{Textile Tuesday} Anticipating Spring

Back when I was in college, I took my first serigraphy class (screen printing). I was completely hooked & took three more serigraphy classes before I graduated. I really love all printmaking, but there is something about the aesthetic of screen printing that I gravitate towards. Two summers ago, Chris helped me set up a little screen printing studio and I've been honing my craft ever since. I've been getting more proficient at printing textiles and last spring printed my first collection of scarves at the nudging of the ladies of a great design shop in Bellingham called Ideal. I've been thoroughly enjoying making a new line of scarves for this spring/summer that are heavily influenced by my surroundings. 

We live among the beautiful tulip fields in the Skagit Valley and I wanted to create a mid century inspired tulip textile. I was playing with fuchsia and yellow in the anticipation of warmer weather and the fields of color that on the way. 

After printing this weekend, my guys indulged me in heading out to take some photos of my scarves among some of the landscape that currently inspires me. The river is a bit high right now due to all of the rain and I love the reflections and bare trees on the river's edge. 

I'm pretty lucky that my family indulges my creative whims. I think deep down they enjoy the adventures that we find ourselves on in the pursuit of a that perfect photo that I'm always seeking. 

This is one of the things I've been up to lately. How about you? What is keeping you creatively interested?

{Fabric Friday} Earth Day Favorite...

 

Happy Earth Day! On this Fabric Friday, it seemed perfect to feature one of my favorite eco- conscious fabric designers/makers, Umbrella Prints. I discovered this lovely fabric last year & it continues to be on my top 5 list. Amy & Carly's gorgeous fabric is printed by hand  on hemp & organic cottons, with water based, solvent free inks.

The palette & imagery used, is beautiful & truly able to inspire any sort of project. There is also exciting news for you quilters out there. Umbrella Prints has some new quilting weight fabric called "Oasis" that will be out in May! You can pre-order it on the Umbrella Prints Etsy site now.

Pop by Amy Prior's blog for more inspiration & beautiful photos here. It's one of my favorites. All photos used for this post are from her blog & etsy shop. Happy Fabric Friday! Hope you all have a wonderful Easter Weekend! 

{Fabric Friday} butterflies by hand...

{Abigail Brown Butterflies}

{Maja Backstrom - Butterfly Fabric}

{Greenolive Textiles- Flutterby Fabric & Modgreen Pod Fabric}

Ever since Sayer announced that he loved "butterflies & firetrucks", I've been on the lookout for unique butterfly fabrics. I'm particularly drawn to fabrics that are made by hand & found these lovely examples while cruising through Etsy. On my search, I also ran across some beautiful fabric butterflies by Abigail Brown. Butterflies have a way of calming me down & making me feel rather hopeful, how about you? Thought it was a nice way to end the week- Happy  Fabric Friday! 

*Be sure to stop by next Friday for the 5 bundles Creative Competition - submitted photos. 

Have a great weekend!

{Fabric Friday} vibrant color & simple designs...

I just recently discovered the textile designs of Hitomi Kimura aka, Kalla Designs via her Etsy Shop. I was immediately was drawn in by her gorgeous color & bold, clean, timeless designs. Cruising through her shop made me smile and start dreaming up what I would make with her lovely hand printed textiles. Hitomi is a designer & screen printer who works out of her home studio in Ibaraki, Japan. Upon further snooping, I also found she had a website, blog, & Kalla Design FB page. Happy Fabric Friday everyone! 

{Fabric Friday} p's & q's...

My appreciation for typography and textiles often morph together. Helen Rawlinson is my all time favorite textile designer that combines these two loves of mine. Sayer has a wonderful drum shade in his room with her ABC design and it's one of my favorite fabrics to use in the klt:studio. But it's always fun to discover additional designers who appreciate typography and  I just found the screen printed textiles of  Melbourne's Spin Spin. Wow, they are gorgeous as well. 

The Spin Spin Etsy shop has more than fabric- you can find kid's clothing, pillows, & stationary too. My eyes immediately fell on the stunning tea towels though. I love the retro, clean patterns, and beautiful, rich colors. When it comes to textile shopping you really can't go wrong visiting either shop for handmade lovelies!  Both designers really know their design p's & q's! Happy Fabric Friday! 

{Fabric Friday} drooling over hable...

Have you been to the hable construction site in awhile? I just popped by and reminded myself how much I really love this sister run company.  Look at all of these beautiful hand printed cotton canvas  & linen textiles! 

{handprinted canvas swatches}

{handprinted linen} 

There is so much to see in addition to the fabrics - pillows, totes, prints, storage bins. It's all pretty wonderful. I really enjoyed poking around the site and learning more about the company. I have been following them on twitter & "like" them on facebook, but hadn't visited the site in a few months. I realized that if I love hable construction, then I should share it with my fellow textile enthusiasts. So, happy Fabric Friday! 

{all images via hable construction website}

{Fabric Friday} Holley & Gill...

I used to read art books about the New York School of artists back in the day and wished that I were one of them. The idea of sitting at coffee shops with fellow artists and sharing thoughts about art, books, movies, music and other inspirations is something I think I will always find appealing. But I have to say… Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, & blogs are my virtual coffee shops where I feel like I am a part of a bunch of creative groups. I look forward to my virtual cups of coffee with my artistic and visionary pals. One designer pal from my virtual coffee shop is Michelle, from Holley & Gill. When I first learned about the work she creates, I knew I wanted to write about it someday. So this Fabric Friday post is one I dreamed up before I even had a blog and my thoughts were just jotted down in a moleskine notebook.   

Michelle and her husband Conrad are the Montreal based design duo that creates handmade, screen printed textiles that are later constructed into unique, design savvy headboards. Holley & Gill designs are elegant, beautiful and add a nice feel to a room. They are made lovingly, with attention to detail and process. I am a huge fan of hand screenprinted fabrics and love to see the work that they do, reflected in the world of interior design. 

If you love interior design as I do, you will most likely enjoy visiting the Holley & Gill blog as well. There are always heartfelt words & lovely interiors to looks at. It is the kind of blog that makes you think about the posts for many days after the first read. 

So that  wraps up a week of reflective black and white... Happy Fabric Friday! 

All images: Holley & Gill via here.

{Fabric Friday} Sweet Snippets...

Ah, my pile of lovely fabric snippets from Umbrella Prints caught my attention for this short and sweet {Fabric Friday}. My official introduction to this wonderful fabric house, was during the Earth Day Organic Fabric Giveaway blog hop. Each participating blog had their own rules and when I cruised through the Umbrella Fabric blog , I decided to participate. My description of their fabric won me a little packet of whimsical and "lush" fabric samples. I was tickled to receive this thoughtful parcel -particularly when they made the extra effort of sending it to the US (they are based in Australia). I was so smitten by these fabrics that I bought some more to add to my snippet collection.

Now that we have established that their fabrics are gorgeous, I want to tell you what struck me just as equally. Gratitude, something that you don't find everyday, but when you do, it is extra special. One of the things that I love about buying handmade, is that little touch of human kindness. I can say the same thing about selling things that are handmade too. I adore the words and pictures that I receive from people that own something that I made. 

Umbrella fabrics are stunning enough to make you want a bunch of each design made. But, it is the kindness and handwritten note snuck in the package of fabric that makes opening it all that much sweeter. So, thanks for the beautiful fabric Amy & Carly! Your extra effort and kindness didn't go unnoticed. I will definitely be back for more. Happy Fabric Friday!

{Fabric Friday} From an Old Chocolate Factory in London...

Another new klt:fabric stash is ready to be shared. I just received my new order of hand printed fabrics from Helen Rawlinson and they are just as I had hoped they would be, bright, graphic, bold, and gorgeous. Helen has a studio in an old Chocolate Factory in London where she creates and prints beautiful textiles. I was lucky enough to have stumbled upon Helen's work this last fall over at papernstitch. 

I love these little peeks into Helen's studio. You can find this picture along with a great interview here. Helen is particularly known for her lamp shades and Sayer is lucky enough to enjoy one them in his room (which are quite tricky to photograph by the way).

Helen is a mom as well as an artist which may be another reason that I love to make things with her fabrics. She is very aware of child safety laws and prints with same non-toxic inks that are used in England's elementary schools. Creatively collaborating is something that I truly enjoy and I feel by making things with Helen's fabrics, I get to do just that. Here are some of my favorite Helen/Kristin plushies.

I can't wait to get started with my new idea for these fabrics. Receiving them this week was  exciting. So, stay tuned for more creations inspired by the momma in London who makes beautiful things in an old chocolate factory.  Happy Fabric Friday!

{Creative Process} How the new klt:mobile was made...

There is a new mobile design at klt:works and I am just thrilled about it. This idea has been kicking around in my brain for quite a while now- so it is very gratifying to finally have a finished product under my belt. This is just one of the many ideas in the works right now. My mind tends to move at a much faster pace than my fingers. Most of my studio time is spent filling orders, but every now and then, I sneak in new stuff to keep me excited. My hope is to offer a list of thread drawing characters to choose from - so a person could  choose their own story in a klt:mobile. I loved the idea of using my thread drawing for the floating images for a number of reasons. But having a mobile that is both high contrast (b&w) and modern in color & shape, is a big one (babies are said to see in b&w until they are 3 months). Maybe it is the art professor in me, but I thought that the creative process of how this mobile came to be might be an interesting thing to share.  So here we go....

Thread Drawing from elSage on Vimeo.

It all starts with drawings in thread. I know that I showed this video before, but it was in my first post and I really think it was just my mom who read it. Besides, it is the best way for me to describe how I draw in thread. This was a demo that I did for hutch studio. Most of the time,  a drawing would take a little longer (and I wouldn't have an audience either), but you get the idea. So this is how I created the squirrel, bird, owl, & nest for the klt:works tees, pillows, & now mobile. 

Once I have the images drawn, I take them to a local screen printer (that is 5 minutes away from my studio) and have them screen print my designs for me. It is Chris (not my husband, Chris) that is printing above- he is the one that has worked on a lot of  klt:works projects in 2010. I have been going to the same place for the last 4 years and consider the three of them, part of the klt:works team.

Then comes another fun part of the process, I get to pick out the fabrics for the back of the critters. You might remember me mentioning my love of Ink & Spindle fabrics in one of my Fabric Friday posts. I knew the minute I saw their fabrics, that I wanted to use them for my woodlands mobile (which I fondly think of as the Northwest mobile). I found this video on the Ink & Spindle blog and loved it. 

The last step is something that I really can't leave out. Chris makes all of the wood mobile structures in his little teeny shop area in the garage. He is literally wedged between piles of stuff & the car, when he works on his various house & klt:projects. He then heads upstairs to the klt:studio and methodically strings all of the critters on the mobiles - weighing them carefully with his gram scale from the ceramic studio. He puts the finishing touches on every single mobile that is made. I must pay tribute to those working hands above. Because without them, the mobiles would never be completed.

And that is how the new klt:mobile was made. Hope you enjoyed your creative process tour!  All in a day, right? 

{Fabric Friday} Ink & Spindle + Earth Day ~ Organic Fabric Giveaway

I have the perfect textiles to feature on the Fabric Friday after Earth Day. While I know I have mentioned Ink & Spindle before, I have a little more to share. Lara Cameron and Tegan Rose are the two textile designers who run the boutique screen-printing studio in Australia. It was their love of screen printed textiles and sustainable alternatives to mass produced textiles that brought the two together. They take great pride in their high quality printing and their minimal impact on the environment. The result is beautiful hand printed fabric and designs that showcase their love of the earth. 
{photos below found here}

But wait, it gets even better! When visiting the Ink & Spindles blog, I found out about a really cool giveaway that will make you fellow fabric lovers, drool. To celebrate Earth Day, Ink & Spindle is participating in a blog hop giveaway!

As their blog explains: "In our little corner of the industry, we want to promote the use of organic fabrics. In particular, those that are sustainable & Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) Certified." 

Here is the scoop: 12 wonderful people/businesses below are giving away some beautiful textiles! So, it is time to do some blog hopping now. Stop by each blog and enter their giveaways!

Betz White - Birch Fabrics - Cloud9 Fabrics - Cottage Industrialist - Daisy Janie

Harmony Art - Homesweet - loop - Monaluna - Swanky Swell - Umbrella Prints - Ink & Spindle 

I just got my most recent order of Ink & Spindle fabrics this week and they are so gorgeous. I have a perfect idea on how to use them and I am just chomping at the bit to see & share the finished product. But until then, here is my growing klt:fabricstash.  Good luck on the Blog Hop Fabric Giveaway!  I am on my way to enter them myself. Happy Fabric Friday! Do you have any favorite textile designers? 

Fabric Friday

Wow, how to start this Fabric Friday post, except by saying that I am oozing with excitement and inspiration. I had decided earlier this week to feature the fabrics of Denyse Schmidt. She is a designer that has been creating beautiful quilting fabrics for a while now. I have used a number of fabrics from all of her collections from the beginning of klt:works. She just recently came out with a new collection and it seemed fitting to chat about her. However, before I get to all of that, I need to tell you about about a lovely creative coincidence that changed my slant a bit. 

Yesterday, I got my absolute favorite magazine in the mail called Uppercase. I have mentioned it before in an earlier post (Inspiring Prints: what makes me smile) because I truly love everything about it. The magazine comes in its own cardboard envelope and the anticipation of its arrival starts weeks prior to receiving it- it is that special. So, I frantically opened the enveloped and started flipping through the pages (even the ink smells great). My eyes immediately fell on an article written by Karyn Valino  called, "perfectly pattterned careers: textile design".  This article focuses on the "small independent creatives" redefining the world of textile design. Denyse Schmidt was  the first interview, then Lara Cameron (from Ink & Spindle), and Michelle Engel Bencsko (Cloud 9 Fabrics) was the last. My socks were knocked off. It was a gorgeous layout and I admire all of the designers and use their fabrics because of what they stand for. Timing is everything (which is Sayer's phrase of the week) and I hit the inspiration jackpot yesterday.

So, back to the fabric. When I choose fabrics for klt:works, I am very selective. Initially I gravitate towards a textile because of aesthetics, but I research a lot about a designer and their process before I become a loyal fan. Denyse Schmidt caught my interest because of her lovely quilting but it was that she was bringing something fresh and new to the fabric scene that I really appreciated. I find that my style is very modern, but I love nostalgia. I think that is why I respond so strongly to her designs. I also enjoyed reading about her background and that she came from a family of makers. Chris went to Rhode Island School of Design (and went back and taught there a bit after grad school). Both of his parents also went to RISD. So he comes from a family of makers too.  I actually found Denyse's work through an RISD alumni page. Needless to say, I have been loyal to her designs ever since. I used fabrics from her Flea Market Fancy collection, for some of my first Flights of Fancy Mobiles in 2006. When that was all gone and sold out everywhere, I moved on to her Katie JumpRope fabrics. Now I am excited to play around with her new Hope Valley collection. Here is a little peek into my Denyse Schmidt fabric stash (what is left anyway). Pictured: Hope Valley, Katie Jump Rope, Flea Market Fancy (left to right)

I wrote a bit about Ink & Spindle in my first Fabric Friday post because I love that they screen print their fabrics themselves. They are very aware of what being eco-friendly means and they use environmentally conscious inks, fabrics, and  practices in their Australian studio. So, I was not only impressed by their designs, but their philosophy as well.  I became familiar with Cloud9 Fabrics because they use eco-responsible inks and dyes too. Being that I make things for children, I am particularly looking for organic and eco conscious fabric options. You can read about these designers in the 5th Uppercase Magazine. Pictured: My stash: Cloud9 and Ink & Spindle (left to right)

Oh, inspiration is so sweet. After I finish reading the rest of my Uppercase Magazine, I am hoping to dive into my fabric stash. Happy Fabric Friday!

Fabric Friday

I absolutely love textiles.... everything about them. I buy little stashes of special fabrics that I immediately respond to visually, then save them for the perfect project. I buy almost all of my fabric that way. My fabric collection serves as my painter's palette. 

Recently, I have been really taken with buying handmade fabrics. I love that they were made by hand, but I also like the idea that I am sort of collaborating with these artists. I think because I generally work by myself, I am constantly trying to find ways to entertain my love of artistic collaboration. I have never met these artists that create my lovely fabric treasures, but I do have it in my mind that I want to do their fabrics proud with whatever I create. Twitter and Facebook have been amazing resources for both finding these great designers, but also connecting and sharing finished products with them. Helen Rawlinson is one of my favorite textile designers and it has been so much fun making critters with her fabrics. Some other recent discoveries have been Lucie Summers of Summersville & Lara Cameron and Tegan Rose of Ink and Spindle . So ladies, thanks for providing me with inspiration, I very much appreciate your work. 

In order :: Ink and Spindle, Helen Rawlinson, Summersville