I first came across Eleanor Pritchard’s gorgeous 625 Line blanket, pictured above, at last year’s Selvedge Winter Fair, and it was love at first sight. Robust, soft and satisfyingly woolly, with delicate strands of yarn creating shapes reminiscent of early TV screens, its combination of silver grey, white and orange was serene and elegant, but at the same time bright and cheerful (with the added bonus of being reversible). A classic design, beautifully crafted and finished. I also fell hard, a few months later, for another Eleanor Pritchard design, Easterly, seen below, with its similar blend of calm neutrals and bright colour, this time a zesty citrus somewhere between yellow and green.
Fast forward to this September, when I was thrilled to meet Eleanor in person at Design Junction where she was launching her new collection of upholstery fabrics which, she told me, she’d developed by popular demand as people kept asking her if they could use her blankets for upholstery and were disappointed to hear they couldn’t.
This collection of woven fabrics – called ‘Aerial’ – are understated geometric designs in inky blues, cross hatched greys, black and white marls and a wonderful hot orange (my favourite, no surprise there!), and were inspired by sound waves and radio transmissions. Just as the 625 Line blanket was named after the number of scanning lines per inch for analogue colour TV transmission, so the fabric names of the Aerial collection reference UK transmitter masts.
The fabrics are all designed and sampled by Eleanor in her South London studio, and are woven in Scotland on the Isle of Bute. This first upholstery collection comprises nine patterns over three colour ways, and the fabrics are suitable for both contract and domestic use.
I particularly admired the sofa above, which had been so beautifully covered. It was an object lesson in understated detailing, with the lines of the Bilsdale fabric centred on the edges of the cushions as well as being oriented at right angles to the rest of the upholstery. Such a simple device, but so wonderfully effective.
Eleanor’s website briefly tells the story of her work:
“I have always loved playing with colour and pattern. My work often has a mid-century quality and I feel a strong affinity for the aesthetics and design philosophy of this era. Alongside this runs a deep interest in vernacular British textiles and I see much of my work as a re-interpretation of these traditions and techniques for a contemporary audience.
We have a bright and sunny studio in London where we do all of the design and sampling. Each collection or project starts with a storyboard, and, using high quality yarns, we develop from this a palette of pattern, texture and colour. We ship direct from the studio – all of the orders are checked, labelled and packed by us before they are shipped out to you.
We do all of our production in the UK and are proud to work with well-respected and highly-skilled British weavers. Much of our production is done on ‘dobcross’ shuttle looms at a small traditional mill in West Wales. We value the expertise and history behind the mills we work with, and feel that these qualities give our fabrics a strong sense of integrity and place.”
I’m sure the Aerial collection will win Eleanor just as many fans as her blankets and cushions have done in the past, and deservedly so. If you’d like to see more of her work visit eleanorpritchard.com where you can also shop online.
Images: eleanorpritchard.com
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