Getting in Touch with Textiles

Hello!

I am hoping that this beautiful spring day is finding you all well, happy, and out doing something fun in the weather - should it be as nice where you are, as is here.

It is no great secret that I have a love affair for fabrics. My barber husband has accepted our "open marriage material" when he got stuck  married me.  He accepted my love affair so much, he bought me a mini-me for Christmas... but just a whole lot smarter than the bigger me.

Never mind that I haven't touched a sewing machine in 30 years...geesh, when I added up the years, I just could not believe that it really had been that long! But I had been wanting a "simple little machine" for quite some time now, just to hem something up, to fix a little thing here or there....but my sweet barber husband went with my seamstress friend, Maureen, and together, they selected the baby lock "Elizabeth" sewing machine. I think the name had something to do with it. Due to my recovery time and so on, it wasn't until only two weeks ago, did I even take it out of its plastic and go to the free classes that come with this computerized wonder.

I feel like Ripvanwinkle...because the last time I sewed on a machine...it was black, had zero buttons, and I had to turn the wheel to line up the needle - a big no-no apparently with this prissy, I mean, perfectly-lined machine. The ladies in the class laughed as I leaned forward, adjusting my glasses as the teacher showed me how it could thread itself, and I would exclaim, "Well, look at that!" Or when I learned how I no longer need to yank five inches of thread from the needle AND the bobbin out (like in the old days) and the teacher could really tell I was old school.

But the most impressive of all, even with all the stitches it can make, is the button for the automatic scissors. When I was showed that button, I just sat and stared at it and the women thought it was funny that I found that feature the most amazing. Back in the day, I used to make my mother clothes. She was very tall, and I would make her blouses and customize the pattern with my own touches to fit her; and myself skirts and pants. Hard to believe I ever did that. And boy, have the prices of patterns ever gone up!!

It wasn't until I downloaded the above photo did I realize how funny it looked. This brand new computerized machine surrounded by all the very old things...and yet, it is the old things that I feel so very at home with and the modern machine is so very foreign to me. So I made the photo all aged and old looking for fun. As you can see, I even had my old tape measure and folded wooden ruler out, as at the time, I didn't even have a current tape measure. (I do now.)

So the first think I grab to try out is a pair of antique pillow cases that I have and I stitched on a decorative stitch and also my name and my barber husband's name....yes, I was tempted to stitch out "barber husband" but I wasn't confident enough to get all the stitches right yet...but I see it coming in the future. 

Then I go find a stash of vintage linen and old table runners that I can cut up - I know, I know, it is just like my old books. People used to freak that I would rip up old books to use in design work. I also tear up (rather cut up) old fabrics, linens, runners, table cloths, clothes, you name it, when I design bedding, pillows, you name it. So having designed professionally for about 15 years now, I don't think twice about cutting up something I found at a market in Europe. Just like that very old table cloth that I used for my skirt for my wedding gown - "zip" went the scissors that my used seamstress to cut the lace as I told her how I designed it. She is used to me by now. Now, I have the scissors in my hand...and ZIP, go the scissors, as I am dying to make some REAL pillow cases, as I hate, hate, hate store bought ones.

Here is my stash (above and below) that I found in one of many places around our house...love this linen. One is a table runner from France, another an old cheap table cloth that I will practice on and another an old Belgium linen sheet that I will cut up for the pillow cases...

Now they are in pieces...can't turn back...gotta figure it out.

The top is the vintage case with the name that I practiced stitched. Below it is one king-size pillow case (I made two) with the real old linen Belgium sheet and the French runner for the cuff. I love sleeping on it. I used the center of the runner for my own German "feder decke" which literally means "feather cover." We don't have the beautiful bedding that I have designed for so many over the years....nope. That is something most of you don't know about us. I LOVE to design bedding, but first, I can't afford my own designs, and secondly, it is too much work for me to make the bed every morning, even though it is really pretty! We sleep German style. There is no such thing over here in the states, and don't be fooled into thinking there is by some company who claims they sell "German linen bed sets." There is no such thing. Germans don't have actual bed "sets." At best, maybe matching colored pillow case with matching colored decke cover. The higher quality items tend to be white, linen, or heavy, soft cotton, that feel like heaven.

The bottom item is my custom version of my feder decke with antique buttons and French linen cuff. The very top pillow is my "practice pillow" with the old table cloth and linen cuff. It turned out so well, that I made two. Germans sleep the best way that I know of. They don't use a top sheet. They sleep with their own....well, what we could call a "duvet" over here. It is not a feather bed, it is not a comforter, it is not a blanket. It is a very, very fluffy feather blanket (very fluffy duvet) with a very soft, hight quality cover. 

Each person gets their own and it is fabulous. There aren't tons of pillows, usually a huge pillow for each - bigger than what we call a Euro pillow and a smaller one and maybe a single third. To make the bed, the Germans usually hang the decke out the window for some time to air it out and to let the mattress air out as well. A VERY healthy thing to do. Think about it...if you had a hot, yucky night, and then get up, and immediately make your bed, you are trapping all that "yuck" in with a top sheet, a blanket, a heavy bedspread, tons of pillows and it gets gross. When making the bed, each decke is folded simply, fluffed up, aired out, and your done. My pillow cases and decke cover are washable, those "lace" things are sturdy (it is more handiwork, than lace, not delicate)...just wash on delicate cycle and line dry. There is nothing I can do to it that hasn't been done to it already. Linen is tougher than you think. And if or when it wears down, I will just make more cases from my stash. 

Now you that you all have been in my bedroom....I will take you back out again and share that I am learning a new skill that I always wanted to learn that my good friend, Bet, has taught me while I was in recovery....how to knit! I am not very good, but I am addicted. I am currently knitting squares for a blanket and someday, it will be done, but here are a few pics of my other "getting in touch with textiles":

I hoped you enjoyed learning about the new "mini-me" and all that she is doing for me at the moment. I am enjoying my textiles and am loving the time I am spending cutting, sewing, and really, just playing with my toys. 

I think of you all often, and please know that your emails, well wishes, and lovely comments mean so much to me. May you find time to play and find time to enjoy whatever it is that brings you joy.

from my house to your house,

It is all how you look at it...

Hello!

In case you have never met my little Monty, allow me to introduce you now. I shot this photo of him in my studio several years ago when I was actually using this pedestal to place products on for a product photo shoot. He was sunning himself in the sunshine, next to my foot all afternoon. I only use natural light and as you can see by the bright light on the pedestal, it was a warm day. After a while, he was tired of being ignored, so he got up and put his paws up on the pedestal (and almost knocked it over) and wanted me to lift him up! I lifted the little porker up and he sat just as you see him right now. I did not pose him. He wanted me to pay attention to him...he was tired of me taking pictures of boring soaps, candles and buttons. He just sat and sat and wanted me to snap away, admire him,  pet him and tell him how wonderful he was. When he had his fill, I let him down, and he went right back to leaning against my foot, snoozing in the sun. To be honest, I worked so hard and long in those days, that I would have never thought to have stopped to wake him and lift him up and take photos of him because I was always on a deadline. And now when I see this photo, I almost tear up because I miss him so much and how happy I am that he "made" me pay attention to him. How I love this photo and the memory that goes with it. He is now snoozing in the warm Texas sun with his Daddy and puggy sister, Lulu. But we have joint custody, so I get to see him whenever I want and can. :-)

I wanted you to meet Monty because he is so sweet and even if you aren't a dog lover, you can't help but smile when you see him. I just loved having his sweetness in my house and sometimes, that is how we home owners feel about our home...we crave a sweetness that doesn't always have the word "Hershey's" printed somewhere on it. And as a designer, it is my job to figure out what exactly is that "sweetness" that the owner wants to feel or be around while living in their home. It could be a special chair, a fab fridge to house great dinners, painted floors, an antique mirror, or in this one home owner's case, it is fabric. Lots of it. It is the sweetness of delicate fabric, silks in delicate pinks and pale, pale ivories mixed with just a hint of blue that satisfies this owner's craving. 

Yes, before time gets away from me, I wanted to post a few photos of the lovely home that I had worked on for this romantic-at-heart owner. The hearth room drapes are now up and from the photos you can see the owner is still moving in. She owns her own business and works very long hours so moving in takes quite a while, but you can see what a beautiful home it is becoming! Enjoy the photos and soon will be photos of the custom bedding I designed for her master bedroom. I posted her home earlier on the drapes in her living room and in her bathroom which you can revisit again here.

So, in the mean time, here are the sweet drapes for a very sweet and romantic home owner:

The Austrian shades are made from taffeta silk with interlining. There is a ton of yardage to get this look, but it is worth it. It looks heavenly in person! To get an idea of the huge size of the window, look at the sofa closely and realize that you are looking at a full-size sofa and then look up at the size of the window. That will give you an idea of the size of the window and the amount of fabric needed to get this look and feel!

She also wanted some pillows made for her sofas in her living room. Below are the custom pillows I designed with silks, pearls, tassels...very romantic, soft, and very sweet. Just as she wanted. Just a hint of color and very tone on tone. I wish you could have seen her smile when I brought them to her. Designing to please the client's taste is what makes my job so very rewarding. And when you get to work with such a beautiful home and a beautiful home owner...all the better!

I hope you enjoyed my little sweet tour and maybe this helped curb a little craving for now. Stay tuned for more. In the mean time, why don't you take a look around your home and if you haven't figured out what is missing, or maybe you just need an extra dose of sweetness, don't wait until Valentine's Day to add that sweetness to your home....do it today. Maybe it is just a simple, elegant book on your coffee table that you really love to look at now and again. Or, a special sconce you've been meaning to hang in the hallway. Something as simple as playing great music in your home more often can add sweetness to your life. Or even as simple (and free) as a kiss for the love of your life when he or she gets home tonight.  That will be sweet for the both of you...and it is calorie-free!

From my house to your house,