‘Illuminating’ by Helen Rawlinson

Rawlinson is a textile designer who specialises in hand screen printed lampshades. “I also have to mention my son, Stanley who occasionally likes to participate and make chaos.”

Screen printing process images from a workshop with Rawlinson by Katie Treggiden from her blog Confessions of a Design Geek

What is you favorite tool in your workspace? “I’m torn between my two trades of screen printing and machine embroidery. I picked up a small vintage squeegee at a street stall on the famous Brick Lane many years ago; it’s been my printing partner ever since and I treasure it. My old Bernina sewing machine, on the other hand, is my stitching work horse. It’s plowed through many a lampshade and just keeps chugging on and I love the design.”

“My screenprint exposure unit sits quietly at the back of the studio on its chunky castors and glides along in a feather-like fashion whenever it needs a push. It was a chance purchase from a friend who was moving out of London and selling up. I was so excited about it, I didn’t think about the logistics of actually getting it into my first floor studio. It arrived one day in a large van and three massive men struggled and sweated to get it up the open metal staircase. I watched holding my breath at the top as it slowly advanced and the whole stairway trembled and sagged under the weight. For weeks I had mad thoughts of it crashing through to the floor below. I think it’s destined never to leave this studio, unless in bits, as I don’t think I could bear to go through all that again.”

Following her successful launch at Heal’s in 1999, Helen went on to produce several collections for various high end retailers such as The Conran Shop and John Lewis and firmly established her career in the field of lighting and textile design.
helenrawlinson.com  Twitter: @HelenRawlinson

‘Illuminating’ by Helen Rawlinson be displayed at Type Tasting with the London Design Festival 2013 at the V&A.