I’d saved avocado pits and skins in my freezer for about six months when Fabrics-Store.com approached me with a project idea. I jumped into boiling up my fruit scraps using their new, softened cotton. Typical of me, I dove head-first without much research, and my first batch of dye ended up being a brownish-pinkish-skin-tonish hue…
FABRIC REVIEW: Hand-Dyed Cloud Dress In Lightweight Percale
The use of linen goes back to the earliest of times. Its use had been so widespread, that it cannot be determined where it was invented for use as clothing and medicine. In the Bible, the word ‘linen’ occurs 104 times in 90 verses, and the word ‘flax’ occurs 11 times in 10 verses. Flax…
Dark earthy browns tinged with red like SHOPPING BAG are a defining feature of British, 19th century landscape painter John Constable, lending depth and weight to his brooding, dramatic scenes. A key figure in the British Romanticist school, Constable painted the British landscape as a wild, barren and untameable place, where overgrown plants tangle together…
I loved the style and ease of the Abbey Pattern collection so much that I had to do a part 2. This time around, I sewed up the capris in midweight linen and they have become such a welcomed addition to my trans-seasonal wardrobe. As with the Abbey cardigan that I previously reviewed, I chose…
For me, as for many others, Christmas is the most important holiday of the year, a celebration of magic, miracles and gifts! Each family follows its own traditions, which are formed over the years and this is what our children will remember later when they become adults, how the smell of delicious apple pie filled…
Growing up reading magazines from the early 2000’s day outfits transitioning to night wear seemed to be a big deal. An essential fashion skill for the modern adult. Now that I am an adult that designs and sews my own clothing I find quite the opposite to be true. My ultimate goal is for all…
Contemporary artist Peter Doig makes deeply atmospheric paintings that are loaded with hidden narratives. From private houses in amongst the trees to boats carrying strangers to an unknown land, his voyeuristic paintings invite us in to ask questions, but give nothing away. The settings for his cinematic stories are almost always abundant landscapes, where trees,…
The grocery store / coffee shop has a glassed-in patio with rows of tiny tables and normal-sized chairs. Red light is emanating from the ceiling and seems to carry with it a concentration of warmth. It’s actually so warm my friend, Elizabeth, and I take off our winter coats moments after claiming one of the…
Dazzling patches of colour move through Alma Thomas’s art, forming concentric circles or cascading patterns of shimmering light and invoking the ethereal luminosity of spiritual realms. An African American artist based in Washington, Thomas found her voice in the 1960s, cementing her place in history as a pioneer of the Washington Colour School. As an…
Handmade gifts for the holiday are both thoughtful and beautiful. I have a last minute gift idea you can make out of your half yard or smaller scraps of linen or cotton. If you have a little fabric stash and need gifts that you’re sure people will enjoy and use, consider making beautifully constructed kitchen…
Contemporary German painter Tomma Abts makes curiously familiar, yet entirely abstract artworks resembling intricate childhood puzzles, folded origami or tactile scraps of textile laid out on top of one another. Nostalgic faded or retro colour schemes include soft shades of off-white and pale beige like ANGORA, alongside other equally intriguing in-between shades. The quiet, understated…
Continuing on from Three Useful Hem Techniques, How To Sew Your Most Essential Four Pockets and How To Sew Your Most Essential Four Collars article, here are five useful ways you can fold your fabric to shape it into gorgeous designs. Simply click on the links below to either go straight to the hem tutorial or try…
When I was starting my company a few years ago, I had the honor of making aprons for the sweetest florist in Southwest Florida. Melissa and Sean are the talented designers/ owners of Kaleidoscope Floral – their resume is very impressive. They were opening a brick and mortar boutique store after years of providing stunning…
Sustainability and zero waste might be buzz words in the world of fashion today, but legendary Belgian designer Martin Margiela was one of the first to experiment with the genre. From 1988 to 2008 he produced some of the most bizarre and eccentric garments the fashion world had seen, making necklaces from champagne corks or…
From dusty mountaintops to well-trodden tracks beaten dry by the sun, soft shades of pink like DESERT SAND crop up time and again in Post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin’s art. He coupled this warm, hazy shade with lush, tropical greens and blues, conveying far flung, idealised and paradisiacal escapes from the grey smoky haze of the increasingly…
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