The Fabled Thread is the brainchild of Eppie Thompson; she prescribes to the theory 'To me, there's no such thing as people who don't enjoy sewing. There are simply people who haven't tried it yet.' Which, as a novice to the art of sewing, I find comforting. The inspiration to her starting the company was a sampler made by her 97-year-old grandmother. When her friends got engaged, she decided to have a go, 'From the second I pushed the thread through the eye of the needle, I was entranced by the simple, meditative process.' I knew I'd found the perfect antidote to my intense, stressful job.'
I can't stop thinking that The Fabled Thread is a perfect Christmas gift this year, what could be nicer in those cosy days between Christmas & New Year to set someone on the path to becoming a sewer. These thoughts plagued my mind, so I thought I would ask Eppie if she would be keen to show off her home and in turn, I can show of The Fabled Thread.
When I started looking for my first home, I expected a long and arduous house-hunting search, but I was lucky enough to fall in love at first sight with the first flat I viewed. It had all the makings of the cosy and comfortable home I’d dreamt of – I loved the little square sitting room with its charming Georgian feel, the wonderful worn wooden floors, the kitchen big enough to squeeze lots of friends around a table, and a garden so I could finally get a dog! So, instead of being cool, calm and collected, I rushed headlong in.
Before I got the keys, the whole place was whitewashed with a real scandi feel to it. Minimally furnished, not much clutter, bare walls. All quite chic…but that was never going to last! I obsessively planned out every detail over the 3 months it took to complete on the flat. From wall colours and fabrics to the type of potato masher I’d have: I had an elaborate spreadsheet of everything I was going to get. As I’m a bit of a control freak, I did a lot of work before I moved in; installing a new kitchen and bathroom, panelling the hallway, built-in furniture, tiling the fireplace and painting the whole place.
At the time of buying the flat, I was working in the city. Despite always loving art and being from a creative family, I studied chemistry at university and then went into finance. When designing the flat, I knew I was going to quit my job and do a career U-turn to launch The Fabled Thread, so everything was planned with that in mind. It would be my home and my work – it needed to be able to accommodate my life 24/7. The kitchen table and benches were made to be the perfect height for cutting fabric. My bed is ludicrously high so I can fit a small shops worth of embroidery products in it. My dad built bespoke workbenches in my bedroom for cutting thread and assembling kits. Above all else, it was really important to me that it still felt like a home, and not just a storage facility.
I wasn’t intending to go quite as mad as I have, but it was perhaps inevitable. I grew up in a home filled to the brim with life, colour and personality. It wasn’t uncommon for my dad to come home from work to find the whole kitchen had been painted – microwave and fridge included! In hindsight, there was really very little chance that I’d be able to restrain myself, and I guess why should I!? As I live here alone, there’s no need to compromise and it’s fair to say I’m taking full advantage of that whilst I can… from painting the Jabberwocky around the doorframes to striped cushions as far as the eye can see and birds hanging whimsically in the fireplace, it’s every one of my ideas crammed into 600 sq ft. I could not love being here more!
My most prized possessions throughout the flat are definitely the pieces of art. The 18th-century woolwork which hangs above the fireplace is the first thing I bought for the flat – I admired it longingly many times before my cousin spurred me to action and I bought it. I’m lucky to have an incredibly talented mother: the large figurative paintings and drawings in my hallway, sitting room, kitchen and bathroom are all by her. The walls are also rather full of my own embroidery pieces too: part home, part marketing suite!
One small piece which means a lot to me is the marquetry image which I bought whilst on holiday in the Alsace with my parents several years ago. I’ve had a long-running obsession with marquetry inspired by some wonderful pieces owned by my much-loved grandpa (and from the walls of Bettys Tea Rooms, which you’ll understand if you’ve ever been to the Yorkshire staple). When we got home we took a look at his pictures, and were surprised to discover that they‘re of exactly the same village, and were bought when he was the exact same age as I was. So every time I look at this piece, it makes me think of him.
I have been here just over a year and I’m rapidly running out of wall and surface space, but let’s face it– it’s very unlikely I’ll be able to control myself to stop making things, and I certainly won’t stop sewing! So, I’ve decided to embrace the eccentricity of it, and look forward to seeing how my home evolves as I continue to cram more and more in!
Huge thank you to Eppie, follow her @thefabledthread & her website - www.thefabledthread.com