The quest for the perfect paintbrush case
Elna the sewing machine is much loved
I’ve always liked having the right tool for the job. When I was a child, my family were the original masters of improvisation, claiming that everything could be bodged out of found objects and rescued orange boxes. It would drive me mad. Looking back, I realise that it was born of necessity. There were times when my dad was unemployed and we did not have a lot of money - so a fair amount of improvisation went into just getting food on the table and the bills paid. Nevertheless, I was not impressed that I would try to make things but the tools were just not available and it was a stretch of my imagination to believe that the materials available were remotely suitable.
Art shop haul. All the lovely things…
One of the delights of growing up has been the availability of tools and materials to make whatever I suddenly developed a fascination with. For years I made jewelry, putting together a compact but completely effective silversmithing kit. Owning my own tiny precise blowtorch was a matter of complete pride. The same goes for my painting media, brushes and grounds. I love an art shop. All the wealth of possibility that whispers from the shelves. Creamy papers in every size and thickness, brushes matched to each medium, soft for watercolour and stiffer for oils, rack upon rack of tubes of colours. Waiting to be used, explored, tried, tested and savoured. The drip of colour spreading out across dampened paper forming its own exciting traces. The highlight dab of oil colours. The layering of translucent acrylic. So many possibilities. So many items slip into my basket ready for happy afternoons in complete absorption. Chasing colours across a page, reaching for the magic combinations when they sing.
Painting layers of luminous colours
They’re not cheap though, and they need looking after. For years I’ve had a brush roll that is home to all my watercolour brushes. I bought it after my (now) husband gifted me an eyewateringly expensive, inch wide, flat, square edged soft sable brush. It needed a home where it would be safe. Years later, the tool roll has proved it’s worth – the brush is still in perfect condition and my go to tool when I start all but the smallest painting.
It's fair to say that that little tool roll has inspired me. It’s perfect for keeping brushes, pens and pencils safe – whether I’m working at my desk or outside. I can see what I have and what I want at a glance. And it’s quick to pack up and secure all the contents.
Roll
It was one of the things I thought of when I started designing what became the Fold+Rºll. I wanted to take the rolling and protection elements and apply them to clothes. Managing to design out the fastening was a bonus. But I’ve made more directly comparable versions for all sorts of other items for my friends and family.
Trail tool roll
My husband clears and cleans our local mountain bike trails using a bunch of different tools, including a variety of sharp knives, secateurs, trail saws and mattocks. These need stashing safely and neatly so that he can ride up to the trails without impaling himself. I made a big tool roll in waxed cotton with appropriately shaped slots and pockets – secured with jaunty bias binding ties.
I have quite a few friends that like to take their lunches to work or trail and bike ride snacks when they’re out and about. I’ve used beeswaxed cotton to make rolls for sandwiches and snacks – with either a jaunty tie or a Fold+Rºll proportioned pocket to secure it.
Sandwich wraps
I’ve also recreated my original brush and pen roll for friends – I love the construction of the roll, ensuring the correct width for different items and putting the piece together.
Rolls are great, I think they’re the perfect way to pack and I enjoy sewing them. And that’s not all – I get to explore the wonderful world of fabrics and supplies. Proper scissors are a joy, pin tidies secure vital equipment. And of course I have a little adapted rolled pouch for various sundries. My home sewing machine is not quite as pro as the workshop that makes the Fold+Rºlls – but I love equipping it and doing the absolute best I can to make my samples, gifts and prototypes robust, practical and long lasting.
Jewellery roll prototype making
