Design Dilemma: How To Coordinate Paint & Fabrics On A Budget

Yay! It’s time for another Design Dilemma. I love doing these I hope as much as you like reading about them. Today, we’re taking a look at a home in North Carolina with a relatively open floor plan. Dione writes that she recently moved into this new home and wants to make it her own, but she has a tight budget she’d like to stick do. Can I help her with paint and fabric Read More…

Chair of the day: John Robshaw

Textile designer, John Robshaw, teamed up with Cisco Brothers recently. Robshaw put their fabrics on a series of chairs designed by John Derian.

I love the outcome. You can take a peek at Robshaw’s fabrics on Derain’s styles here. Buying the frame from one company and using fabric from another is called “Customer’s Own Fabric” (or COM) in the trade. It’s almost always a more adventurous way to go.

Robshaw makes some great prints. Want some? They’re available from me! Just shoot me an email with your style and quantity and I’ll write up a very reasonable quote.

Lucienne Day’s Vintage Post War Fabrics Return

I was thrilled to see that The Centre for Advanced Textiles (an adjunct of The Glasgow School of Art) has reproduced fabrics from three of Scotland’s most iconic fabric designers from the post-war era. Allow me to reintroduce…

Lucienne Day

Calyx

Larch

Lucienne set up a design practice in 1948 in collaboration with her husband the furniture designer Robin Day. She established a worldwide reputation with her “Calyx” fabric design, which won, among other awards, a gold medal at the Milan Triennale of 1951.

Trio

Her work perfectly characterized the stylistic exuberance of the 1950’s and demonstrated that good design and mass production could be both compatible and successful.

Robert Stewart

Macrahanish

This Scottish designer and artist became one of the most significant figures in the field of surface design. He taught at The Glasgow School of Art for 35 years. He also produced paintings, enamels, and ceramics. But it was his fabrics that have been most influential, particularly those produced by Liberty and Pringle.

Kilmun

Raimult

Sun Man

Sylvia Chalmers

Penang

Sylvia studied at The Glasgow School of Art and moved to London in 1951 with only $10 in her pocket. She worked at Storey’s, selling furniture and fabrics. She then began designing her own fabrics and murals for Elizabeth Eaton. In 1955 she founded Tuar Fabrics. 1976 Chalmers moved back to Scotland, purchased Blacknest House in Thornhill, and converted the out-buildings into a design and production complex.

Uno

Fruit

These fabrics (I‚Äôve shown only a few) are available for sale at $124 per meter. Samples are available for $8.20, which will be deducted from your order. At Lucienne’s request, Calyx is only available in one meter pieces. I hope she changes her mind.

I also hope she adds “Leaf” (above) to the collection. It’s my favorite.

Are you into vintage textiles? I think these are really timeless. How about you?

Have a Happy Fourth!

Here in the US we’re celebrating our Independence Day – otherwise known as The Fourth of July. Should I sew up a dress with Fireworks fabric designed by Jessica? Wear red, white & blue? Such decisions!

Fireworks, a picnic and my art project are on my To-Do list this fine weekend. What’s on yours?

Friday Favorite: Gretchen Langner’s fabrics & bags

Fine artist, Gretchen Langner’s life is a “tapestry of art and movement.” Her paintings hang in both public and private collections. She has recently been inspired to delve into the world of fabrics for interior design. Her online shop sells fabrics as well as cute tote bags and note cards featuring images of her artwork.

All of Gretchen’s patterns, like Bud,¬† are large in scale. I love this trend. Make it big!

Double Dot is intended to coordinate with Gretchen’s other designs. She makes a single dot, too.

Gretchen’s Spiral comes in eight colorways. Each design is shown on furniture, so you can determine the scale.

I like this one best. Flower, like all her prints, is hand-screened.

Her bags come in two sizes. Medium bags are $80. Large are $90.

You can buy Gretchen Langner’s designs printed on four different fabrics including cotton/linen and sailcloth. The fabrics sell for $89 per yard and there is a ten yard minimum. That’s a rather large minimum order, in my opinion. She needs to add a swatch option, too.

As I said, I love the large-scale prints I’m seeing. How about you? Do you like the big stuff?