In The Studio - Gemma Kay Waggett

Working with arrangements of colour, pattern and shape, Gemma Kay Waggett creates hand-sewn, machine embroidered and screen-printed textiles. Gemma has designed a collection of luxury cushions for our Limited Edition series available in store and online.

What is the inspiration behind the cushion designs?

The patterns on these cushions are derived from a 1986 (the year Gemma was born) educational stamp set of Geometric shapes that I got given for Christmas last year and has proved to be a fantastic tool for exploring pattern.

For my Royal College of Art graduate collection ‘Beyond Woven’ the stamps were the starting point for every design… I tessellated and merged the individual block shapes to create mock woven visuals that were later translated into digital embroidery and print.

Tell us about your design process?

Whatever the weather I spend my days collecting visual inspiration – colours, surfaces and objects. When I am starting a new project I usually go out and about for a day or two to gather ideas and then hibernate in the studio to process via drawing, painting and collage.

I spend a lot of time looking at and collecting different materials to use as bases for my screen-printed or embroidered outcomes, cotton is my favourite fabric and so I always try to find as many different varieties of this as possible.

The base fabric for the Over and Expand cushion I have used one of my favourite fabrics which is a double sided denim – I have bought an extra 5 metres of it for ‘the cupboard’.

Everyone has a personal reaction to colour, are there any you instinctively avoid?

There aren’t any colours I avoid but there is definitely a colour that I am most drawn to and that is navy. In December 2011 I started a pop up shop lifestyle brand called Nothing but Navy – where everything is navy blue – it is my favourite colour and I think it is timeless, ageless and genderless.

When shopping I am always the person who asks ‘does this come in navy’ and have a long list of staple items that I regularly choose in navy over any other colour…Although this collection is composed of varying shades of blue and navy is my favourite colour to wear I very much enjoy using colour in my work.

How did you get involved with the Limited Edition series at Heal’s?

Caroline Dulko (Buyer at Heal’s) and I actually did our BA HONS together in Textile Design at Central Saint Martins from 2006-2009 – I came into Heal’s HQ to show her my work after I graduated from the RCA and she told me about the series and it all went from there.

Tell us about the first textile you designed?

I have been sewing since I was a child but at my secondary school in Design and Technology – Textiles I first learnt how to use a sewing machine and about different types of fabric and textile techniques…. for my very first project at the school I made a bright purple flower shaped cushion with appliqued felt cut out people on it – I think it took me a whole term to make!

Do you have a design hero that influences your work?

Arguably an artist rather than a designer I absolutely love the work of Gary Hume. I am captivated by the way that he uses textures, colours and shape and hope that one day I will look at a piece of his work on the wall of my house.

Do you have any studio superstitions / design quirks?

Not especially but I never turn the light box off (for exposing screens) until I’ve checked the screen I’ve just exposed is okay – just incase!

What 3 words would you use to describe your Limited edition collection for Heal’s?

I think that this collection is NAVY / GRAPHIC / FUN Gemma Kay Waggett's cushions are available as a limited edition of 25, online and in store.

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