American contemporary artist Janet Echelman makes vast, diaphanous sculptures that mimic the flowing patterns of nature, resembling air, water, wind and light. Made from colossal nets and strands of rope, her awe-inspiring aerial constructions merge aspects of fibre art with architecture, landscaping, and engineering, a fusion that has allowed her to entirely transform a vast…
Making Waves: Janet Echelman’s Awe Inducing Textiles
A little over two years ago when I was only a few months postpartum with my second daughter, I had decided I wanted to make a jacket for my husband for our anniversary. We had two daughters close together and felt like we were just trying to make it through the day, so making him…
Self-taught Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave had an uncanny ability to transform humble sheets of paper into the texture and pattern of fabric, from the soft silk of satin to the raw texture of linen. She brought them together into the most ornate costumes and dresses which pay homage to the history of fashion and…
Button up shirts are one of my favourite items to sew (and to wear!) and I especially have a soft spot for white linen shirts. Over the years I found them to be the most versatile piece in my wardrobe: They can easily transition from being a beach coverup to a winter layering piece, and…
In Part 1 of this tutorial, I covered the fundamentals of truing—aligning seam lines, smoothing curves, and refining edges—to create polished, professional patterns. Now, in Part 2, I will dive a bit deeper into more specialised examples of truing—hems, darts, and seam allowances. These details require a little more attention to ensure they blend smoothly…
Frances Featherstone’s indulgent and richly decorative paintings convey individuals caught in quiet moments of domestic bliss, gazing out of the window, lounging on the sofa, or (most commonly) curled up in bed under layer upon layer of plush, vividly patterned fabric. Looking down on these duvet dwellers from above, she captures them seemingly unaware, lost…
A fun new twist on the Paola Workwear Jacket is exactly what we wanted! I adore this pattern and I’m starting to lose count on how many of them I have made. The pattern is so versatile of a shape and so easy to switch up the look in interesting ways with various fabrics, patterns,…
One time a boyfriend put together High Tea for me on February 14th. I nibbled on pastries while wearing a tight pink velvet dress I made. Sometime later, in between High Tea and breaking up with him, he told me he didn’t like my dress. The hope of enjoying that dress again after hearing that…
Throughout his long and prolific career, Marc Chagall discovered how his whimsical, playful imagery was transferable into a whole range of media, ranging from drawing and painting to ceramics, theatre designs, mosaics, costumes and textiles. He discovered the joy of fabric as early as the 1920s while producing fabric backdrops and costume designs for the…
Here’s the situation so far. Valentine’s Day. I think I’ve had about three years of feeling terribly lonely, two years of awkwardness with boyfriends I quickly decided I needed to break up with, 26 years of feeling indifferent, and the crown jewel, one year of exchanging silly valentines puns while a gentle romance unfolded. So,…
The American-Japanese sculptor, furniture designer and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi was one of the most singular and ambitious voices of the 20th century. Throughout his long and prolific career, Noguchi produced gardens, playgrounds, sculptures and monumental public art, along with furniture and architecture, which merged Japanese and American visual culture, and became part of his…
From psychedelic swirls to towering fragments of brutalist architecture, the pioneering textiles of British designer Barbara Brown encapsulated the spirit of the 1960s space age. Looking to the future of design, she took inspiration from – as she put it – “machines and architecture”, to create visually striking patterns featuring vivid colours and dizzying optical…
Karlijn, the founder of The Light Clinic, stood out right from the start. Always dressed on point with an impeccable yet understated style, an open face and a great smile that made it easy for you to approach her and say hello, and that is exactly how we met over a decade ago whilst picking…
Truing is all about ensuring that the edges, curves, and seam lines of a pattern come together seamlessly during sewing. This important step helps prevent common issues like mismatched seams, uneven hems, and awkward transitions. By smoothing out sharp points and irregular lines, the garment will have a more polished, and professional finish. Since there…
Textile designer and artist Althea McNish holds a significant place in history, as the first designer of African-Caribbean descent to find international success. Her lively, exuberant textiles were a breath of fresh air in postwar 1950s Britain, injecting the cultural landscape with great swathes of lush, tropical colour. Turner found the inspiration for her fertile…
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27 Apr 2025 @ 9:21 am by Vicki Lang
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