Textile Fantasy Colette Brim

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Designer Colette Brim's magical embroidered creations are inspired by childhood, the world of fairy tales and nature.

Despite the fact that Colette Brim learned to sew and knit as a child, it would never have occurred to her to make this occupation her profession before. She studied engineering, moved to the United States and worked there as an accountant. After the birth of her daughter Skye, everything changed.
“When my daughter played with wooden cubes, my own childhood memories suddenly flooded over me,” she says. “Pictures of how my grandmother smooths the fabric, how I observe her work with a needle and thread, suddenly flashed before me, like in a movie. "I saw her hands so clearly that it seemed that I could draw them. This feeling took possession of me, I wanted to save it without fail."
This event reminded me of the joy of needlework, and Colette completely rethought her profession and her vocation. Since then, she has created many colorful pillows, knitted little animals and lots of bedding.

How would you briefly describe your style?
Perhaps this is modern with a touch of nostalgia, with some imperfection, one of a kind and impressive. I am trying to avoid everything that is "too obvious."

When and how did you make creativity your profession?
When I became pregnant, it became clear to me that I would spend the first years with my daughter. I left work and completely plunged into the adventure of being a parent.After that story with wooden cubes, I decided to buy yarn, knitting needles, fabric and a sewing machine and make a children's room with my own hands. What then began as a pastime soon became my profession.

What are three of your favorite blogs?
When I have time, I like to go to creaturecomfortsblog.com and get a lot of inspiration. Moomah.com gives great deals for children, and on handmadecharlotte.com I like great ideas for crafts in different techniques.
What does your regular work day look like? How do you manage to find a place for creativity and family life under one roof?
Since I develop, manufacture, package, and distribute all the products myself, good self-organization is very important here. I do everything to ensure that my customers are 100% satisfied. I think that a family life that suits everyone requires no less creativity than creative activity. Getting joy from a particular moment and the beauty of small things can greatly enrich everyday life. Even if my own business sometimes means work 24 hours a day, I try to be primarily a mother. Every day I have breakfast with my daughter, take her to school and pick her up again after lunch, then we make something or come up with something together. Even if it is only a short walk, we enjoy this time.
How do you go about the creation process from idea to realization?
Thank God ideas come one after another. I sketch on notepad sheets, but as a rule, I have a clear idea of what the final product should look like. If the first attempt fails, I often move on to the next idea.
Your knitted figures are full of imagination.How did you come up with this idea?
Behind all my projects is a personal relationship, and they all have their own history. So, for example, the May beetle goes back to the song about the May Beetles picnic, which my husband often hummed to our daughter. When she first saw the rainbow and wanted to catch it - which, of course, did not work out - I made a rainbow pillow with tulips for her.

We love the color combinations you use. Do you create them first on paper?
Thanks for the compliment. I do not necessarily swim in a stream of color trends. I combine tones during work as I like. Even from a game with skeins of yarn, sometimes a combination is formed by chance that I would never have come to otherwise. The decision to confine myself to only two colors in one connected row very much influenced my color combinations and the projects themselves.
What kind of work tools do you use?
I work on a Silver Reed household knitting machine. I resisted using the software for a very long time and first created samples only with a pencil and an eraser on graph paper, and then pixel by pixel, everything transferred to the ancient machine control. Once the reader broke down, and I had no choice but to switch to electronic control. For sewing, I use an old Singer sewing machine and Brother overlock.
Who or what inspires you?
First of all, my daughter Sky, like the children in general. The world of children is full of miracles, to which is added the magic of fairy tales and stories. Nature is another source of inspiration: I love gardens and plants.Our house is surrounded by tall, old trees, and in the clearing you can sometimes meet deer. Every day, at sunset, a fox sneaks through our front garden. One look from the window, over a cup of coffee - this is pure inspiration.

Tell me, what are you working on now?
I do not have to come up with new designs every season, and take old ones out of the market. I just periodically add new things to my collection, depending on time and inspiration. At the moment, I am working on my older ideas, which, due to lack of time, have remained in the stage of sketching.
Do you have any good advice for our readers that has helped you yourself?
Do not wait for your work to be perfect - this will never happen. Just succeed the next time, you have nothing to lose!
Source: Mollie Makes 4/2015
Material prepared by Nick Bazhanova

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