I must have this…
Think of it… a lampshade you wouldn’t look half bad in if you party just a little too much during the holidays!
The lovely Miss Wool knitted lamp, with that charmingly feminine bow, is from Italian design company Doimo Decor.
Posted December 14th, 2011 by Rachel
Posted November 11th, 2011 by Rachel
First off, I’d just like to say a big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful veterans out there! We wish you a very happy Veteran’s Day!
In honor of the day, here are a couple of wonderful, recycled Army blanket pillows I thought you might like to take a look at.
Created by Etsy seller Shop at Ten, these pillows are made from old Army blankets that are then hand felted with fun new patterns.
Here, a series of patches added to the blanket over time were surrounded with colorful, needle-felted roving, becoming a wonderful pattern of irregular squares. What many would see as a flaw has instead become an inspired design.
You can see more of Shop at Ten’s work here.
Thanks for visiting – and don’t forget to give a Veteran a hug today. They deserve it, and so much more!
Rachel
Posted November 4th, 2011 by Rachel
The perfect fall accessory…
Created by Etsy seller Ann Tucker, of The Lavendar Tree, out of a recycled wool blanket and recycled leather scraps, this pillow was tailor made for life on a cozy sofa in front of the fireplace, don’t you think?
Cut and stitched to the pillow by hand, the leather rosettes provide just the right balance of randomness to the regimented nature of the stripes.
Posted October 20th, 2011 by Rachel
For me, colder weather brings thoughts of cozy mornings by the fire, wool sweaters, and hot cups of tea.
This little stool fits into my daydream perfectly. Created by Etsy seller Hogenbirk Knitwear, this handmade stool, with its knitted wool cover is the epitome of simple, stylish Dutch design.
Sweet, no? Read the rest of this entry
Posted August 10th, 2011 by Rachel
Wonderful!
Harmony Art Chili Pepper Flannel
The lovely folks at Near Sea Naturals, the already notable internet source for organic fabric, have taken things to a whole new level with their new venture, American Grown-Spun-Milled. With an inventory consisting of nothing that isn’t organically grown and then spun and manufactured in the United States, they are fulfilling a growing need for more locally based materials. They are also continuing a long tradition of cotton and wool production in North America, as well as providing work for mills whose workload might otherwise be shipped off to China or India for cheaper manufacture.
Says Tara Bloyd, president of NearSea Naturals -
“At a time when many textile jobs and businesses are going overseas, our customers are demanding domestic, sustainable fabrics. They understand the importance of supporting the US textile industry and want to keep their business supply chains local.”
So far, their inventory is small, but enticing. I imagine as demand increases so will the number of choices. For now, here are some of the lovelies they have:
Posted May 16th, 2011 by Rachel
Look what cuteness popped up in my inbox this morning…
Selina Rose has introduced a new rug to her wonderful line of wool felt creations. Inspired by the birth of her own baby, she set out to design a playful, eco-friendly rug, suitable for a child’s nursery.
These rugs are made with environmentally friendly dyes, and are available in three bright, cheerful colors – magenta, acid green, and orange. Simply vacuum or spot clean to keep them looking as new as the day BEFORE the baby ground Cheerios into them. And if you love the look, but can’t quite bring yourself to put such a nice rug down for your little one to spit up on, it could always be used as a very decorative wall hanging.
You can read a previous post I wrote on Selina Rose’s fabulous felt creations here.
Posted May 11th, 2011 by Rachel
Chairs are the favorite subject of furniture designers everywhere, and felt is today’s sustainable, on trend fabric of choice, so it’s no wonder chairs made of felt are cropping up everywhere. Whether made of natural wool or recycled PET, the felt used for these chairs provides a soft, cushioned place for your posterior to plant itself, and what could be bad about that? Check out these examples of stylish sustainability…
Pod for de vorm
Joseph Chair by Lothar Windels
Posted April 20th, 2011 by Rachel
Reclaimed wool blankets, reupholstered chair, hand stitched embroidery,… what’s not to like???
Here is a fun take on handstichery by Etsy seller abigaildace. I love that she has given this simple chair such personality. There’s something about the combination of doily like embroidery, mid-century chair, and gray wool flannel that makes me think of a stylish 50′s grandma.
Can’t you just picture an impeccably dressed older woman sitting there, martini in one hand, a copy of Vogue in the other? Heck, how about a young hipster chick? Although then it would probably be a glass of artisan crafted beer and a copy of Dwell. Hmmm… Either way, this chair has a truly unique style.
Of course, you would have to go all the way to Britain to buy it, which probably won’t work out for most of you. For those of you residing in merry old England, this chair can be yours for a mere £800.00. Might be just the thing for your sitting room, or maybe you could give it to someone as a classy gift? I hear there is a wedding going on there soon…
Posted April 18th, 2011 by Rachel
So, as I mentioned last week in An Ode to Woad – Part 1, I now have a serious addiction problem. Let me show you how that came to be…
After gathering at the lovely French General for the workshop, we all carpooled over to the park where our dyeing experience would take place.
Once at the park we got a delightful and informative overview of the history of woad dyeing from Denise Lambet, who flew all the way from the South of France just to create a legion of new woad addicts dyers. After regaling us with stories of previous woad workshop students stripping down to their skivvies in an attempt to have just ONE more garment to dunk in the vats, she proceeded to explain how the process worked, and what we would need to do to have a successful dyeing experience. Then we got to work. Read the rest of this entry
Posted February 17th, 2011 by Rachel
Look what gorgeousness I spied over at Table Tonic!
Vintage Moroccan wedding blankets!
Made primarily of handspun wool, these blankets fit in beautifully with the current trend for natural fibers and contrasting textures, although taken on their own merit, they are truly timeless in style.
According to Table Tonic:
Moroccan Wedding Blankets are sourced high in the Atlas mountains in Berber villages. They were made for Berber brides, who would wear them as capes to keep warm as they were walking to their new husband’s house. The women in the bride’s family would work on each one for months, using hand loomed sheep’s wool and painstakingly adding round, metal sequins one by one, by hand. All that work takes a lot of time, so these precious creations were reserved for the best and most important day – the wedding. Read the rest of this entry
