UO Artist Editions:
Lindsay Degen
Knitting since the age of three, designer Lindsay Degen's namesake label DEGEN evolved from making textiles with her grandmother to the eclectic brand it is today. Crafty and concept-based, each piece is infused with personality and brought to life in Providence, RI. Recently, we teamed up with Lindsay to create three embroidered quilts, now available exclusively at Urban Outfitters. Read on to find out more about Lindsay's artistic process and how she best likes to work.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started in knitting + quiltmaking.
I started knitting when I was 3 because my grandma taught me. I was always a fidgeter so having something to keep my hands busy was helpful in keeping myself from biting my nails. Movement also helped me study. I took up quilting as an adult in 2016, I think. Quilting allows me to be a little free-er with color which I craved at the time. Knitting is pretty rigid with how colorwork is done so having the ability to do large zones of color felt liberating.
How did your collab with UO come about?
I think UO hit me up after seeing my work somewhere! I'm not sure how it started but I can explain the pieces I chose to make in collaboration. First of all, buying a quilt is an investment because a normal quilt that I make is around 550 hours of hand sewing. This is tough for me because I prefer doing it all by hand but accessibility is also important to me. This collaboration with UO allowed me to make quilts for a more accessible price because instead of the normal hand piecing that I do, the colors and patterns are digitially printed and then quilted.
Can you explain how a quilt goes from idea to execution? What’s the process like?
I’m thrilled to be able to make THESE quilts with UO because they are inspired by quilts I made as gifts for the weddings of some of my best friends (hi Kayla, Zandy, and Hayley). For the original quilts, I started by collaging in my sketchbook and then gluing up little bits of fabrics to mimic how it might look. If a pattern is super geometric I collaborate with my partner, James, to create the block or circle in Rhino and then laser cut templates for the pieces out of acrylic. This makes the tracing of the shapes onto the fabric more efficient. From there it's really just cut it all out, sew the pieces together, create the back, put batting between the back and the front and quilt it. The last step is signing the quilt and sewing on the binding around the edge. It's extremely labor intensive but I love that it results in an heirloom.
We saw that you were excited to turn your commute time (4 hours!) into art time now that everyone is WFH. How has that panned out so far?
It's been really great for my mental and creative health to work from home. Obviously the pandemic is a public health crisis and I have to acknowledge that I am privileged to be able to stay home for my work. That said, I have been way more prolific than I have been since I started that commute.
How do you best like to work?
I think of myself as a maker and not a designer. The things I have made that I like the most have come out of responding to the thing I am making as I am making it. I go into the process with a set plan of what I want to make but I may throw it all out as I work my way through the process. Sometimes it's because I mess something up and decide to roll with it, but sometimes there is just a better way forward.
Is there another type of medium you’ve been wanting to take up?
Gardening is something I want to be good at and have been getting into a little bit since I’ve been home. But every time I learn a new craft I get obsessed and so sometimes I avoid new crafts because I don’t want to have a new obsession.
What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever made?
Oh dear, I don’t know. I am constantly making and I look back on old projects fondly. They help me keep track of time. I remember what apartment I was living at when I made that one quilt on the floor, etc. I am proud of works I made with friends. I guess I don’t have a specific thing that I have ever made but always get excited to see a thing I made a while ago that I maybe gave to a friend that I had forgotten about.
In recent months, what’s made you feel the most accomplished?
I’m going to use this question as an opportunity to push the necessity of VOTING. Please please vote in this upcoming election and do not forget to participate in your local elections. I think I feel most accomplished when I am able to sell my work to benefit organizations or causes I believe in. The organization that I have the opportunity to support the most (although I wish I could do even more) is the Ali Forney Center, which provides housing and activities for homeless LGBTQIA youth. Any time I can auction off a piece to a home that loves the work in exchange for helping my community makes me feel most accomplished and fulfilled.
To see more from Lindsay, follow DEGEN on Instagram: @DEGEN.us