House of Quinn x Takahashi McGil - The Quilt marker

House of Quinn has collaborated with Takahashi McGill to create a hand-carved wooden Quilt marker. A beautifully made tool, perfect for any quilt maker’s toolbox.

The quilt marker has become a staple tool at House of Quinn. Originating in Japan, the traditional tool was called a ‘Hera’ marker and was used in the making of kimonos to mark the fabric without using chalk or pigment.

I have always wondered about the history, traditions and production of quilting and sewing tools. Items that many of us use on a regular basis in our making practices are usually made from plastic and metal. I started to think about where these tools originated and how they came to be as they are now, starting with the quilt Marker. Typically available in plastic, the quilt marker is used to mark and crease guidelines on fabric and quilt tops ready for stitching. 

This small but useful item bridges the gap between use, history, manufacture and material. I use one most days but I wanted to set out on a journey of discovery and find out if they could be made in a different way using more sustainable materials. 

In 2019 I met Kaori and Mark, the husband and wife duo behind Takahashi McGil. Based in Devon Takahashi McGil create beautiful hand-carved wooden vessels, spoons and interior items using traditional and contemporary making techniques. The duo bring together their personal heritage and understanding of making to create covetable, intricate objects that last. Items that become integrated into the collections and everyday use of the people who purchase them. 

I was fascinated by their work and over the course of getting to know one another, we discussed the possibility of creating the quilt marker from wood. Utilising their knowledge and techniques to recreate a functional yet beautiful tool and object that could be used in the studio. 

I remember when I was younger, my dad used the tools that my grandad passed down or lent to him. Battered up chisels and planes, their handles shined to a smooth patina from being used over and over again. At the time I didn’t pay to much attention to those items. Tools for woodworking, building and metalwork. But the story and sentiment behind them is something that translates into the tools I use when making. 

The combination of beautifully crafted objects with a sense of place and function is something that I find very inspiring and the idea of finding, owning and cherishing an object, imbuing it with memories and turning it into something sentimental is at the heart of my own design practice. A tool, used time and time again felt like a very natural object to create in collaboration with Takahashi McGil. 

The QUILT marker 

This wooden quilt marker, which has been made with care and love will stand the test of time. It will weather with age and hopefully get passed on to another maker during its lifetime. I think that the idea of this tool having many owners, making many projects and holding many memories is very fitting for the House of Quinn x Takahashi McGil collaboration. 

Our first batch of markers will be made in a series of twenty individual tools. Each is hand-carved from Oak or Beechwood.  Using the same knowledge and techniques that Kaori and Mark apply to every object they make in the studio, each Quilt marker has its characteristics and each one unique to the wood that it was carved from. 

The first batch of markers will be available for a limited release on our website. Once all the orders have come in, each marker will then be made and shipped out to everyone at the end of May. We will send out an update when they are ready to be sent. 

Also included in this first batch, will be a free pincushion created from quilting remnants and filled with scraps of our recycled cotton and polyester fibre wadding.

The orders will open on the 13th of April and close on the 2nd of May.  

Handmade items take time to create and to reduce waste we are releasing them in small batches to ensure we don’t create unnecessary products. 

We have international shipping set up for this item, but please be aware that any shipping duties and taxes may need to be paid by the recipient. Hopefully the cost of the item, plus delivery will be below most tax and duties thresholds but we advise you to check with your local government guidelines. 

I asked Kaori and Mark about their practice and what they are working on at their busy Devon studio: 

How do you go about designing a new piece or collection and what inspires you?

We find it difficult to sketch out ideas and prefer to refine as we are making, the wood itself sometimes dictating the final design. Every time we go to Japan, we are always inspired. We usually try and take a short course while we are there. We are inspired by traditional crafts, architecture and philosophy.

Where do you source your materials?

We try to source wood Locally. A lot of the wood we use comes from trees that came down because of wind damage, disease or development. When we want to get specific species, and we can't get Local wood, we always choose certified wood from a reputable sawmill.

What are you working on at the moment?

We are working on mainly homeware, and not so much furniture at the moment. We are making work for an upcoming exhibition for Toast, Hole & Corner, Maud and Mable, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, and a solo show at Jiemo Gallery in shanghai for 2021.

What would be your dream project to work on in the future?

It sounds kind of cheesy but being able to support ourselves from what we make was kind of the dream. we just hope that we can keep doing that.

Discover more about Takahashi McGil over on their website at takahashimcgil.com and follow them on Instagram at @takahashimcgil