Made in Scotland: Camban Studios
Meeting creative people working in Scotland is one of our passions and we were delighted to chat with Fiona at Camban Studio, a fabulously imaginative textile designer. Fiona runs Camban Studio as a place to join workshops, rediscover your own creativity with ready made kits and also offers beautiful textiles to buy as cushions, scarves, tableware, make up bags and notecards. There are some truly stunning designs and so we sat down with Fiona to chat about her inspiration, her love of Aberdeenshire and the freedom and joy her career as a maker brings her.
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Fiona at Camban Studio
Can you tell us how your business got started?
I started Camban Studio in 2018. And since that time have run it as a business part time alongside another job and being a mum.
As a child I had been a little bit obsessed with art and particularly design. I went on to study Product Design at Glasgow School of Art and at the start of my career switched to working as a jeweller for a number of years which I also loved. For a number of reasons, I ended up working out of the creative industries for quite a chunk of time after that and also in that time had my two children. By 2017 I was doing this job I didn’t feel aligned with, my kids were young and I’d lost myself a bit in motherhood. I was just generally felling a bit lost – the opportunity came up for me to take voluntary redundancy – so I did and decided to make something for me, so Camban Studio was really born out of me finding myself again.
I fell in love with screen printing whilst doing a course by Helen Ruth Scarves, so I knew I wanted to work with textiles this time around. Sewing and textiles was an area I had done a lot as a child and had continued as a hobby since.
I feel really privileged to have the opportunity to do work I love, I rediscovered an amazing creative community that I have alongside me, and it gives me a great work- life balance bringing up my kids while they have still been young. And it gives me a lot of pleasure working with others to find or re-find their own creativity.
Where do you look for inspiration when you are designing new products?
My inspiration comes from the little details of nature that I find all around. We try to spend a lot of time outdoors as a family, going for walks and noticing things around us as the seasons change. Often the subject matter of my designs come from the walks I do regularly, like my lunch break walks or the coastal path near my home. There are usually endless things to notice and be inspired by.
Can you tell us a bit more about how you make your products?
It varies, but my favourite things to make tend to be my one-off items, where I have sourced waste fabric, personally screen-printed the fabric, and maybe added some embroidery too. I enjoy the messy tactile bits of creating the original designs and pieces!
I work with a couple of UK digital textile printers who bring some of my print designs to life on fabrics and I work with a small batch manufacturer, Kalopsia Collective, based in Dunfermline who do the majority of sewing construction for my main line products so I can focus on the creating part!
What are your most popular products and which are your own favourites?
My weekend bags and pouches have tended to be quite popular as they are just great practical items for lots of things. I use the ones I have at home for all sorts of things, including make-up, weekend trips, and storing all my little bits of pieces that otherwise end up floating around the bottom of my handbag.
I personally love making cushions as I am slightly obsessed with interiors and cushions are always a really great way to update a room quickly and easily. Quite a few of my cushions have made it ‘home’!
If you had to pick one place in Scotland to recommend that people visit, where would it be?
I love my home of Aberdeenshire and I’m often happiest at home – there are so many beautiful spots on our doorstep and we have the sea, rivers and mountains in near reach. One of my favourite places is the coastal path near to where I live. The wild flowers and ever changing seascapes are always calming. I always head there if I feel in a bit of a funk to get reinvigorated.
Which other Scottish Makers do you love to recommend?
There are so many great Made in Scotland business but my picks would be:
- Aubin Jewellery – Aubin and I used to work together in my jewellery days. I love her playful take on jewellery pieces and we have a shared love of re-using materials
Made in Scotland Aubin Jewellery
- Ploterre – I absolutely adore Becky’s prints and how they communicate data through amazing visuals. I have quite a few of her prints on my walls at home, but every time she brings a new one out I inevitably want it!
Thanks so much to Fiona for sharing this fascinating look at her wonderful business and the beautiful products inspired by the Scottish landscape. Make sure to check out Camban Studio on their Website, Facebook and Instagram to find out more and get shopping!
Made in Scotland Ploterre