Miesje Chafer’s creative story begins on her grandmother’s sofa with a knitting Nancy and unfolds into a life rich with color, pattern, and hand stitching. In this interview, she talks about finding her way from nursing to making, her love of eclectic designs, and why working by hand brings both peace and joy to her practice.
Tell us your earliest memory of making. What did you like to do?
I think my earliest memory of making is sitting with my grandmother on her sofa, learning how to use a knitting Nancy. I must have been about 5 or 6. She and my mum also taught me how to knit when I was probably slightly older.
I remember being so pleased when one of them finally showed me how to cast on rather than doing it for me. I also used to sell handmade Christmas cards at a fair I’d do with my mum, I should have realised then I’d probably end up being a maker!
Do you remember the moment you realized you wanted to be a maker and not just do it as a hobby?
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Not really, it was such a gradual process. I learned how to screen print while I was working as a nurse and loved it so I started printing small pieces of fabric and making products to sell at local fairs.
I got asked to take part in the Selvedge fair and, whilst there, was asked to do wholesale for a couple of really exciting shops. Maybe at that point I started considering it as a career possibility, but it was another four years before I decided to give up nursing entirely to pursue a career as a maker.
There was no eureka moment, but I knew once I’d started making that I’d found my ‘thing’.
You work across multiple media; do you have a favorite?
I love hand sewing of all kinds, whether it’s quilting, needlepoint or embroidery.
I’m very happy to use a machine, but there is nothing quite like the sense of peace that stitching by hand brings me. There’s also a sense of satisfaction that comes from not having to rely on technology.
I always feel that if the apocalypse comes, I’ll be ok as I’ll always be able to make by hand. Dramatic, I know, but it brings me comfort in a slightly deranged world!
What kinds of colours or patterns make your heart beat fastest?
There is nothing more thrilling than putting together a colour palette that really works.
Earthy tones combined with a pop of something really bright and juicy is always a winner.
Patternwise I suppose I’ve always been drawn to the geometric, but I still want to see the hand of the maker in that, so I prefer patterns that have a hand-drawn or hand-made quality about them. One of my plans is to start hand stitching some patterns so I can explore the texture and more organic forms that come from those techniques.
Your work has a noticeable, bold, and playful vibe. How would you describe your personal aesthetic?
Ha, a little eclectic!
I love bits and pieces, colour mixed with pattern, mixed with shapes, mixed with textures.
I can’t really pin it down to one word, but as the world of everyday design appears to become more monochrome and homogenous, I see my style as a resistance to that.
To me, colour will always bring joy, and people will naturally gravitate to that if it’s offered to them.
Are there places you go to recharge your creative battery?
My creative battery rarely runs flat but if I find myself feeling overwhelmed I find a good dog walk alway helps. I think being outside in nature is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves as it’s intrinsically calming.
When you’re stuck, what’s the first thing you do to loosen up ideas?
Draw, draw, draw, and draw some more! I’ve never considered myself competent at drawing, but I’ve always felt the motivation to develop it as a skill, so I push myself to do it even if I don’t feel like it.
Sometimes, sitting and drawing repetitive lines or grids can be enough to send me into a bored trance, which is when my brain has the space to start coming up with more interesting ideas.
Describe your creative space.
It’s not very exciting, just the biggest bedroom in my house! Lots of tables around the edges and as much storage as I could fit in. I’ve got examples of stitched work up on my walls and a few piles of work that don’t have anywhere else to go.
I try to keep it tidy as it’s small, but as I’m not tidy by nature, it’s a bit of an effort! I don’t like spaces to feel sterile, but it’s always helpful to know where things are.
What’s the least favourite thing you have to do as part of your creative business?
Oh god, probably my accounts (which I do once a year, just before my tax return!) or updating the website with new products. I’d rather not have to do any admin at all, as it’s just time I’m not spending making.
How do you balance making with admin, shipping, and social media?
I literally just try to do it as quickly as possible! I tend to do my shipping only two or three times a week, as I think it’s more efficient that way, and social media doesn’t have to take up too much time. I just try to limit my scrolling time by setting a timer on Instagram and sticking to it.
How do you choose which media you will work with on a certain day?
I don’t try and force it, it’s more about what feels appealing on a certain day. I know I’ll have a much more satisfying and productive time if I go with my instincts as to what I’ll enjoy in that moment.
How do you decide when a piece is done?
Done is so hard to quantify!
Usually, with a wallhanging I’ll stick it up on my wall so I can get a sense of it as a piece of art. I’ll also photograph it as I go along. I find framing a piece in this way can be really helpful as it helps me to get a sense of the proportions and balance of the work.
When you look back on your first work versus what you make now, what stands out as most changed?
I think probably the range of techniques I use within my work has developed enormously.
I’ve realised that having a range of skills in my arsenal is so helpful when trying to bring a piece of work out of my brain into the world.
Not all mediums suit all my ideas, so it’s useful to be able to call upon various techniques to make a piece work.
How do you keep your work feeling fresh after years of making?
I think it’s really important to always be open to new ideas and processes.
Even within say drawing, for example, there are so many different techniques, styles, and mediums to be explored that it seems mad to just limit yourself to one or two of these.
I also try to keep myself open to new experiences. I visit new places, galleries, and museums as regularly as I can. I also try to say yes to as many work opportunities as possible, as this will quite often push me to work in different or new ways.
Do you set creative goals for yourself? What are they like?
This is an interesting year for me as I’ve decided to take a year off from making my normal products and give myself the time and space to explore and experiment with new ideas.
At the start of the year, I wrote a creative manifesto for myself, which I’m using as a sort of guide for the year. Broadly speaking, my goal is to create a new body of work that focuses more on the fine art side of textiles as opposed to the product side. It’s a little nebulous, but I want to feel free to explore whatever feels right in the moment.
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you started?
Feeling out of your depth is absolutely fine; you’ll take that feeling and use it to spur you on to improve and develop.
Where can people see your work?
Instagram is the best place, my handle is @miesjechafer, or my website www.miesjechafer.com. I also run a Patreon with lots of tutorials, kits, and digital patterns, which is www.patreon.com/miesjechafer
Rapid-fire:
One word that sums up your creative style – Eclectic
Favorite color to work with right now – pale peach
Morning person or night owl – Morning Person!
Interview posted January 2025
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