Chinese textiles have a rich, fascinating history that stretches back millennia, telling wondrous tales of their most ancient civilizations. From textured, hand-woven hemp and ramie to embroidered cotton and hand-dyed silk, the hard-won textile traditions of China have produced some of the most exquisite and desirable fabrics of all time. Indigo is a vital strand…
Indigo in China: Ancient Roots
Every once in a while, your ship will sail right into the dreaded Doldrums of Creativity. Have you been there recently? What I’ve found in my life is that usually when I am in the Doldrums of Creativity, it’s not that I don’t have ideas, it’s that I don’t have faith in my ideas. It’s…
The soft, shimmering blue of REED Linen floods Canatello’s expansive Venetian landscapes, transforming the floating city into a mesmerising, crystalline sea of light. One of the most famous landscape painters of all time, Canaletto made his name with fresh portrayals of his home city, painting wide open skies and metallic water in undulating shades of…
Fall has arrived here on my family’s Wisconsin farm. The leaves are changing, the last veggies are being harvested from the garden, and my mom dropped off a batch of my favorite corn chowder (grandma’s recipe) on Saturday afternoon. It’s a busy time for a family of entrepreneurs. Harvest season often feels like one last…
Even though hot sunny days are over, we thought we would share with you this great shorts pattern called the Orion Shorts by the French designer French Poetry. What makes this pattern so special you might ask? Well, the answer is simple: the perfect blend of comfort and elegance. The Orion shorts are a great…
In Giorgio Morandi’s elegantly understated paintings, closely toned shades of peach, cream and ivory nestle together and embrace one another with fleshy warmth. The blushing peach tinge of PRISTINE Linen was one he would repeatedly return to because it allowed him to infuse his canvases with the softly diffused glow of Italian sunlight, whether falling…
Do you need some additional help putting together our LILY Pattern? This sewalong will take you through the pattern construction with step-by-step photographs and in-depth instructions. You’ll find loads of helpful tips and extra details beyond the instructions provided in the booklet. We hope that with this little extra guidance the sewing process will be…
“The origin of taste, of fabric printing is India.” Georg Stark, contemporary textile artist With a name that means ‘the Indian’ or ‘from India’, the colour indigo is woven tightly into Indian history. The first nation to turn indigo production into an international trade, ancient India produced some of the finest and most luxurious indigo…
Hello there, my name is Alexis Bailey and I am a sewist and blogger happy to be here talking hand-sewing on the thread. Hand-sewing has its roots deep into history. As garments took on more intricate design, and beauty, hand-sewing was right there to assist in construction and details. I find that as a community…
The warm, golden grey of DRIZZLE Linen has been in Californian artist Ed Ruscha’s armoury for decades, colouring sun-drenched rocks, pool sides and dry, parched grasses. His sleek photographs, prints and paintings feature bold motifs and punchy slogans that reflect the urbanised commercialism and luxury branding of American life with a knowing irony, particularly in…
One of my favorite ways to acquire linen clothing is through thrift shopping. Purchasing secondhand is cost effective and a fun way to spend an afternoon. Sifting through racks of clothes becomes an adventure of “oh the things I could find!” As we have talked about before, linen is an amazing fabric because it gets…
Indigo’s deep blue has been treasured by Japanese people since ancient times, forming a vital strand of their sartorial and visual culture. Known in Japan as ‘aizome’, indigo dye is so integrated into Japanese society that this deepest, entrancing shade is often referred to as “Japan blue.” Initially only reserved for the wealthiest members of…
Today I am practicing a basic heirloom technique known as “Drawn” or “Pulled” thread work embroidery. This type of embroidery is achieved by gently pulling out individual thread along the grain line to create a small gap in the fabric. A combination of hand stitches is then used to create simple to elaborate designs within…
Fresh outdoor light breezes through Lilla Cabot Perry’s dappled gardens and shadowy rooms, forming powdery puffs of pale blue, lilac and green. Sheaths of icy lavender like that of SILVER LILAC Linen streak through them and cross clothing, trees and rooftops, invoking the tart, biting freshness of morning. A leader in 19th century Impressionism, Perry…
Indigo dye is soaked deep into Africa, where some of the finest fabrics in the world have been made. The exquisite skills required to produce such high-quality fabrics has been passed down from one generation to the next for at least 700 years, making African indigo production one of the oldest industries in existence. From…
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