How Craftswoman Hazel Butterfield Tate Connects Eco-Consciousness, History, & Community Through Her Small Business
By: Nicole de Fulgentiis
Biography by: Jessie Tate
Hazel points to the scattered box in the corner of the room and says, “That's the world right there!” Her eyes smiled brightly; I could feel the energy of her sincere passion fill our conversation. I smiled, too, because I knew exactly what she meant. The box was overflowing with different articles of fabric, ribbon, and scraps. The colors and textures represented different eras, countries, and people. I knew that every piece of material had a story attached to it, leaving me with a strong sense of curiosity. The questions of “Who wore this 50 years ago?” and “Who made this?” came to mind.
Hazel lives in a lovely house on the coast of Southern California. The interior of the home was welcoming, bright, and timeless, carrying a sense of peace that left me feeling at ease as I prepared for her interview in the upstairs studio. The first thing that I noticed when I walked into her studio was a beautiful corner window overlooking the street. Her workplace sits on top of her garage and an A-frame style room, uniquely set apart from the rest of the house. A sewing machine was in the corner next to a tall workstation attached to the walls. Bookshelves, bins, and racks filled the rest of the space. Buttons, ribbon, rug scraps, towels, lace, string, or thread… you name it, she had it. This creative sanctuary is where the magic happens.
Before diving into my in-person interview with Hazel, I’d love for you to read Hazel’s biography, written by Jessie Tate of @cien-interiors.
Hazel Butterfield Tate is a curator, textile artist, community uplifter, and historical re-purposer. Hazel first found her passion for antiques and textiles as a child growing up in London. Since then, her career has spanned four decades and three continents.
Influenced by the post-Depression era, Hazel’s family instilled the importance of repurposing and giving back to the community from a young age. Through this, she found beauty in repurposing donated items. The value of resourcefulness fed into a 40+ year career and a catalog of exquisite antique textiles. Hazel has managed to salvage and rescue pieces over 300 years old that may have otherwise gone unappreciated.
Hazel made it her life’s mission to travel the world, and, in the process, to source and collect antiquities.
Through her experiences, she formed lifelong friendships and was provided with unique opportunities, from visiting a village flea market in Ex-Communist Prague to traveling in a cattle truck to a barn sale in Norfolk, UK. Through her travels, she has strengthened both her personal and spiritual beliefs: to give back, unify communities, and create a sense of beauty within these communities through art.
Hazel made it her life’s mission to travel the world, and, in the process, to source and collect antiquities. Through her experiences, she formed lifelong friendships and was provided with unique opportunities, from visiting a village flea market in Ex-Communist Prague to traveling in a cattle truck to a barn sale in Norfolk, UK. Through her travels, she has strengthened both her personal and spiritual beliefs: to give back, unify communities, and create a sense of beauty within these communities through art.
In her darkest moments, Hazel has found light through art and the encouragement of others. Since Spring 2020 - which proved challenging for so many - she turned loss into light, finding sanctuary in her studio and creating works of art. She has created thousands of masks, both as donations and as a way in which individuals could take ownership over a dark time and display their own senses of individuality. At the beginning of the pandemic, she spearheaded an initiative with The Hollywood Food Coalition to help feed the food-insecure. Through this initiative, she made bonds with people in her community with whom she otherwise may have never crossed paths.
The connections between art, gratitude, and generosity drive Hazel’s passions to this very day. She is grateful for her heart connections, her community, and its diversity. She calls this community her “favorite tapestry,” where art is her love, something that can be seen in every stitch.
For information about Hazel’s one-off pieces, visit her Instagram @hazelbutterfieldtate.
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Nicole De Fulgentiis, Founder of H3R, held an in-person interview with Hazel Butterfield Tate
N: Do designers ever reach out and request certain pieces from different eras?
H: There is a really big business in selling one repeat of fabric. Although it isn’t my thing, I could do it. I did have someone come here from a big studio in New York; she bought samples of fabric that they were going to use for reprint (because why would you design new when you have fabulous examples in old fabrics?). So, at one point, I thought that I, too, should represent my own library of collections; they can sell one piece of fabric for a fortune. However, it’s not me. It’s not who I am. What I like to do is to create for people. I like the connection. I like hand-sewing and pulling different elements together. I’m not really into dragging around a suitcase with catalogs of different textiles.
N: Every piece is a work of art in and of itself. When you combine the individual pieces, it truly becomes a masterpiece. It’s so special. You just can’t get that history or beauty from all of these different eras in one.
H: I’m sure that there are people out there who are doing beautiful things. It’s slow work. It’s a slow life. I feel very lucky to be able to do it because I love doing it.
N: What started this fascination with textiles?
H: My Aunt Lena, who lived in London, had worked with her husband in the diplomatic corp in South America. When they came home, she became fascinated with textiles; she started collecting and selling in London markets. I visited her and I was like, “This is what I want to do, I love it.” When Nick (my husband) was traveling a lot with theater, I would often go to auctions to buy. My Aunt Lena encouraged me to go and I learned from her. I was particularly interested in lace, embroidery, and the history. When Nick was in theater in the North of England, some people came to see him backstage who were in the rag business. People would bring massive piles of textiles to the rag yard and then they would sort it into five categories. Some were industrial wipers; some were made into paper. True recycling! They would keep all of the victorian embroidery costumes rather than throwing them out. So, periodically, I would take the train and go up there. I would have to put on a mask and protective gear. There was a big cane basket full of old victorian embroideries, and I would climb on a little step ladder to get inside. Nick couldn’t even get inside because he had hay fever. I would choose pieces and they would weigh it out for me on a weigh-bridge. Then, I would go back to London and process them. I would either make things with it or sell them as they were. Sometimes, I would put them into auction houses like Phillips or Sothebys. It was a rather fab journey... it was great fun.
N: Okay this is kind of a fun question, if you were to make anything for the Royal Family, who would it be for and what would you make?
H: I’d probably make something for the boys like what I have made for my sons, Nick and Tom, I would make something of beauty, like a leather-based linen tote zip bag, lined for keeping precious things in. Hmm, who would appreciate it? I would make something for the Queen: a beautiful embroidered lace pillow for a special chair. I have made and sold so many of those. When Covent Garden became an artisanal market, you had to audition to get in, and I did. Every Wednesday, I would go from our house in Onesworth, London, to sell at the artisanal market. Do you wanna know who was my best customer was? Judy Dench. Judy Dench would come every week and buy some. She was so charming. I made pillows using embroidery textiles sown together. She would come and must have had 50 of my pillows. Also, Tricia Guild, from Designers Guild. My husband Nick got me the gig with her. I met Tricia Guild, who formed the company, and I made all of their cushions and pillows for them.
N: Have you cultivated a community of women that have also really felt connected through textiles and embroidery?
H: A while back, I set up an artist cooperative here in the Palisades. There were 10 of us. We were all parents from the same school and all had jobs within the cooperative. It was called the Local Color and Artist Cooperative. We got through three years; it was quite hairy at times, haha. We had a real consultation policy but it got a little tricky. It was full of beautiful things: textiles, jewelry, bookbindings, and candles. I even made lampshades at one point... I was always doing something.
N: Does your daughter enjoy textiles as much as you do?
H: Utterly. It’s a huge point of connection. We are always talking about textiles. When she was 11, we were in a market somewhere, when she said, “Mummy I’d like to get these pillowcases.” I looked at them, and they had lavender embroidery on them. She had a lavender-colored bedroom at that time, as an 11-year-old does. She said, “Oh I’m not going to put them on my bed, I want to make a skirt out of them.” I said, “Well, of course, you do!” She went on to make a skirt out of the pillowcases.
She studied for three years in Sydney because she needed a creative learning environment, which wasn’t available around here at the time. She went onto a national art school, and, later, three years of fashion school, where she studied intense fashion design, styling, illustrating, pattern making, and runway. She has completed every stage, from concept to runway. Now, she works on interiors and styling.
Exploring Hazel’s Studio
After interviewing Hazel, she showed me around her studio. She showed me various types of materials and explained the story behind each one. She showed me her start-to-finish process. At one moment, she showed me what looked like 50 handmade masks. She went on to tell me about community outreach projects she orchestrated during the pandemic and how art and craftsmanship brought the community closer together in times of despair. I could see that Hazel was very proud of her work and that many people in the community see her as a very kind and gifted individual.
After we discussed the masks, I looked over and saw a table full of jewelry, where Hazel turned old buttons into rings and pendants. There was one ring that stood out to me. I picked it up and asked her about the history behind the ring. She told me that the button inside of the ring was a 1920s button from Paris, France. The button was extremely rare and even had “1920s Paris France” engraved on the back. It sounds crazy, but I really felt connected to the ring and the story behind the button. I wanted to know who wore the button in its past life. That’s the amazing thing about Hazel‘s work; she makes old things new and beautiful in an eco-conscious and historic way that is very avant-garde.
I like to think that, when I wear my ring, it holds an unwritten story. Sometimes, I think about the different characters who could have worn the button set in the ring that I wear every day. I often envision a woman in the 1920s who had a dream of becoming a writer but never had the opportunity to live out her writing career. When I wear the button ring, I see it as a symbolic representation of what I’m doing with H3R. I am reminded that I am blessed enough to create a publication that amplifies women’s voices and provides them with a community of women who grow and learn together. I know it sounds a little “out there,” but isn’t that what inspiration is supposed to do? When you are inspired by something, it should generate new ideas, stories, and feelings. Inspiration is alive and innovative. Inspiration creates more from less. Who knew that an old button placed in a ring could be so powerful?
I highly encourage you to take a look at Hazel’s beautiful work. All of her links are listed below. Hazel has been more than an inspiration to me. I can see that she leads with her heart and creates with her soul. Every one of her creations is a true treasure that carries its own element of mystery, making you wonder about the stories behind each material used. Hazel’s business is revolutionary in the way that she connects eco-consciousness, history, and community through her art. □
Article Credits
Written by: Nicole de Fulgentiis
Biography Written by: Jessie Tate
Hazel’s Instagram: @hazelbutterfieldtate
Jessie’s Instagram: @cien-interiors
