Weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, beautiful blooms have long played a part in marking all manner of special occasions. If you’re a hay fever sufferer like myself this can be a double-edged sword, one whiff of a lily and I’m done for! But fear not my fellow sneezers today’s featured maker Charlotte Laurie has the answer to our prayers, if only all of life’s problems had such beautiful solutions, so unleash your inner bee and come delight in the floral felts of ‘Charlie Laurie Designs’.
Charlotte Laurie Designs was started after Charlotte decided to hand make all the bouquets, decorations and flowers for her wedding in 2012, already I like the way she thinks! She wanted to incorporate a quirky personal touch with her love of art and make something that would stand out and also double as unique keepsakes – as much as she loves flowers she’s always hated that they’re only temporary. People loved what she had done and she started getting commissions for friends for their own special occasions, giving her the confidence to branch out and make a go of turning her passion into something more. Charlotte’s flowers are 100% handmade and hand-stitched using wool felt and the quirkiest buttons she can hunt down. Passionate about working with people to make pieces which harness both her sensibilities and theirs Charlotte’s pieces are complete one-offs, always keen to incorporate her customers requests in her work – hand-stitching heirlooms and anything else into their commissions, even making some of her own buttons.
What is your earliest stitching memory?
To be honest I actually arrived quite late to the stitching party. I’ve always loved art, painting and creating but its only in the last few years that this has been channelled through embroidery. Still I think this shows that it’s never too late to try something new and it might just turn into your dream job!
What fires your imagination?
I get inspiration from so many different places. Nature is an obvious one but I try very hard when it comes to what I do to be inspired but not directly copy things. Nature is already doing such a great job I’m working to create something new. When I’m working on wedding flowers it’s the couple that inspires me the most. Their stories, their likes and dislikes are what help me bring together their own set of bespoke pieces.
The love for what she does can be seen in every stitch of Charlotte’s truly beautiful work, her exquisite attention to detail and her flawless combination of mouth-watering colours definitely deserve a closer look, so please do pop along to her shop and take a peak!
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Jessica Taylor aka Loadofolbobbins is a Textile Artist and Illustrator based by the sea in Portsmouth. At her happiest with a needle and thread, with a passion for genealogy she often explores old photographs in her Textile art. With her fingers in many creative pies she loves to experiment with new techniques, creating illustrated and stitched goodies for her new Etsy shop.