Hawke’s Bay’s Coulter & Coulter, otherwise known as Nicola and Peter Coulter, are a family team that work together from their kitchen table producing beautiful hand block printed organic textiles. Over time the business has grown to include more vintage textiles and wool blankets that can be printed and used to produce beautiful items for the home.

What do you make?
We transform vintage and organic textiles into beautiful things, through a process of hand block printing using water based non toxic inks.

How did you get into your craft?
I have been into textiles since I was tiny and have gone through various stages of creating fabrics to use in craft projects. Peter loves to carve wood blocks. It seemed a good idea to combine the two. He carves the blocks and I do the printing. In this way our creative ideas are influenced by each other’s work, taking us down paths we might not have gone down on our own.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
I don’t, other than a couple of pattern making courses a long time ago. Peter is a trained signwriter and a lot of the skills he learnt then are very useful now.

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
Any bits of vintage textiles or bits of stuff people don’t want but are just too good to end up in landfill. My favourite tools are my wooden printing blocks that Peter has carved for me. There is nothing more meditative for me than finding the right pattern for the right fabric.

What inspires you?
People inspire me – my parents, Peter, my kids, friends and other wonderful designers. Just finding little bits of beauty in the smallest of places. (more…)