It’s funny how things work out.  I sent a quick note to Harmony Susalla of Harmony Art yesterday, just to let her know I had posted about her new fabric releases, and what did I get back in reply?  A terrific break down of the creative process that she had started writing as a guest post for TIR a while back, but never sent.  I’m so happy my little email reminded her, because it’s a really interesting post that I’m happy to be sharing with you.  Enjoy! – RH

People often ask me where the inspiration for my designs come from.  In my previous life, when I worked for a design house, they would send us out “trend shopping” the goal of which was to be inspired by what we saw at stores…. often high-end boutiques.  Trend shopping was my least favorite part of my job.  I know many people (primarily women) would love to be given a company credit card and told to “get inspired” but I always found this task to be rather soul-less.  What’s the joy in creating your own version of what has already been done?

Now that I am my own art director, I make it a habit to go “trend hiking” on a weekly basis.  I always bring along my camera instead of a VISA and look for new inspiration in the natural world around me.  Designs such as Fields of Honey are a direct result of such adventures.

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I love starting the day with a delicious looking image like this in my in-box!  Harmony Art now has the beautiful “Evelyn & Janette” in stock, and it’s available through PM Organics and soon to be available through Organic Fabric Online (AU) and Pure Fabricz (EU).

Harmony Art has also released a version I covet, called simply  “Evelyn” on which only the black flowers appear.

And of course, I can’t forget the wonderful “Ginkgo” print that I mentioned before in one of my very first posts, but was not yet in stock. This one is available through Organic Cotton Plus, NearSea Naturals, PM Organics and soon to be available through Pure Fabricz (EU).

Now if I could only take a minute to run out and get some granola, my tummy would stop reminding me that I’ve been staring at these images for far too long this morning.

I recently viewed an exhibit of beautiful Silk Road treasures, some of them over 3,800 years old.  It was amazing to see the rich colors and patterns still vivid on so many of the ancient textiles.  The people who created them had no synthetic dyes, yet they accomplished such bright reds, warm yellows and strong blues, all produced from natural materials.

Since 1856, when the first aniline dye was invented by William Henry Perkin, the use of natural dyes has seen a steady decline – supplanted by cheaper and easier to produce synthetics.  It is only recently, with the renewed interest in more sustainable forms of textile production, that the world has started to rediscover how amazing natural dyes can be.

All images by David Handschuh

Even with the renewed interest though, the use of natural dyes in the United States has thus far been on a very small scale.  Really little more than a loose network of dedicated textile artisans and crafters, up to their elbows in vats of tea and berry juice.  Small scale that is, until Noon Design Studio came along… Read the rest of this entry »

I thought it would be nice to do a little series of posts this week on some of the beautiful craft work that comes out of Japan.  Perhaps no other country is so obsessed with both the past and the future at once, so it’s the perfect place to explore when it comes to using historical materials and methods to create more sustainable products.

All images via Kurikan

First in our series is the cloth ware company Kurakin.

After receiving a research offer from the government to see if it could find a way to use food scraps as colorants, the Tsuyakin Kogyo Company, of Ichinomiya, Japan, developed the “nokori dye” method.  Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes, when we shoot off an email asking for more information and images from someone, what we get back leaves me nearly breathless.

Rowland and Chinami Ricketts are truly artists in indigo.  Apprenticing under master dyers and weavers in Japan, they have learned how to make amazingly beautiful, natural fiber textiles. Read the rest of this entry »

Pindler & Pindler has introduced a new line of luxury fabrics under the name “Pindler Green”.  Focused on natural fibers such as organic cotton and linen, Pindler has created some lovely patterns that are sure to have wide appeal, and not just to the sustainably minded.

I am particularly drawn to their suzani influenced patterns, such as Tybalt, an upholstery damask design, which is woven of 100% organic cotton and  comes in 5 colorways.

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Sometimes finding coordinated organic cotton bedding and pillows can be frustrating.  The patterns are often fairly plain, and the colors lean more towards earth tones.  Not so with Plover Organic’s linens! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the first fabric companies to use organic cotton exclusively, Harmony Art has been creating beautiful prints since 2005.

Often based on flowers and other botanicals found on walks in nearby fields, fabric designer Harmony Susalla combines a whimsical love for color with an artist’s sense of style and proportion. Read the rest of this entry »