Ok, I’m admitting it! I am obsessed with fabrics! I love the patterns,
the textures, but mostly the overall idea that someone created a design in their heads that came out in something beautiful like a piece of fabric! In design school, we had to make woodblock designs and create our own fabric. It took me back to my elementary school art class where we used potatoes and cut them in unique shapes and stamped them on brown paper to make wrapping paper for our Mom’s mother’s day gifts. It was so much fun then and it continued to be fun for me when I was an adult in school and doing the same thing on a much larger scale. When I look at fabrics today, there are so many different processes used to create designs. Some of the designs are totally manipulated by the computer and while they are interesting and serve a purpose, I am still intrigued by the patterns that are hand done. There are several companies in particular that I want to share with you. I feel like this type of work is art. I love the imperfections caused by creating the patterns by hand. Here are a couple of my favorites….
John Robshaw is one of my favorite textile designers. John graduated from Pratt and studied block printing in China, but it was a trip to India where he developed a love of the artisans and their way of making fabric. He journey to India was to find an indigo ink for his woodblock prints, but he acquired more than the ink. His love for artisan creations and how the “human touch” affected the overall design of the fabrics was the beginning of what has grown into John Robshaw Textiles. His designs seem to work in any decor. Beautiful, timeless pieces of art for your home. Combining patterns that seem as though they evolved over time. He truly is an example of “do what you love and the rest will follow”.
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Here are some of his designs…
Trellis
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Kumera
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I love mixing the patterns to create an interested, eclectic bed. These patterns seems to combine just the perfect amount of masculine and feminine so that they work well for both sexes. He uses only the highest quality linens so not only are they pretty to look at, but are all so very soft and luxurious.
Another designer team I admire for their hand made fabrics is..
The design team of Galbraith and Paul
When I originally called their studio to inquire about ordering products, I spoke to a very knowledgeable and friendly person. Little did I know until the end of the conversation, but I was actually speaking to Ephraim Paul, who with his partner, Liz Galbraith are the founders of this amazing company. The company began in 1986 and now creates not only beautiful fabrics but also handmade rugs and handmade wallpapers. The also make an entire line for Room and Board. Check out their beautiful designs here. Below are a few of my favorite designs from their collection…
Donuts
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Sweetpea
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Lighting with the Galbraith and Paul designs….
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John Robshaw and Galbraith & Paul products can be purchased online or through the trade. Click here for Robshaw and here for Galbraith & Paul
The next time you are looking at fabrics, remember that someone made that design, it didn’t just appear. Thinking about the process involved in designing a fabric often helps us to appreciate the price of something or the beauty that has been created for our pleasure
Who knows one day soon I might break out the wood and carve my own wood block design and create something unique.
When I do I will be sure to share with you!
Have a fabulous weekend and try to stay dry!
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