When Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes in Paris in 1909, he knew he wanted to dazzle and amaze audiences with something entirely new. “Surprise me!” was the famous maxim he would exclaim with glee to artists approaching him with new ideas, but little did he know the treasures that would await him in the…
Bringing Surrealism to the Ballet: Diaghilev and Miro
Nimbus Cloud Linen’s cold blue tone breezes through Joaquin Sorolla’s coastal scenes, filling them with the crisp, invigorating freshness of the Spanish coast. Starched fabric and painted stone buildings flicker in and out of the crisp white air, forming dappled patterns of pastel blue, white and lilac as fresh and cold as the ocean beyond….
I have always wanted to make a shirt dress but had always been very intimidated to give it a try. The collar and buttonholes were enough to deter me. Having successfully made a few other FS patterns, I felt up to the challenge. The instructions you get with the patterns are unmatched. I felt ready…
The creative union between Pablo Picasso and Sergei Diaghilev is one of finest and most influential collaborations of the early 20th century, one that would forever alter the nature of ballet. Throughout his years as director of the prestigious and renowned Ballets Russes Diaghilev enlisted a wide pool of artists to work with, but his…
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do. My name is Georgia, I am a 24 year old fashion designer living in Brisbane, Australia. I’m passionate about slow fashion, minimalism, sustainability and ethics. Why do you sew? I have always loved being creative, and sewing has always been a way for me to…
GRAY PINSTRIPE Linen’s deep, dark almost-black swept across James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s enigmatic ‘Nocturnes’, capturing the quiet magic of cities descending into night. Made throughout the 1870s, Whistler’s night-time scenes portray urban scenes almost entirely cloaked by darkness, leaving only a smattering of twinkling lights or far-off fireworks in view. Painted from memory in his…
My love for surplice tops continues as I added the JULIA Wrap Top in FS POTTING SOIL brown linen to my wardrobe this weekend! This pattern includes so many of my favorite elements; an elegant wrap top, bias binding neckline, and a tie closure along the waistline. Like so many of FS sewing patterns, this…
Spring has finally arrived in London, the sun caressing our tired gaze, symphony of birdsong erupting outside our windows each morning (what a blessing), the green of fresh leaves so stark after the never-ending shades of grey, pubs finally open, energy flowing faster, hope for the better in life (in general) returning. Nature’s rebirth, timely…
Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev was a formidable giant of the 20th century, fusing ballet with cutting-edge drama, music and art. But by far the most influential aspect of his legacy has to be his ‘Artist Programmes’, in which he invited the world’s leading avant-garde artists to produce daring Cubist, Surrealist and Neo-Primitive sets and costumes…
English Romanticist JMW Turner was entranced by the sky, capturing sunlight diffused through cloud with pale, golden shades like that of LEMONADE Linen. These glowing colours were the lifeblood of his art, investing into them the sublime, overwhelming wonder of the natural world, which entirely eclipsed any signs of life below it. As his career…
The Ashton Top designed by Helen’s Closet Patterns is a teeny tank that packs a big punch. Guaranteed to be a wardrobe workhorse, its simple but genius design will carry you through the seasons. It is perfect for the warmer months and is a great layering piece under a cardigan or jacket when it gets…
At the turn of the 20th century artists increasingly broke away from the real world, heightening the visual and emotional impact of colour, pattern and texture. Fabric was still a vital tool for artistic exploration but its depiction became ever more varied and experimental, from the flattened, Oriental forms of the Intimistes to the broken…
It seems like this time of extra isolation provides an opportunity for creating extra amounts of fun. With lots of places being closed, I’ve started creating adventure events for people! I put one together last weekend. Each team had to trudge through the woods to find and decode a series of clues. One clue had…
Colour was a vital component for the legendary Abstract Expressionist Helen Frankenthaler, allowing her to express deeply felt moods, emotions and memories with a rich and evocative language. Ambient greys tinged with lilac, like FALCON GRAY Linen, were a recurring favourite, which she would dilute into watery liquids and pour liberally onto her canvases so…
If you have followed my writings and sewing pattern reviews over the last year, then you know how much I’m drawn to a surplice top. This week, my obsession continued by creating the RUBY Crossover Dress in Midweight LAGOON linen. The Ruby Crossover is another one of Fabrics-store’s free downloadable patterns. The combination of a…
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