NOW & THEN
Antique meets Contemporary

‘Jailworm’ – brooch in textile, plastic animal and 14ct gold

Felieke van Der Leest

Although I learned the techniques of metalsmithing, I love to work in textiles. The materials are cheap, colourful, easy to work with, and available everywhere. I can use as much “gold” as I want without thinking about the costs. There are also many metallic colours in textile you can’t find in metal: blues, greens and purples.
Knitting and crocheting are my favourite techniques. I learned that when I was a young girl and I had to go with my parents every weekend to the boat. I was bored and sat inside crocheting and knitting clothes for my bears. I can remember crocheting an entire mouse-family and a piece of cheese......

Animals are my biggest inspiration source, I was born near a ZOO in Emmen. While knitting or crocheting I watch the National Geographic Channel all the time. Animals are never boring......

Because I worked too hard these last years, sitting in the wrong chair in the wrong position, I developed RSI. I couldn’t work for months, which is a personal disaster for every passionate workaholic, so I decided to change my working process. I picked up my metalsmithing to have more variation in the movements. Looking back I’m very happy I had the RSI............ my work developed in a direction I never suspected !

Biographical Details