{Fabric Friday} Nostalgia & Strawberries...

I think that it is accurate to say that a lot of my design decisions are made with acknowledging my history and embracing nostalgia. I have been gravitating towards fabrics lately that conjure up all sorts of memories. Currently, it has been strawberry fabrics that have caught my eye. It could be that they are on the brink of being in season where I live. Or that my first real paid job (other than babysitting my brother) was working in the strawberry fields. Which I can honestly say, sucked. However, I learned a lot about myself and developed a killer work ethic that molded my way of working today (making plush by hand is a bit like picking berries- hard work & very satisfying). Picking berries for $0.09 per pound for the summer,  makes that one Benetton sweater for back to school, extra special. So, the strawberry is very symbolic. It's local to where I am from and where I live now - and as a bonus, very delicious.

The other reason that I am drawn to strawberry fabric, is that it reminds me of one of my favorite dresses that my mom made me when I was little (she made a lot of my clothes). It was the dress that I chose for my birthday party at Big Scoop and a dress that seemed cheerful and not too frilly. I remember that it made me happy.

Here are some of the strawberry fabrics that I have stumbled upon lately. They really make me smile.These fabrics are Japanese imports that can be found both here & here.

I did buy a few of these fabrics with hopes of a strawberry slug plush or a strawberry bird. Only time will tell what I come up with for klt:works, but I am sure that they will look remarkably similar to my favorite childhood dress. What sort of fabric is nostalgic for you?