In our studio

A couple of weeks ago we asked a photographer friend Jack Spicer Adams to spend a day with us in the print studio, the rather wonderful images he produced capture Caslon&Co designer Andy Rouse creating the patterns for our cushions and kitchen linen.

The patterns are created using antique wooden printing blocks known as ornaments and fleurons. Printers traditionally used the beautiful little blocks to add decorative flare to books and posters, you will have seen them in use on vintage circus posters and on the title pages of fine books. As the printing industry developed the use of ornaments and fleurons has declined and they are rarely seen nowadays, which is a bit of a shame if you ask us! So we’ve we put our collection to good use (and we’ve got quite a collection) creating patterns for the home, as cushions, tea towels, oven mitts and aprons. We like to think we’re giving an old art a new lease of life.

Vine Woodcut Printing Block

The blocks are all vintage and antique, some are so rare that we’ve only been able to find one. This was the case with the block used to create Vine Woodcut, you can see this pattern in use as a beautiful cushion is slate green. We’ll be releasing the same pattern in Dusky Pink in May, sign-up to our newsletter if you’d like to know when it’s available.

Vine Woodcut 100% Cotton Cushion in Slate Green by Caslon&Co

Caslon&Co designer Andy Rouse explains the process behind this pattern: “As I only have one block I can’t develop the patterns until it’s been printed several times, it’s then a matter of arranging the prints into a series of patterns, I like to do this in the studio so that I can try things out and reprint as many times as i like.”

Alternatively with Victorian Flourish cushion pattern we have enough blocks to develop a pattern on the press.

Victorian Flourish printing blocks on the press, ready to print

“This beautiful collection of blocks can be arranged into a number of patterns on the press, so before you begin to print you have an idea of what the outcome could be, but you never know until it’s printed and arranged into a repeating pattern.” This was the first pattern we produced as a cushion and it’s been very popular, it’s available in Lilac and will shortly in a blue. This design has also been used to create a range of kitchen linen, tea towels, oven mitts and aprons, which will be available to buy in May, sign-up to our newsletter if you’d like to know when they are available, you will also receive a 15% discount ion your next order if you sign-up

Victorian Flourish 100% Cotton Cushion

Our patterns bring a sense character and charm to the home and are ideal for a summer refresh, here’s to hoping we get a summer this year!.

There’s a lot more images from our shoot with Jack available on our site, view now

Or you can view a full collection our Pinterest page, why not follow us!

Confessions of a Design Geek: Katie Treggiden

The wonderful Confessions of a design Geek recently produced a blog post about our wonderfully geeky design approach (in the words of Katie)! The interview describes the design process behind our vintage cushions and kitchen linen. Read the full post.

We’ll be at stand LP30A

We’ll be exhibiting our wares to the trade at Pulse in May, which will be our first show, so we’re very excited indeed! We’ll be presenting our vintage inspired collection of cushions in a range of new colours and a complementary collection of  kitchen linen, including tea towels, oven mitts and aprons.

The event takes place at earls court from 12-14 May, come and see us at stand LP30A.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest for update and product launches.

We’re offering all our customers 15% off our lovely vintage inspired cushions. Simply pop over to Facebook and click on the blue app below the banner, what could be easier! Click here to claim your discount

It seems incredible to say this, but it’s been a year since we started planning Caslon&Co. While there has been many developments, the most interesting have taken place in our design process. The patterns we have launched, Victorian Flourish, Vine Woodcut and Vintage Corner Piece are very different from those we first produced.

The original intention was to produce typographically inspired patterns, however the creative process has seen us focus on a particular typographical element. Designer in chief Andy became obsessed with printing blocks known as ornaments and fleurons, which were originally used by printers to add decorative flare to books and posters. These particular blocks are rarely seen or used in modern printing, which is why we found them so appealing, and Andy set about producing a series of designs using the rare and antique blocks as the starting point. We have sourced a large collection from around the world.

Vintage Corner Piece Cushion – 45x45cm

When we were happy with the designs we took the opportunity to discuss our ideas with retailers and industry experts at The Design Trust’s ‘Make it Pay’ conference. Although we were confident and sure we were heading in the right direction, their advice was invaluable. If you’re starting out as a designer maker i’d highly recommend following The Design Trust and attending some of their events as they offer some fantastic advice and opportunities that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.

Vine Woodcut 100% Cotton Cushion in Slate Green by Caslon&Co

Following the ‘Make it Pay’ conference we began sharing our designs with perspective customers. Although nerve racking at first, this was eventually the most positive and rewarding experience as they provided a fresh pair of eyes and allowed us to view our designs from a neutral point of view. Their feedback and positivity allowed us to focus and narrow our approach, we even changed the designs slightly as a result.

It’s been an extremely exciting year and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve in 2013.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter for updates and special offer as we launch products.

To celebrate the launch of our site we’re offering one lucky twitter follower the chance to win a cushion and 20% off any future purchases throughout 2013. To enter click the link below and tweet the message and follow us (@caslonandco) on twitter. Competition ends 28.02.13. Good luck!

Enter the competition now

The gardens at Hanbury Hall

We popped over to Hanbury Hall (a National Trust estate in Worcestershire) for a day out and a little research and inspiration, for which the trust’s grand old houses are a wonderful resource.

We found an incredible recreation of a 1820′s wallpaper, which had been discovered under 4 or 5 layers of more modern papers. The paper has a wonderful architectural repeat which was recreated as woodblocks in the 1990′s, very nice indeed.

Recreation of original 1820′s wallpaper

The european styled gardens are great for a wander and feature some wonderful raised tiles, with a traditional colour palette and floral design forming a repeating pattern. The weathered effect really adds something, they just wouldn’t be the same without it. I’d love some in my garden, I’ll take my chisel and hammer next time (only joking).

Weathered outdoor wall tiles

Opening times and visitor information for Hanbury Hall can be found on the National Trust’s site.

Follow us on Twitter and on Pinterest for regular updates.

In our print studio

Our print studio in Birmingham is without doubt my favourite place to work, no computer and a poor phone reception allows me to escape it all and have some fun with our trusted little Adana printing press. As our collection of printing blocks has grown recently (December was a good month) I was chomping at the bit to get back in the studio and experiment with some of the wonderful and rare blocks we’ve gathered recently, which will form the beginning of designs for homeware. We’d like to produce a new range of cushions later in the year and we’re looking into the possibility of producing some tableware, along with some simple items such as gift wrap.

As you can see from the images we’re on instagram, why not follow us on your mobile for updates.

There’s also more on our facebook page

We bought this beautiful old ornament a few years ago, it’s not in the best condition (it’s almost impossible to achieve a clean print) but it’s a beauty! We’ll be using the print to create a design later in the year.

We bought these lovely floral ornaments as part of a lot from a retired printer. I’m particularly looking forward to working with the top leaf block, I’m pretty sure it will be part of our next collection of cushions.

Two lovely leaf blocks on the press, inked up and ready to print!

Vintage Corner Piece in Burnt Orange is the 3rd design from our 2013 cushion collection. The pattern is hand printed in the UK onto 100% cotton fabric and filled with a high-quality feather pad. The pattern was created using antique printing blocks (shown below).

All of our designs are produced using rare and antique printing ornaments and fluerons. But what the heck are they? Put simply, ornaments and fleurons are wood or metal printing blocks traditionally used by letterpress printers to add decoration to fine books and posters. Due to technical developments in the printing industry their use has declined and these tiny works of art have become a thing of the past, which is a shame if you ask us! We’ve been busy gathering a collection of mainly wooden blocks from around the world, which we use as the beginnings of our distinctive repeating patterns for homeware and decorative accessories.

You can read more about our design process here. This pattern is available in 2 sizes and we’re busy working on more colours. Let us know what you think.

Buy online now from  our partners Bouf.com or CreateThatLook.com

Like us on Facebook or follow us on twitter for a 15% discount on your first order.

Vintage Corner Piece Cushion – 45x45cm

Vintage Corner Piece Large Cushion

Antique printing blocks used to create the Vintage Corner Piece design

Tags: cushions, design, fabric, fabric print, furnishing, interior design, living room

We’re pleased to introduce Victorian Flourish  in Lilac as part of our 2013 cushion collection. The pattern is hand printed in the UK onto 100% cotton fabric and filled with a high-quality feather pad. The pattern was created using antique printing blocks (shown below) from the Victorian era (you probably guessed that). You can read more about our design process here. This pattern is available as a scatter and large floor cushion and we’re busy working on more colours. Let us know what you think.

Buy online now from our partners Bouf.com or CreateThatLook.com

Like us on Facebook or follow us on twitter for a 15% discount on your first order.

Victorian Flourish 100% Cotton Cushion. 45x45cm

Victorian Flourish Large Cotton Cushion, 60x60cm

The antique printing blocks used to create Victorian Flourish

Tags: cotton, cushion, design, fabric, fabric print, furnishing, hand made, interior design, large, living room, made in england