{Inspiration} Color Wednesday...

Historically, I tend to immerse myself in tons of inspirational research in January- I'm an information sponge. A few Januarys ago, I discovered Vera Neumann by way of a fun thrift store score of a handful of Vera scarves. Since then, I've purchased the beautiful book, Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon which I've been pouring through all month. My mini collection of Vera scarves have been within reach for an occasional juggle to admire. It's been rainy and dark day here in the Northwest lately so Sayer & I rediscovered the power of color & the joy of floating fabric.

"Color sings to me. Color is such a marvelous way of expressing emotion. We have so many problems in this world: color just brings a little bit of joy into our lives."  -Vera Neumann

Nothing like reading about an inspiring designer, surrounding myself in color & juggling beautiful scarves to clear my head. 

I'm in the middle of sorting out some new projects & getting sort of bogged down with details.  I hope to get back to a regular blogging schedule soon- I miss it...  

In the meantime, hope you are enjoying your week & that January treated you well! 

{Fabric Friday} Wonderful Textile Archive

Andrea Aranow Textile Archive from Aaron Rayburn on Vimeo.

I learned about Andrea Aranow's textile archive last week on the FORTPORT blog. It's such a great project & truly amazing collection - I felt the need to share it with my fellow textile enthusiasts. Pop on by to read the article if you have a chance- it's a great blog as well. Can you imagine having all of your fabrics organized & archived like that? Well, maybe you already do- but I don't & I'm in awe. Happy Fabric Friday! I'll be doing some sewing this weekend. Will you? 

Also, a big thanks to the men & women that have & continue to serve our country. Happy Veteran's Day!

{via here}

{Fabric Friday} cut out & keep...

Last November, I posted about my love of Skinny laminx textiles here. So, it will be no surprise that I was excited to discover that Heather Moore (aka Skinnylaminx) designed a new line of organic fabrics for Cloud9 that debuted this April.

"Cut Out & Keep ~ The first in our Designer Series for 2011 features South African surface and product designer, Heather Moore who works under the brand name Skinny laMinx. Cut Out & Keep is a striking collection of 8 prints based on her paper-cut designs. This is the first range of fabrics of this type for Heather and we're really excited about this collaboration." -Cloud9

You can purchase these directly from Cloud9 or from here. Aren't they nice? I particularly love them in the stacks that Heather photographed for her blog. 

I've been pondering these fabrics for awhile now- thinking of using some in a new mobile. I just can't seem to make a decision, although I may be close. Do you have a favorite?  Happy Fabric Friday! Any plans to sew or create this weekend? 

{Fabric Friday} quinnknits...

I first learned about Jess Quinn's textile creations via Kickcan & Conkers. I was so drawn in by her quirky & unique style. The legs of some of her characters reminded me of the artwork of my old roommate in grad school- which gave me a nostalgic smile. I've been following the twisted yarn blog ever since.

While I'm particularly fond of the quinnknits stuffed sculptures, the illustrations are gorgeous too. Excitingly enough, I just learned that Jess has been experimenting with Spoonflower lately!

I know I've mentioned this many times before, but this is a process that I'm particularly intrigued with - I love the idea of merging illustrations & textiles. I have had hopes to experiment with this process using my thread drawings, sometime in the near future. When I have a window of time open up (whenever that may be). Here are some examples of the fabrics that may be popping up in the quinnknits etsy shop soon. Aren't they cool? Happy Fabric Friday everyone! 

{Fabric Friday} Emilio Pucci...

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My first memory of discovering Emilio Pucci designs was about 15 years ago when I lived in NYC. There was this really wonderful vintage clothing shop a few blocks from my school/studio. Every now and then I would stop by to browse & play dress up. This store had a lot of high end designers from the 50's - 70's and I remember being particularly taken with the bold & colorful designs of Emilio Pucci. One of the bizarre facts that I just learned, is that Pucci's first clothing designs were for the Reed College skiing team- in 1935 he received a skiing scholarship from Reed College and later received his MA in social science. It just strikes me really interesting that someone born in Florence, Italy to a noble family, would end up in a small college in Portland, Oregon. I won't go into his whole history, but this fact was one I found particularly notable. Needless to say, he was known for his bright & bold textiles and his designs have been sought after by quite a range of woman like Marilyn Monroe (she was been buried in one of his dresses), Jackie Kennedy, & Madonna. 

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{source here & here}

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I'm really enjoying my textile design history tangent that I have been on lately. I had to include that hilarious helmet design. You know, I live in the rainy NW & something like that just might be the answer to these grey rain filled days.  I think I could totally pull that off at the local grocery store, don't you? Happy Fabric Friday! Do you have a favorite textile designer? 

{Fabric Friday} Lucienne Day...

{Lucienne Day, Image Courtesy Robin Day via Dwell Magazine}

If you haven't guessed already, I love researching & learning new things. My latest research obsession is learning more about the British textile designer, Lucienne Day. I often discover things when I'm too busy to really sink my teeth into researching, only to discover them again later- when the timing is right. That's the case with Lucienne Day. She died last year around this time - which received quite a bit of press. There was an article in Dwell Magazine called, "Britain's Mid-Century Female Designers" that caught my attention last year. I remember reading it, getting excited, then putting my magazine on the towering stack of Dwell Mags in my studio. I never followed up on the research until this week when I repeatedly found her name pop on my search for vintage fabrics & made that connection. I'm such a huge fan of Ray and Charles Eames and Lucienne Day & her husband Robin are sort of like the British equivalent. While I do love Ray Eames' textile designs, I think I'm drawn to Lucienne's designs more....

Miscellany (detail), 1952

Isosceles, 1955 & Forest 1959

Jack Sprat Glass Towel (detail) , 1950 & Apollo, 1950

Calyx, 1951

Rig, 1952 & Strata, 1952

I've always enjoyed reading about creative couples throughout art/design history. I find it interesting to see how they inspire, influence, & nurture each others creative journey. I suppose that's why I married another artist. I also devour information about women artists & designers that paved the way for me to be doing what I'm doing today. I'm sure this won't be the last you will hear about Lucienne Day from me- this is just an introduction, as my research has really just begun. I actually have the exhibit catalog from "Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain" on order- can't wait to get it into my hands. Happy Fabric Friday! Hope you have a weekend full of cool discoveries....

{Fabric Friday} vintage vera...

I have really fond memories of playing in my mom's scarf box. The feeling of the silks & chiffons, the patterns & colors, and the wafting scent of Charlie Perfume come to mind when I think about it. A while back I spotted a basket of scarves at the antique mall. They were all packaged in ziploc baggies & I really didn't have time to sift through them. But I thought about them & saved that activity for a rainy day- when I need a studio break. That studio break came this week. I was completely delighted searching through the basket - the colors were amazing! But what really got my heart pumping was that the ones I kept picking up, were Vera Neumann scarves- and they were $6 a piece!

Vera was considered the "queen of mod" by many. Popular in the 60's &'70's, her textiles were infused with happiness and her painting background was evident in all of her designs. I'm drawn to her philosophy as much as her designs. Here is a snippet written about why she became so successful.

"...I think the biggest reason was that she painted up to the public. She was of the belief that fine art shouldn’t just be for the wealthy. It should be available to all and it should be incorporated in everyone’s everydays. By wearing a Vera dress, you can take your art with you. By wearing a Vera scarf, you can dress up pretty much anything. By having Vera linens in your kitchen, it puts a smile on your face while you’re doing the drabbest duties. Vera had the philosophy that you should change the art around you every once in a while because you soon stop seeing it. She made it to where a person can change their art as often as they change their clothes. Literally. "  - source

These scarves make me really happy. The colors just sing and the patterns are great! I felt really strongly about having them in my studio. I don't know what part they are going to play in my creating, but just being able to juggle them on whim is worth a lot. They also make for a good rainy day activity with the kiddo. Playing dress up has never been so glamorous... 

If you are fond of Vera as well and would like a little piece of fine art to wear, check out this Etsy Shop that has 297 Vera scarfs in stock!  I don't know about you, but I needed a little bit of cheerful color on this rainy day. Happy Fabric Friday! 

{Fabric Friday} new discovery...moomin

Last week I read a blog post that started me on a research tangent that was quite fun. Thanks to my blog friend Carmel, I now know who Tove Jansson is. I really enjoyed reading about her and hope to a research a little more. Here is a quick description from the Moomin website for those that don't know who she is.

Tove Marika Jansson 1914-2001

A Swedish-speaking Finn who enjoyed a diverse career as an author, painter, graphic artist, caricaturist and comic strip artist. She was the creator of the much-loved Moomin books.

{first two photos via here}

I admit that I was unaware of what Moomin was, but now I do & am a little smitten with the comic strip, the woman who drew it, & the fabric that came from it...

I know I would've eventually learned about Moomin through my never ending quest for  Marimekko fabric & love of Finnish design. I've seen some of these images and been intrigued before. So, I'm glad my introduction was from Carmel's blog. (She was also the woman who tipped me off on the vintage Marimekko Bo Boo comforter I bought for Sayer recently). I was excited when I found a Moomin textile shop (that specializes in vintage Moomin) on Etsy called Tillukka.  All of these fabrics & photos are from this shop as well. What do you think? Are you a Moomin fan?  Happy first Fabric Friday of 2011!   

{Fabric Friday} Fresh & Modern textiles...

I first became enamored with tikoli 's fresh and modern textiles when I saw them at Fawn & Forest awhile back. I have been continuously drawn to them over time but could never make a decision about which tea towels that I liked the best. I think there is a design for my every mood. However, I could never go wrong with any of them when it comes to fitting into the palette of our home- they all work beautifully. 

{images via here & here}

But for me,  when I have a face and name to the textile, it makes it more fun purchase. Which leads me again to a wonderful twitter connection. I have been enjoying Maja Brugos (ie tikoli designer)  via her tweets for a little while now and it makes me happy to think of her when I see her lovely designs. I recently discovered that these towels are carried in a local store in Bellingham,  called  Digs and snatched up all that I could find.

While I do have one towel in the kitchen, I couldn't let the other two end up crumpled on the counter. I wanted to see these towels in a different way. So I played with them, stared at them, and let them hang out in my studio for a bit. 

From tea towel to klt:plush... it seemed like a perfect combination to me. Happy Fabric Friday!

{Fabric Friday} my textile design

I just spotted the work of Caroline Bourles of My Textile Design when I visited the uppercase journal on Wednesday. I poked around the website and was drawn in by the categories and range of textiles. I thought it was a nice {Fabric Friday} discovery.

This first set: {Snooze} Fashion & Furnishing Textile Project- Sept '06 - Lounge area & cocktail bar - Applications: Carpet/ seat/ window shade/ lampshade/ uniform. 

This set pulls from two projects: {Edward} Fashion & textile Project- Jan. '05-  Applications: dress / underskirt / apron / sleeves / collar.  {Sweethome} Furnishing textile Project- June '05- Applications: pillow / blanket / window shade / strap band

The section of mood boards and colors is fun to flip through. She also has a collection of children's wear too. Stop by and check out her site- there's a lot of eye candy. Happy Fabric Friday!   {all photos by My Textile Design}

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