In the run up to the Selvedge Winter Fair, 7th December 2019, we are featuring some of the 50 merchants and makers who will join us in Bloomsbury. Catherine-Marie Longtin is a quilt-maker and textile artist living and working in South London.
What are you bringing to the Christmas fair?
A collection of handmade quilts in beautiful linen, cotton and wool with subtle combinations of colours and textures and minimalist designs.
What inspires your work?
I started making quilts out of love for beautiful fabrics and this comes through in each piece, which marries understated elegance with functionality. I often turn to abstract art for inspiration but also to traditional quilting designs. Each quilt starts with a combination of fabrics that I pin on a wall and move around until I am happy with the overall composition, a bit like making a large collage.
What are your plans for 2020?
In January I will work on a special commission to make a decorative banner and a wall hanging for a traditional Japanese miso company, using remnants of workwear kimonos used by their employees before the First World War. I have just received the fabrics: thick cotton stripes in various shades of indigo, ikats, some hand printed silks, a few small pieces of boro. I find it incredibly humbling to be trusted with such treasure and am very excited by the project.
After that I will be preparing for Dulwich Artists’ Open House next May, which is brilliant fun and always a great success as it allows me to showcase my quilts inside a beautiful house, draped over the sofas and armchairs. I have also recently met a Japanese textile supplier and I look forward working with their fabrics hugely. Think denim, soft wool and brushed linen in gorgeous colours.
Tickets to the Fair are available here. Use code WINTERFAIR19 to buy two tickets for the price of one.
For more information about Catherine-Marie’s work visit www.catherinemarielongtin.com
