With Summer 2011 jewelry trends embracing chunky childhood-approved plastics, modern and edgy rose-gold and bright statement necklaces with bold stones a la Amrita Singh, there’s something wonderfully refreshing, delicate and nostalgic about Edera Jewelry’s lace-bedecked pieces. In Edera, creator Ivy Long channels her love of the handmade and antique into lovely unique jewelry pieces. Read our interview with the woman behind Edera
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When did you start making lace and jewelry? When did your interest in these begin?
I grew up in a creative household where all sorts of supplies were at hand and creativity was encouraged. My mother is a milliner and textile artist, so from a very early age I was surrounded by wonderful fabrics, laces, buttons, beads and trims, and could watch her at work. As a result, I’ve had a lifelong fascination with fiber arts and other handcrafts. In my early teens, I became particularly interested in jewelry making and apprenticed with several jewelry designers while still in high school. About 10 years ago I began crocheting as a hobby.Shortly after I learned to crochet, while researching period clothing from the Renaissance, I stumbled across illustrations from a lace pattern book first published in 1617 and I was fascinated. The black and white drawings of lace patterns were originally intended for needle lace motifs, but I instinctively felt that they could be adapted to crochet. With no particular goal in mind, I began recreating the intricate patterns using crochet techniques.
From there it was a short step to incorporating beads and turning the lace motifs into jewelry designs, and my business, Edera Jewelry, was born.
While antique and vintage lace patterns were my original source of inspiration, I now design all of the lace patterns featured in my work entirely from scratch, based on sketches and ideas in my head.
What/who are you inspired by? Anything specific? Do you ever find yourself responding to trends?
I find inspiration for my work in lots of different places, but I find I return again and again to art and costume history.My last collection was inspired by what I called a fairy tale aesthetic and drew inspiration from medieval and rococo textiles and architectural motifs from Versailles. My current collection is inspired by a neoclassical style–the ancient Romans and Greeks by way of the Empire period in France. I seek to capture the opulence and beauty of the past in my jewelry, but updating the application of the techniques and materials so it can be worn today.
While I enjoy reading fashion magazines and do keep an eye on general trends, my goal is to make my work more timeless, less trendy.
On average, how long does it take you to create a single finished piece? Do you make everything yourself, or do you have assistants?
Because of the lacemaking techniques I employ in my designs, they are quite labor intensive. Even the smallest of my designs can take up to a day to create, the more elaborate ones can take a week. I make everything myself in my studio. I do it all by hand, from the creation of the lace, to the embroidery of beads, to the making of hand-linked chains and wire wrapped gemstones. It’s all a labor of love.
Describe a typical day.
My day typically begins with a cup of tea and answering my emails, along with checking my favorite blogs and my various social networks (I promote my work on Etsy, Blogger, Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.)I create a list of everything I need to accomplish for the day, and after breakfast, it’s typically into the studio. I try to work on custom orders first, some days I can devote entirely to creating new designs. My husband and I both work from home, so it’s nice to take a break in the middle of the day and eat lunch together and discuss our projects.
In the afternoon, I will switch gears and focus on packing up shipments to go out, take care of errands, etc. Then it’s back in the studio until about dinner time. In the evenings I may draw sketches for new designs, look at art books, or sit and crochet as a way to unwind.