Sunday Folk Textiles

Emma McNamara is the woman behind Sunday Folk Textiles – a locally made, ethically produced textiles line based out of Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

With a background in interior design (working on everything from luxury resorts to banker’s offices), Emma experienced various facets of the design industry before settling on creating her own beautiful, functional homewares a few years after the birth of her daughter.

Written

Sally Tabart

Sunday Folk Textiles. Pictured here – Rockshelf Ocean Flanged cushion, Tidepool/Drift Salt cushion, Rockshelf Ocean cushion, Drift Ocean/Tidepool cushion. Photo– Jane Allen.

Emma’s favourite design, the Rockshelf pattern, ‘based on the patterns created on rocks that have been slowly eroded by the incoming tide.’ Photo– Jane Allen.

Sunday Folk Textiles designer and founder, Emma McNamara, pictured with two designs from her ‘Tidepool’ collection. Photo– Jane Allen.

The Tidepool pattern from Sunday Folk Textiles. Photo– Jane Allen.

All of Sunday Folk Textiles are designed in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, printed in Melbourne and made into cushions in a Sydney workroom that operates under the guidelines of the Ethical Fashion Council. Photo– Jane Allen.

Writer

Sally Tabart

30th of October 2017

Following a natural, organic ebb and flow, Sydney designer Emma McNamara drew on her background in interior design to create her textiles line, Sunday Folk Textiles.

From initial inspiration to finished product, Emma’s design process is highly considered. ‘The artworks are created using gauche and oil sticks. I always start with a sketch and a general direction, and experiment until I’m happy with the outcome’, says Emma, ‘sometimes things come together in an afternoon, but more often than not, I create something, walk past it for a week and finally figure out how I want it to look.’ After this, the designs are sent to be printed on a linen/cotton base cloth in Melbourne, before they head back to Sydney to be made into cushions, in a workroom that operates under the guidelines of the Ethical Fashion Council.

Sunday Folk’s latest collection, ‘Tidepool’, takes inspiration from Emma’s coastal lifestyle. Wobbly waves in shades of blue, and colourful, rippled outlines wash over the collection of double sided cushions. ‘My family and I spend a lot of time at the beach, walking along the coast, swimming in ocean pools, exploring rock pools and tidepools, watching the ocean,’ shares Emma, ‘The “Tidepool” collection was inspired by the nuances of the Australian coast, and the patterns I noticed around me on our weekly wanderings.’

While Emma’s textiles are designed with a laid-back lifestyle in mind, looking after a toddler at the same time as running a small business begs for a few more hours in the day! ‘I love the autonomy, the challenge, the learning and I love creating’, Emma says of being her own boss, ‘Sunday Folk Textiles is where I can combine my interior design experiences and love for textiles into functional, beautiful, timeless pieces. I do need about 10 more hours in the day and a clone though!’