katyelliott.com » textiles

English Botanical Pillows

Katy Elliott — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:59:42 +0000

I’m a huge fan of Abigail Borg’s textiles and was overwhelmed when I opened a newsletter from her this morning. Holy cow beautiful, I adore her English style with a modern twist. The new Laburnum and Yarrow cushion covers are available in a light and dark colorway. The teal Yarrow pillow jumps off my screen; making me dream of my den renovation being complete and decorating with beautiful textiles.

Sparrow & Co. Welsh Pillows

Katy Elliott — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:58:20 +0000

Pillows made from vintage Welsh tapestry designed by Samuel Sparrow caught my eye at Terrain. I wish I had a sofa because I would buy up a pair in gray in a heartbeat. Sparrow & Co. based in Glasgow is a recently launched home collection with an “emphasis on unique, handmade products inspired by traditional crafting skills from countries including Morocco, Uzbekistan, Asia, Central America and Scotland”. I can’t wait to see more!

Overdyed Vintage Rugs

Katy Elliott — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:18:49 +0000

Would you ever try dying a worn out vintage rug? Spotted on pinterest a few months ago a selection of overdyed rugs from Loom in Australia. At first, I thought the colors were too saturated. But the blue and pink could be really pretty tucked halfway under a bed or in a child’s room. So where would find such a rug to dye? I would search markets like Brimfield or ebay. And maybe try dying it with fabric dyes in a large tub outside. Could be really cool. Anyone tried it?

psst…here are more overdyed vintage rugs available at ABC (stateside) for inspiration: abccarpet.com.

Vintage Ikat Sofa

Katy Elliott — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:50:55 +0000

I spotted this library over at Abbey Goes Design Scouting last week. I can’t stop staring at that sofa. As Abbey describes, “I love the WASPY touches; the dogs, the bar, the eagle mirror.” I’ll take the sofa, books, the eagle mirror and that blue jar.

I’m still on the hunt for a small settee for my library. I saw a sofa so similar last fall at Grace Sales in Marblehead for $450. Damn, I should have bought it!! How cute would have it been slipcovered?

Below samples of Peter Dunham’s Rajmata fabric which as similar feel to the sofa above. I love the blue but my eye is drawn to the rusty red too.

Melanie Acevedo via abbey goes design scouting via the lil bee.

Mill Tour of Brahms Mount in Maine

Katy Elliott — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:08:20 +0000

Sample closet of herringbone blankets and throws.

Maine has a long textile history dating back to the 1800’s, “when almost every family spun fine yarns from local flax and wool”. In the mid-1800’s textile mills popped up along the Saco, Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers. As I kid I can remember buying fabric with my Mom at the Cascade Woolen Mill outlet in Oakland. The mill was built in the 1880s and closed in the 1990s. Countless other mills in Maine have shared the same fate.

Brahms Mount has long captured my attention. Back in 2009 I wrote a short piece about the redesign of their website, the next day I got an e-mail from David Kaufman asking if he could call to thank me. We chatted for a few minutes as he explained he recently purchased the company and was working with the former owners to continue the tradition of creating heirloom quality blankets. I was completely blown away by his enthusiasm.

27-years-ago Claudia Brahms and Noel Mount purchased and renovated two historic buildings overlooking the Kennebec river in Hallowell, Maine. They came in search of open air and a large workspace to “make a mess”. “Antique shuttle looms, the backbone of Maine’s textile tradition, were readily available to equip the mill.” The couple trained artisans and designed a collection of heirloom quality linen and cotton blankets. Since the purchase in 2009, Claudia has continued on as the lead designer and Noel manages the manufacturing aspect of the business.

In late July, my mom and I headed up to Hallowell for a mill tour. Greeted by the charismatic David in flip flops and shorts (he was leaving for vacation in an hour), he introduced us to Claudia Brahms (founder and lead designer) working in her studio. We headed just a few steps from their offices to the mill. Antique shuttle looms banged moving up and down while hundreds of white fiber strands neatly found their way into the warper. Amidst this chaos David whirled us in and around the antique shuttle looms explaining the process and allowing me to snap as many photos as I liked.

We headed upstairs to watch artisans twisting fridge on their signature cotton herringbone throws. We followed David who has the energy of 20-year-old stopping every few steps to touch little bits of fiber. It’s hard not notice his passion. It’s not a pitch. Everything about this man is a pleasure. He’ll talk fiber construction with as much ease as his plans to grow the company and expand product lines. An infectious passion fills the mill as I absorb how each process meticulously handled by “artisans more than fifty times” becomes a beautiful blanket.

Maine has a long tradition of making things. Brahms Mount has built upon this creating simple and familiar textures adapted from classic designs. Brahms Mount is the only weaver of linen blankets in North America. They use the best linen and get their cotton out the Carolinas. Once you actually touch a Brahms Mount piece, you’ll be captivated. The hand and drape is out this world. The colors and design, timeless.

I believe in supporting American-based companies and artisans who continue local traditions. To me it makes a difference to know artisans who love their craft made the blankets that I will cover my family with every night. To me that is worth investing in and spending a bit more for. Below photos from my mill visit. To learn more about Brahms Mount visit brahmsmount.com.

Brahms Mount
19 Central Street
Hallowell, Maine
brahmsmount.com

A sample of the Herringbone blanket I ordered in white/misty blue.

Herringbone and ticking stripe blankets.

A Creel that holds up to 600 combs to make the weft. Learn more about this process and view a video on their blog.

All 600 combs are hand thread into the warper. The warp is the vertical fiber in a textile. Watch a video from the Brahms Mount team explaining this process.

The warper with the creel in the background.

Brahms Mount team working on the warp.

Bobbins being thread.

John Smith “Master Weaver” oversees the antique shuttle looms.

100% cotton herringbone throw in melon on the loom. Are you drooling? Gorgeous, right?

Bobbins for weft.

The warp threaded on the loom.

100% cotton rib weave in white on loom. One of my favorites!

A detail of the weft on the loom.

David showing me a cotton herringbone throw with their signature fringe.

I ordered a 50% cotton and 50% linen ombre day blanket.

I picked up two 100% linen body towels in a ticking stripe.

Brahms Mount from Maine Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

Melon and Almond Blanket

Katy Elliott — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:27:40 +0000

I’ve been a bit ~~smitten~~, ~~obsessed~~, o.k. looking for a non-bloggy word…Love! I’m joking but I guess I’m feeling a bit sassy for a Monday. But seriously guys…how great is this linen/cotton day blanket from Brahms Mount in Maine?

It’s been on my list for over a year to make a road trip up to Hallowell, Maine to visit Brahms Mount’s mill and check out the town…I promise this summer it will happen! Till then check out their website and oogle over this blanket. I think it’s the melon color that’s gettin’ me…reminds me of the beautiful Bennison fabric I was talking about last week…

Bennison Fabrics: Paiampore

Katy Elliott — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:45:02 +0000

Spotted in Matchbook issue 4 Bennison Paiampore fabric. Gorgeous, right? It’s a favorite of design duo Tilton Fenwick and I think I’ll be adding to my wish list too. I can’t stop thinking about the gray/orange/blue color palette, sophisticated but not too stuffy.

Bennison based in England specializes in hand-printed fabrics based on “original 18th and 19th Century English and French textiles discovered by the late, renowned antique dealer and decorator, Geoffrey Bennison”. Majority of the designs are printed on linen and available in a number of different colorways. A few more of my favorites spotted on their website under “new designs”:
Dragonfly
Injigo Lace
Petites Fleur

Inside Kravet and Lee Jofa Design Studios

Katy Elliott — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:44:28 +0000

Inspiration board for merchandising in different showrooms around the country.

Last week I was in New York for Blogfest. The three day long event included panel discussions with House Beautiful, Veranda, Town & Country and Architectural Digest editors. We toured the D&D building and attended show houses all over the city. Over 100 bloggers from all over the country and Canada participated in the event. My favorite part of was seeing inside Kravet and Lee Jofas design studios.

A little tidbit about me…I first went to school for Textile Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. I left after two years and got my BFA in Painting and Drawing. I love textiles and part of me kicks myself for not continuing with it.

Kravet and Lee Jofa are to-the-trade textile and home furnishings company based in New York. In addition to their own lines both Kravet and Lee Jofa collaborate with top designers such as Barbara Barry, Oscar de la Renta, Windsor Smith, Thomas O’Brien, Kelly Wearstler and more. A few photos I snapped inside both studios below. Be sure to check out the Blogfest 2011 facebook fan page for more photos from the event as well as other blog posts. So fun to see how each of us absorbed different tidbits based on our backgrounds.

A designer working on samples.

Fabrics pinned to a board inside studio including a selection of Barbara Barry’s new Indochine collection.

A scarf found while traveling that inspired an Oscar de la Renta embroidered fabric.

The Oscar de la Renta fabric Mally Skok pointed out to me in the D&D building during the preview of Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa event.

A Oscar de la Renta skirt that inspired curtain fabric for his home collection. Gorgeous, right?

A vintage Suzani that inspired an Oscar de la Renta fabric.

Ikats samples inside studios.

Samples from Kelly Wearstler’s new collection.

New collections being sorted into groups.

Althea—a favorite of mine! A designer showing a hand-blocked version and a digital replica.

Design Inspiration From A Vegas Bathroom

Katy Elliott — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:40:49 +0000

Wondered where I’ve been? I just got back from a four-day work trip to Vegas. It was my first time to Sin City and I left feeling kinda like I didn’t ever need to go back. Vegas is fun but it’s odd at the same time. I stayed at the Wynn which is super fancy and gorgeous—I would totally recommend. Above the view from the 38th floor of my hotel room, amazing right?

When I travel I seem to be drawn to bathroom design the most. We need to renovate three bathroom in our house so I spend a lot of time thinking about design and smart solutions.

In the Wynn’s casino restrooms I saw fabric used as art. This isn’t a new design idea but just a good example of it done well. The frames didn’t contain glass which really allowed you see the texture of the crewel pieces. The fabric added a lot of depth and warmth. And I’m a sucker for bright bold fabrics but always kinda conflicted how to use them without them being too overwhelming. This idea is great for modern homes as well as more historic spaces like mine. I have a couple of really old linen pieces I would love to frame for little nooks in my house.

At the very bottom is my hotel bathroom. Double sinks are awesome and I loved the jacuzzi tub matched up to a stall. Instead of making the wall come straight down at the tub the glass is moved over using the space of the tub to add a bench, smart right? In terms of benches I give them a thumbs down. If a bench wasn’t matched up like this version I wouldn’t do it. I like big open spaces. And I’ve heard from a number of my blog readers that they can be really cold in northern climates and soap scum tends to build up in the cracks below them. Nonetheless I did enjoy my hotel bench when I was shaving my legs and letting the hot water rain down on me after a long day walking the trade show. ahh Vegas!

Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground

Katy Elliott — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:43:48 +0000

One more quick post about the Common Ground Fair. I finally got all my photos and business cards organized and thought a would share a few of my favorites. Above a gorgeous display of baskets from Maine Indian Basket Weavers Alliance’s table showcasing basketry made from ash and sweetgrass. Gorgeous, right?

I’m a wool blanket fanatic. I first met Nan at the Portland Flower show in 2009. She creates gorgeous seacolor yarns she makes into blankets, sweaters, hats, and mittens. The wool blankets are beautiful and the stripes are in the most amazing variegated colors.
getwool.com

Woven baskets from Moose River Handcrafts from Jackman, Maine are beautiful and affordable. I had my eye on the potato basket made from brown ash in the middle. I was this close to buying it but decided to wait till my house renovation moves along a little further. I really like that the baskets are offered with leather or wood handles.
mooseriverhandcrafts.com

I saw the most amazing hand turned wood bowls I have ever seen by David Lancaster. I didn’t take the greatest shot of the bowls because there was so many people in the booth – sorry. His bowls are outstanding and heirloom quality. Adding to my must-get list once my kitchen is done.
heirloombowls.com

I scored some yarn from Bartlett Yarns for the afghan I’ve been brainstorming. I really wanted wool in natural colors. Bartlett’s yarns were beautiful and reasonably priced. I got all the yarn needed for project (not all yarn is shown) for around $90 —which sounds expensive but the most affordable option I found when pricing out natural bulky wool.
bartlettyarns.com