Fabric Friday - Amy Butler New Collection - Lark

Morning! Friday again already? Bit of a mixed up day here today as my daughters have a day off from school as it's a PD Day (Professional Development for teachers) but I think it's just a special Christmas shopping day for the teachers really!  Anyway it's Friday and that means we can indulge in some fabric heaven here and I realised earlier this week that Amy Butler's new collection, Lark, had hit out shores and the virtual shelves of many fabric websites here in the UK.  You all know how much I love Amy Butler designs but I am going to admit I am now entirely convinced I like the new collection.  I'm not sure why and maybe it will grow on me.  Although I do like some of the designs just not all of them.

The Lark collection is split into two, Glamour and Dreamer, with the designs in the Dreamer collection are more preferable.  I usually love Amy's designs but feel maybe one reason I haven't automatically fallen in love with them is that the colour palette is bright and bold but my thoughts are for warm colours of winter.  Perhaps I will like Lark more in the Spring when I want an injection of colour?

I would love to know wat you think of the new Amy Butler collection.  Do you love or loathe it? 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Zoe

x

Fabric Friday - Sewing With Children

A slightly different post for this weeks Fabric Friday as I've been busy sewing with my daughters the past few weeks.  We were very lucky to be sent a copy of 'Sewing For Children' by Emma Hardy to try out and review during the summer holidays.  My daughters love making and creating so were thrilled to  have the chance to make new things and spend some time with me sewing.  My daughters are 10, 8 and 4 and a half years old, so their sewing skills are very varied!  But this did not put us off and they had soon planned which things they wanted to make.

Sewing For Children is a fantastic book for any child wanting to start sewing.  Although the makes are aimed at girls there are some fantastic t-shirt creatures, sock monsters and finger puppets that boys would love to make.  The book is divided into five chapters, 'Animals and Other Creatures', 'Pretty Playthings', 'Fashion Fun', 'Bags, Bits and Bedroom Bits n Pieces' and 'Dressing Up Time'.  Each chapter has several projects that can easily be made following the clear instructions.  One thing we all loved about this book was that each project had plenty of photographs of the different steps so my older two daughters often used the images to work out what they needed to do next before reading the instructions to double check.  Towards the end of the book there are clear explanations of techniques and instructions for different stitches.  There are also all the patterns/templates you will need to create all the projects.

Lucy has been busy making felt flower hairbands and adapted the felt flowers on a bag to make hairclips.  She has also made a selection of felt fairy cakes for Kitty to play with in the playhouse and has plans to make drawstring bags for her bedroom.  Amber and Kitty were very excited to make the felt cat bag and Kitty wanted to try sewing it herself.  However I did sew the face for her but she then managed to sew the two main pieces together after I drew a line for her to follow.  They now have plans to make the ragdolls, complete with various sets of clothes.  All three want to make sock monsters too but Drew is concerned about socks disappearing from his sock drawer!

I will now share with you Lucy's review of the book.

I liked Sewing For Children because the instructions weren't too confusing and they didn't take too long.  The steps were easy to follow, you didn't have to read since there were pictures to follow!  There was lots of things I liked especially the bag decorations tha can make beautiful hairclips and hairbands.

Sewing For Children would make a fabulous gift for a child aswell as being a bookshelf essential for rainy chilly Sunday afternoons.  There is nothing better than spending winter afternoons cosied up sewing with my daughters.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend,
Zoe
x


Sewing For Children by Emma Hardy
ISBN 978-1-907030-23-9

Fabric Friday - Designers Guild A/W11

Lotus Flower Bedlinen

September has arrived with a chill in the air and my thoughts have turned to warmer colours for the house.  I don't mean redecorating, so no need to panic Drew, we have plenty of glossing left to do!  No what I am thinking about is changing cushion covers and curtains to warmer shades and more luxurious fabrics. Well if you can't have velvet in winter when can you?!

Cesano

With Autumn around the corner various fabric designers are busy launching new collections which can help us update our homes with the latest trends in interior design but also add that warmer tone that lends so well to the cooler time of year.

Amrapali

Today I thought we could take a look at the delights Designers Guild are launching as their A/W11 collections.  Obviously we should not expect muted tone and wishywashy prints as this is not Designers Guild at all.  With a richness of colour or texture in their fabrics these designers are not afraid to be bold.  I have to admit that 'Amrapali' in Peony is my favourite of the new designs for it's bold floral print in vibrant azure blues, bright pinks and hints of oranges and chartreuse.  Whilst this may not seem very autumnal I am sure 'Amrapali' would brighten the dullest of winter days. 

Kasida

For a more luxurious fabric to add warmth to the cooler nights 'Kasida' offers jaquard patterned silk in a jewel palette. Perhaps you prefer the feel of velvet then 'Cesano' would be perfect with it's geometrical pattern close cropped velvet.  For a stylish finale the new 'Chevenon' trimmings are simply gorgeous, offering a selection of trimmings and tie backs, including glass and embroidered beads and fabulous fringes.

Miss Muffett Bedlinen

Aswell as beautiful new fabrics for projects Designers Guild also offer an array of products in their fabulous designs.  So even if you are not nimble with a needle you can still indulge in their new designs.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend
Zoe
x

Fabric Friday - New Collections

It is Friday again and of course that means it's time for some fabric indulgence.  Continuing from last week I am going to look back at previous features and share some new collections from designers that have apepared in Fabric Friday in the past year.  As today sees the start of London Fashion Week I feel it apt to look at some of our main British textile designers.

Cath Kidston

I first featured Cath Kidston for Fabric Friday back in April last year and am excited to see what new designs she has released.

Cath Kidston - Fabric Friday - April 2010

Whilst other design houses release new collections usually in line with the fashion seasons Cath Kidston does not clearly announce new designs on her website.  However I am sure that Circus and London Scene are fairly new designs and are both fabulous.  Cath Kidston designs are synominous with quintessential English ideals and the theme of London Scene I feel ties in very well with the Cool Britannia trend that is still popular.  The Circus print reminds me of childhood trips to the big top and again airs that feeling of nostalgia that Cath Kidston prints evoke.

Circus

London Scene

Designers Guild

Designers Guild were first featured in a Fabric Friday post in the Summer last year and I have since been fortunate enough to review Tricia Guilds book, A Certain Style.

Designers Guild - Fabric Friday - July 2010

There are several new collections released by Designers Guild that fit with the fashion seasons of Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer.  This new Spring /Summer season has seen thirteen new fabric collections, including the fantastic Arles collection resulting from a collaboration with Christian Lacroix. There are also three new wallcovering collections, Linnaeus, Around the World and Essentials Oxbridge.

Here are three of my favourites from the new collections, I especially love the solid vibrancy of Piave, reminiscent of catwalks for S/S11.

Around The World

Sofienberg

Piave

Lisa Stickley

Lisa Stickley has become a household name, especially since joining the line up of 'Designers at Debenhams'.  I first featured Lisa Stickley in the middle of the summer last year.

Fabric Friday - Lisa Stickley - August 2010

Whilst there is a new homewares collection available from Debenhams Lisa Stickly has several new designs available on her website.  Here are a few new pieces -

Linda Magazine Bag

Modestly Marvellous Mug

Substanially Generous Jug

Fabric Friday - New Collections

I thought for the next three weeks I would look back at designers I have featured on Fabric Friday and take a look at their new collections. 

Birch Fabrics

Birch Fabrics launched their first collection, Circa 50 last spring and I first featured them nearly a year ago -

Fabric Friday - Birch Fabrics - March 2010

Circa 50

Circa 50

Since then Birch Fabrics have release two further collections, Marine by Dan Stiles and Circa 60 Beach Mod, which is another collaboration with Monaluna.

Marine

Marine

Circa 60

Circa 60

Birch Fabrics have another collection, Avalon by Jay-Cyn Designs, launching in April.

All Birch Fabrics collections are printed onto 100% organic cotton.

Monaluna

Monaluna collaborated with Birch Fabrics to produce both the Circa 50 and Circa 60 collections.  However I shared Monaluna's own collections, for Robert Kaufman, with you back in April last year.

Fabric Friday - Monaluna - April 2010

Urban Blooms

Flitter

Metro Market

Last Summer saw Monaluna launch their own collection, Monaco, which is printed onto organic cotton.

Monaluna will be launching two more collections, Anika and Marin, later this year.

Fabric Friday - Snapdragon

Campervan Card

Today is of course Fabric Friday yet I am going to steer away slightly from textile designers this week to share with you the work of Snapdragon.  Yesterday Jane of Snapdragon tweeted that she had just received lots of lovely fabric parcels in the post, kindly donated by various people.  I swiftly responded that I wanted to live in her world as I would love to randomly receive packages filled with fabric, scraps and vintage pieces. But there is a reason that Jane reguarly receives random fabric parcels.  Snapdragon designs use remenants of fabric, often destined to the bin to bring to life Janes sketches that she collects throughout the year. 

Phone Cosy

The summer months see Jane growing cut flowers and from reading her blog I know her garden looks amazing.  This is when her inspiration is at it's peak surrounded by flowers, bunting, cakes, chickens and seedheads.  Jane then transfers her sketches to fabric, using every last scrap of each piece and adding details with freehand embroidery, making every item unique. 

Chicken Mirror

Having quit her office job in 2000, Jane retrained in horticulture, moved to the Scottish countryside and started Snapdragon.  A dream I am sure many would love to follow, how often do I hear of people wanting to quit the rat race and earn a creative living?  Jane and Snapdragon are proof that the dream is possible, with lots of hard work and dedication.  And just to make that dream even the sweeter Jane works from a fabulous vintage airstream caravan set amongst the flowers in the cutting garden.

Retro Caravan Greetings Card

I'm sure you will all agree Jane's designs are fabulous and her mirrors and badges make great gifts or favours and I need to buy all of her cards as they would make great pictures on my office wall, brightening even the greyest of days with thoughts of summer.

Snapdragon

{blog} {NOTHS} {Facebook} {Twitter}

Snapdragon products are also available throughout the UK at many outlets.

Fabric Friday - Lotta Jansdotter

Today I am going to share with you the fabulous Scandinavian inspired designs of Lotta Jansdotter.  Although based in the US Lotta Anderson, the designer behind the label whose designs clearly reflect her Swedish homeland, taking inspiration from the seasonal nature seen near her childhood home on Aland, an island between Sweden and Finland.  Yet it is visable in her use of colour the vibrancy of her travels as an adult, to Portugal and Japan.

{image courtesy of Shelterpop}

For many years San Francisco was home to Lotta, having moved there when she was 20 years old.  Determined to find a creative career she enrolled on various art courses at the local community college, but is was when she attended a screen printing class everything fell in to place.  Lotta continued experimenting with prinitng and was very much self taught after leaving the course to concentrate on experimenting with designs and techniques.  Thankfully her entrepreneurial spirit shone through and Lotta Jansdotter launched their first collection. 

{available from Selvedge}

Like so many creative businesses Lotta worked from her apartment in San Francisco gaining a local following for her designs, which caught the eye of the Japanese market, making her a design star in Japan.  Six years after launching in 1996, Lotta Jansdotter opened their first store and moved to a new studio in Nob Hill, San Fransico.  From here Lotta firmly established the Lotta Jansdotter brand across the US and reaching the international market aswell, with hundreds of stores stocking her products and also through sales via her website.

{Handmade Living by Lotta Jansdotter}

Four years later saw Lotta move to the East Coast in a bid to be closer to her beloved homeland and she quickly established herself in Brooklyn, New York, opening a new and larger stucio in the creative neighbourhood of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.  From her Lotta continued to design new collections and has written three books as well as starting a collection for babies, which will be expanded due the popularity of the range.

To read more about Lotta Anderson and take a tour of her New York apartment be sure to buy Elle Decoration this month. (Febraury 2011 issue)

{Lotta Jansdotter}

Fabric Friday - Amy Butler Soul Blossoms

image courtesy of Amy Butler Design

It's Fabric Friday and it seems only fitting to start the year with one of my favourite designers.  Amy Butler launched her new collection, Soul Blossoms, towards the end of last year and is as inspiring and vibrant as her previous colections.  Inspired by her travels through India, Amy has used a rich jewel palette and features large floral patterns throughout Soul Blossoms.  Amy describes the collection perfectly on her website as an "interpretation of an enchanted modern passage through the floral delights of India". 

image courtesy of Amy Butler Design

There are three colourways within the Soul Blossom collection, Passion, Joy and Bliss that mix perfectly, giving you a tresure chest of colour and pattern to create with. 


So let's see the lateset creations from Etsy using the fabulous Soul Blossoms collection.

from Sew Fun by Monique

from Faith on Earth

from Sugar Pie Chic

from Blake & Bailey's Little Boutique

from C W Creations