our favourites being Dandaloo, Medina and Gable end. The prints all come in a number of different colour ways so there is something for you whether you fancy a subtle grey through to a bold red. 

Christoper Farr

Christopher Farr Cloth is a collaboration between Christopher Farr, Michal Silver and Matthew Bourne who founded this London based design studio in 2000. Cloth now boasts a range of over 60 designs and collaborations with designers such as Kit Kemp (one of my favourites!) This beautiful collaboration is illustrated below at the Ham Yard Hotel designed by the incredibly talented Kit Kemp using Carnival Grass on the walls and Ozone Green for the upholstered chairs. Their extensive collections are iconic for their colour, texture and scale as well as being experimental and forward thinking. The colour ways are unusual and inspiring and they are always a go-to for me when I’m starting to design a project. 

Lindsay Alker

Lindsay Alker has been a more recent discovery for us. With over 20 years experience in the industry and working with the likes of Tom Ford and Calvin Klein, Lindsay’s prints are now know for their presence in residential and hotel interiors. Her prints are hand silkscreened on linen whilst her patterns and use of geometric shapes create modern yet classic designs. The irregularities in the prints, due to the line printing technique, add a real sense of originality and are a testament to the quality and time that goes into the fabrics. I would highly recommend ordering some samples as only in person can you truly appreciate the texture and quality of these textiles. 

Finally, if you are interested in printing do take a look at the Instagram account of Howard Voyce (Podge_The_Printer) for photographs and videos of what goes on behind the scenes to print some of the wonderful fabrics we’ve featured above. There is something quite special about seeing a piece of fabric come to life in a printmaking workshop, and even more special if you can then use it in something for your home. 

Sources: Fanny Shorter | Rapture and Wright Bedroom | Lindsay Alker