Tell us about who you are
I’m
Christie from Chills Designs. I make a range of handmade wall decor,
mostly fabric covered pin/memo boards but I also make fabric covered
magnetic boards and hair accessory organisers. I’ve never been much
of a sewer but have a love (and sometimes an obsession) with fabric
and I just love to create beautiful pieces of wall art with the
gorgeous fabrics and contrasting ribbons. All my pieces have a
purpose, whether its displaying photos, keeping notes etc tidy or
organising hair accessories so I like to feel I’m not only creating
something pretty to hang on the wall but something that will be
useful too.
How did the idea for your
business come from/start?
My
idea from Chills Designs came from my children. We live in a rented
house and cannot decorate so the children’s rooms are both painted
in a plain cream colour. I wanted something to hang on the walls that
would really brighten up their rooms and also help to keep tidy the
every growing collection of pictures, paintings, notes etc! So the
first memo boards I made were for my kids, we had great fun choosing
the fabrics and ribbons and I loved making them. I then went on to
make one for my kitchen and then some for family and friends. After
successfully selling on Trade Me I created a Facebook Business page
and a shop on Felt. The name Chills Designs came from my maiden name
Hills and my initial C = Chills!
Apart from creating things,
what do you do?
Apart
from creating my boards I am a full time stay at home Mum to my 4
year old son Dylan and my 1 year old daughter Ruby. Originally from
the UK myself, my husband and son moved here 3 years ago and settled
in Christchurch. My husband works as a butcher and my days are mostly
filled with trips to pre-school, playgroup & music group. I love
my life as a Mum but it’s great to have a hobby for myself that I
can really get into!
Where does your inspiration
come from?
Mostly
my inspiration comes from my kids! In the beginning I mostly just
made boards for kid’s rooms and my son was always suggesting
different fabrics or themes to use. Since moving onto making boards
for adults too I suppose a lot of what I make is my taste, although I
am really conscious to not just make boards that I like all the time.
I use my Facebook page to see the interest in potentially fabrics
before ordering and a lot of the time the fabric itself will give me
inspiration for how I want the finished item to look. I have started
making boards using two different contrasting fabrics and with the
right choice of coloured ribbons you can really make the designs on
the fabric come alive.
What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade
to me means “Unique” Even if I make the exact design twice they
will always be slightly different, which I think is great, it means
no two pieces will ever be
the same. A lot of my work is custom orders and so the customer will
choose the fabrics and ribbons used and the placement design so the
finished product will be specific for that customer. I love that each
custom order I create will be suited exactly to that persons taste
and so be special to them. And so the pieces I make up will have my
personality and tastes in them. I know it sounds cheesy but I really
do love what I do and I think that when you do love what you’re
making it shows in the finished products.
Who has been most influential
in your craft?
Again
my children really have been influential to me, they were the reasons
I started making memo boards and they have always shown great
interest in what I do. My son always like to know the story of each
order, who it’s for etc and loves when the customers come to
pick-up their orders especially if they bring their kids and he gets
to show his toys! Also though my husband has been a great support,
he’s the one who persuaded me to start selling my boards and he’s
there at every market helping me set-up and pack-up. He also helps in
the “creating” as he is my chief board cutter!!
When did you know you were an
artist/maker?
I
don’t think I have ever seen myself as an “artist”. Although
since Chills Designs has started to become successful I do see myself
as a “maker”. I find it hard to compare myself to artists but
like to think that my pieces hang on walls all around the country and
are appreciated for how they look.
How would you describe your
creative process?
My
creative process starts from an idea in my head of a particular
colour scheme or theme, I then pick the right fabric or fabrics and
team it together with ribbons. Sometimes ideas come from the fabric
itself, I have found that pairing a fabric with the right contrasting
colours can really give it a different look. With my custom orders I
love to create my customers designs and see their choices come to
life.
If you could peek inside the
studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who
would it be?
Since
starting Chills Designs I really do appreciate handmade items so much
more and now try to buy handmade as much as I possibly can. I love
meeting fellows crafts people at markets and admiring all their
beautiful products. There are so many local crafts businesses that I
have come across and I would love to peek into all their studios! I’m
always interested in how people create their products and love the
magic of turning materials into a beautiful handmade item for someone
to cherish.
What handmade possession do you
most cherish?
I
don’t think I could pick just one most cherished handmade
possession, anything made by my kids is always cherished and goes
away in my special box where I keep all my cherished things. But also
anything made by my Mum is very dear to me. My Mum made pottery and
growing up I always remember being surrounded by my Mum’s
creations. Since my Mum died 2 years ago (and also since starting
Chills Designs) I really appreciate her beautiful handmade pots and
so they are probably my most cherished items.
Where would you like to be in
five years?
In
five years time I would love to still be running Chills Designs. I
would love for us to own our own house and for me to have my own
craft room (to give my dining table a break!) I would also love to
have my boards sold in shops and run my own website.
Whats the best advice you have
received to date that you would like to share with others?
I
don’t think I have a particular piece of advice, but just generally
to believe in yourself. My husband was the one who pushed me into
selling my products and to start markets, which I am really thankful
for as I don’t know if I would have had the guts by myself. Even
now I sometimes find it hard to believe people actually want to buy
my products, but with each sale I make, all the lovely comments I get
from customers and the reactions from markets I do, my confidence is
growing.
Show your support for Christie at Chills design:
 |
| Custom order - Notice board |
 |
| Hair Accessory Organiser Board - Turquoise/Pink Birds - $10 |
 |
| Handmade Fabric covered magnetic board - $25 |
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