If you didn't know me, and just read start to read our blog, we are big fan of linen fabric, so when I find out notPERFECTLINEN on Etsy, it's kind like I fall in their pardise, just so beatufiful, and the nature color and texture, I feel peaceful just looking their design.
And I'm so glad notPERFECTLINEN willing to share their story with us today, hope you enjoy….
Q: Would you share with us how you started to create your art work?
My mother has started working with textile since I was a baby. She is an engineer by profession but had lost herself in sewing, creating, designing. I have grown up among fabrics and patches, always feeling that wonderful smell of the brand new fabric. It is the smell of my childhood!
Somehow I decided for myself to have serious profession, so I have finished law studies and have been working as a consultant nearly 5 years. But I haven’t found myself in it. Days and days I have been returning home and helping my mother with her work. And one day I didn’t return …
So it happened that the whole family started working together! No we are a small family of creative people who created “not PERFECT LINEN” home full of creative mood and inbuilt positive energy. Our small family – owned activity is based on creating simple linen (flax) pieces for home. For us creating homemade goods bring the sense of community and it is like quite protest against mass produced goods. We do not make things just to make money. The items are not just for profit. We make goods that involve years of learned skills, passion, commitment and sincerity.
Q: What's story behind your brand?
We are mostly inspired by linen simplicity. The beauty of linen is that it is not perfect. If you keep trying to iron it, you will definitely miss the beauty of it. Linen needs to be used and it gets better with age. Linen pieces can be compared to old English leather shoes or old mechanical Swiss watches – all of these things are not new or perfect but are definitely more valuable than any new. We are glad to share with something irregular and something that it is not perfect. This is an idea that “not PERFECT LINEN” carries.
While making our items we always use simple forms, simple colors, simple seams – our all honestly simple things are created for those who appreciate natural things and adore simple forms and homemade look. No smell of the factory, no factory seams, no perfect ironing – only a homemade idea. Also linen (flax) is healthy and non – waste product of nature. For us it is very important that it does not have any detrimental effects on our earth and ecology.
Q: Which type of material do you like to use the most and why?
It would be upset not to work with linen. If back to history, so nearly every household in northern medieval Europe were engaged in spinning flax. We – Lithuanian people – raised linen for a very longtime and that is why linen takes a very important part of our culture. So our family too. It brings a lot to us knowing that we can share a bit of our deep traditions and culture with our customers all around the world. While making our items we use linen fabric only from our local linen manufacturers.
Q: Which piece is your favorite or sells the best?
Pinafore is the most likable.
Q: Where does your inspiration come from?
My children, my country, nature, sky, night dreams, friendship, people – some happy , some not.
Q: Do you remember when you sold your first item and how you felt?
When I have sold my first item the customer wrote the first good review, his feedback was the most I could imagine. I felt myself as international traveler (the customer was form UK), who stands somewhere in the middle of the crowd in the big capital and feels like lots of people are smiling to me.
Q: What's the hardest part of your design career?
The hardest part is that we are small business. We should be real that to be a small business owner is a real challenge. The biggest problem that you make items by yourself or your family members, using the linen fabric bought in small quantities, so it is impossible to make under the same costs as big one business do. As for us, we make all our items in a humble home studio by our hands we have, we wash them and soften linen naturally – by hands or sometimes legs, and dry it in the open air if we have possibility to do this. I sometimes wake up regulary at night to change the linen items in the bowl of water. So regarding this long process we are also unable to make them in bigger quantities.
Q: Which part of working do you enjoy the most?
Experiments with the linen fabric itself and the whole process while mastering linen from all aspects is what we favorite most. Other thing what I love most – is the communication between you and your customer. I have updated my English skills very much while communicating with our clients and writing instructions to themJ.
When your items reach the different parts of the world which you only dream of visiting and your client says “Many thanks!!!!” – that what matters most. I am mad of the idea making people happy, that is why I sometimes even do not make any profit by including into the client’s package another bigger package of the gift.
Q: What it your next project?
I am the lover of slow art. I am not in a rush of making something just for someone. I have already found the muse for our clothing collection, so getting ready for it.
Q: What kind of books do you like to read, and what kind of music do you like?
Poetry, different music and climbing.
Q: If you were not a designer, what do you think you would be?
I am not a designer – I am a creator, which makes people happy.
Q: If young people want to follow the same path as you, what would you suggest?
Do it and do it, quit a job you do not like and do not listen to your parents. You are free to choose. The mostly heard advice is – just start. I definitely agree with it, but would like to add that you should not start any business just for profit, you should find the activity which inspires you and which does not let you sleep at night. Only the favorite activity can bring you happiness and even money. If your friend makes big profit just from selling – buying socks and you are a creator inside, do not think to start the same just to make money. Your place is somewhere else and the world is waiting for your creations!
Q: Is there anything you want to share with us?
Beauty, charity, happiness.
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