Behind Atelier Abel, founded in 2022, stands Silke Abel, architect and textile designer. Questions of ecological and social sustainability and the examination of arts and crafts and their traditional manufacturing processes shape her work. Inspired by the old female masters of classical modernism, reinterpreted, Atelier Abel strives to create timeless and sustainable design.
«Visiting an exhibition of contemporary art and Amish quilts inspired me to make the first wall-hanging quilt. The fascination for colour compositions and playing with shapes in combination with the traditional technique of hand quilting became a passion. A passion that I want to share. At the same time, I perceive that in a world that is spinning faster and faster, a demand has arisen for natural, handmade durable materials. Quilting by hand is like a meditative process. My work reflects this desire for «slow living», for slowing down, and a more conscious lifestyle.»
Silke Abel
Atelier Abel follows the principles of craftsmanship, design, and sustainability; and the vision of combining timeless design and natural materials. The selected fabrics and non-wovens, such as linen, cotton, bamboo fibres and recycled polyester batting, are produced sustainably. The high-quality workmanship, combined with simple design, creates pieces that will last for generations – a small contribution to counteracting the problematic fast-moving nature of mass-produced goods.
Quilting by hand or using old hand-woven linen fabrics results in a design style that seems imperfect at first glance. The texture is less even than industrially woven, the stitches by hand, rough and not totally straight, as if sewn by machine. Yet this makes each work unique. Natural textiles are not static, slight waves can result. The works, made of stripes, rectangles, trapezoids, triangles, or circles in monochrome colours, are reminiscent of the formal language of classical modernism.
Fabrics and non-wovens used
Linen fabrics, controlled organic cultivation («kbA»), produced in Austria (by a Gots-certified company) and in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (Certified European Flax), grown in Europe
Antique hand-woven and machine-woven linen, grown and woven in Europe
Organic cotton fabrics, produced in Germany, grown in Uganda and Kyrgyzstan
Organic batting made from bamboo, produced in Australia
Cotton batting, controlled organic cultivation («kbA»), produced in Germany, grown in Turkey
Recycled polyester batting, produced in Germany, 100% PET
