Catch up with colour expert Kaffe Fassett

We chat to the man himself about the inspiration behind his brand-new book, creative philosophy, and his plans for the future…

You’ve had such an extraordinary career. How does this phase of your life feel creatively? Are you approaching your work differently now than, say, 10 or 20 years ago?
Perhaps I have more confidence now so I make quicker decisions, but, of course, those can be a bit off at times. On the whole, I feel you can only gain confidence when you have more experience, and I continue on much as I did before.

You’ve always been incredibly prolific, and you’re as busy as ever. What has been occupying your time recently?
I seem to operate on more fronts than I used to. I’ll have knitting projects developing alongside a new patchwork book and will be getting prepared for a shoot of yet another book, and trying to proofread all my writing. While all this is progressing, I’ll be working on a needlepoint design and going to a recording studio to do an audio version of my autobiography, Dreaming in Colour. The most intriguing thing for me is having a jigsaw puzzle going that I can work on when I come to a temporary dead end in my creative thoughts, and having a walk at the end of each day to keep my body moving.

Your new book is generating a lot of excitement. Tell us about what inspired
this latest project, and what readers can expect that’s new, or surprising…
Quilts at an English Manor House was inspired by the wonderful topiary in the Levens Hall gardens.  These 300-plus-year-old, spectacular, bizarre-shaped trees have really caught and stimulated my imagination. I’ve wanted to use this garden for years and suddenly felt the time was right to include it in this book. The gardens are perfectly preserved and they gave us free rein to find a place in them for each of our quilts, many of which were particularly designed to go with the aesthetics of the garden.

You’ve worked across so many disciplines – knitting, patchwork, painting and textiles. Have you leaned into one craft more in recent years?
I love all the textile mediums, but I suppose I’ve favoured patchwork lately as I have annual collections of prints coming out along with the books to showcase how we use them in quilts. But knitting and needlepoint remain vital parts of my creative output.

Looking back on your earlier books, how do you see your aesthetic evolving? Are there ideas or themes you find yourself returning to repeatedly?
It must look like I return often to the same sort of quilt layout, as I love simple, traditional quilts. Also, when I design prints, I try to give my fans a continuing paintbox of colour to design whatever they are in the mood for. They should find moods from pastel, through greys, to bright and dark palettes.

You’ve always encouraged quilters to be fearless with colour. How has your own relationship with colour evolved? Are there any unexpected combinations or palettes you’ve been exploring lately?
I suppose the biggest change in my palette lately is a flirtation with more contrast, such as black and white prints. The contrast makes me bolder, which I’m loving, and black and white elements give my prints a spicy edge.

Many quilters look to your work for guidance, but also for permission to break rules. Do you feel traditional quilting ‘rules’ still have a place, or are you more interested now in pushing boundaries and encouraging improvisation?
As I said earlier, I love traditional quilts and good clear storytelling. I hope I’m using more readable arrangements in my quilts, but I still don’t feel the need for unusual shapes and boundary-pushing.

How does being in different environments influence your creativity and work?
Travel is a never-ending treat for sore eyes. When you are in a different place you notice so much more and are able to use these new impressions in your work. I’ve just come back from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Mexico, where the folk art is so bold and the artisans use such a fearless palette, so that will get into my work.

Collaboration has always been an important part of your work, particularly with your design teams. What does that collaborative process look like, especially in the lead-up to your new book and fabric collections?
My collaborations are vital to me. Having others carry out a design and add things as they develop each piece takes a special courage and confidence that they all have. I couldn’t do half the work I do without a good team. Even up to shooting books, their good eyes are so important and reduce the time on a shoot.

Your audience spans generations. Are you conscious of this evolving audience when you create, or do you simply follow your own instincts?
I don’t do the internet or even own a phone, but I do see a lot of the pieces people make, and it gives me great courage to go on designing when I see the inventive use people make of all our prints from the Kaffe Fassett Collective.

What shifts have you noticed in how people engage with textile arts today – and what excites you most about that?
I am so encouraged by the enthusiasm and value people are placing on textiles and textile crafts. I feel more and more makers are seeing the worth in using their hands and imaginations to create with textiles. That all gets better and better, and we in the Collective feel mighty rewarded.

Deadlines, exhibitions, books – you’ve always balanced multiple projects at once. How do you maintain that level of energy and curiosity after so many years in the creative spotlight?
The benefits just get better. Colour is a great tonic for keeping the spirit young and motivated. I can’t imagine ever stopping. Having people around you who see the value in your work is very important. Also, when we do workshop tours, we see how one roomful after another of folks use our fabric and heap praise on us. That is a massive tonic.

When you’re in the middle of a particularly busy period, do you have any rituals or habits that help you stay grounded and creatively focused?
I don’t have rituals. The fact that we are always breaking new ground, making quilts with our latest new prints, is a turn-on.

What do you hope readers will take away from your new book – not just in terms of technique, but in how they think about colour and design?
I hope they will see how gorgeous this garden is, be inspired to go spend time in this timeless environment, make their own beautiful quilts from that experience, and go to the wonderful café and bakery next to the garden.

Finally, looking ahead, is there anything you still haven’t explored creatively? Are there any projects or ideas waiting in the wings?
Oh, there are so many things I’d love to explore. Travelling to new and inspiring places is top of the list, and who knows what will come of that!

Find this ‘Dancing Ammonites’ pattern from Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts at an English Manor House inside issue 146 of Today’s Quilter. Buy a copy here or download a digital edition and start sewing today!

Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts at an English Manor House is out now!

Kaffe’s new book is set in Levens Hall manor house and its acres of beautiful gardens in the Lake District. Inspired by their surreal, whimsical shapes, Kaffe’s latest book showcases a new collection of 18 vibrant quilts and cushions with detailed instructions, as well as stunning photography.

Kaffe Fassett’s Quilts at an English Manor House is published by Taunton Press Inc, £26, and is available from all good bookshops. Buy the book here.

Sarah Trevor

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