You Are What You Give with... Jess Wheeler

Jess Wheeler is a designer and artist based between Dorset and London and we are thrilled that she is beginning this years' You Are What You Give interview series with a brilliant list of gifts, from the deeply practical to the realms of wild wish-fulfilment. I hope it will inspire you as much as it has me…

What is the best Christmas gift you have ever received?

"My mum gave me a sewing machine when I was 14; I didn’t ask for it and didn’t even know I wanted one. It unleashed a new expression of creativity. I’ve always had a fascination with how things are made, this meant I could make all of my own clothes, and do some questionable adjustments to my existing wardrobe."

What’s the best Christmas gift you have given?

"I gave my sister a silver pistachio pendant, her favourite nut. I cast it from life and hung it from a handed silk cord. This was the beginning of our new ‘Nuts & Spices’ pendants collection."

Jess' Wish List...

"My favourite fabric of all time. I would like to make curtains for our workshop kitchen in this". Pondicherry Maize fabric, £160 per metre at Howe

"Anything made by my friend Aquila, she makes the best jewellery."

Sweetgrass Braid ring from £120 at House of Aquila

"A big present, but a girl can dream!" Sofa from Nicola Harding

"These are the best, I have them in most rooms in my house."

Melograno in Scented Terracotta, £60 from Santa Maria Novella

"An extra incentive to find hidden gems of galleries and historic houses, one of my favourite things to do on a weekend."
National Art Pass for One Year, from £36

"A joy to write with. We hand-write notes to all the parcels leaving our workshop."

Kaweco Fountain Pen, £21 from The Stationer

"A week and the time to get there!"

Saddell Castle, Landmark Trust (reopens after refurbishment in 2025)

"Anything from Labour and Wait, love a beautiful practice present."

Orange indoor watering can, £30 at Labour & Wait

"The best chocolate."

Tin of giant buttons £8.95 from Island Chocolate

"To join my excessive pelagonium collection…"

Pelargonium tomentosum £5.30 at Fibrex

"Christmas is a frantic time. An incredible natural sleep supplement that really works."

Sleep Aid, £22 for a month’s supply from Daily Aid

Jess works across a variety of disciplines from sculpture to product design, but everything she makes is rooted in nature, an understanding of its cycles and seasons, and this translates into exquisite pieces that possess both fragility and strength. Her work is available through her website and by commission, and her stellar list of clients and collaborators include Aesop, La Perla, Malone Souliers, Manolo Blahnik, Selfridges and TOAST. She is currently Artist in Residence at Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons in Oxfordshire until January 2025. Discover more of her work at www.jesswheeler.com

Thank you, Jess!