Ah. The joy of fabric. And of course, the even greater joy of scoring discount vintage fabric from Atomic Boom on eBay.
As a child, my mother was at her Singer almost constantly. We’d design and create bedspreads, pillows and clothes for Barbie. She created all of my costumes for school plays (I was in the drama club). For the home, mom also whipped up window treatments and those circular table covers that you use to disquise a wood table that looked like a plate balancing on four slim legs. You must recall those. I think they’re still around. Above all things, she was a clothing queen. I remember struggling to stand still for what felt like hours as she pinned things together. She had a huge cardboard box (that our dishwasher arrived in) kept in the sewing room, filled to the top with neatly folded textiles for upcoming projects. I loved going through that box, sometimes for hours, and when I was really little, I spent hours inside of the box (wierd kid) looking carefully at each one, the colors, the prints, the raw edges with the little type showing where it was made and in what year. It must have been during that time when the monkey jumped on my back and decided to hang on for my entire life. In fact, I’ve always carried a box of fabric with me over the years filled with neatly pressed and folded yardage with major doubts that I’ll ever use it all, but a need to hold on to it ‘just in case’. You must understand this.
Years later when we relocated to Boston, I had an older friend (Abigail) who was an interior designer at the Boston Design Center. When others my age hung around with older friends to have access to booze, I was working my resources to get a hook up, too. Abby would slip me the goods in the form of designer textiles that had been a part of displays that the BDC decided to scrap. Of course, as a designer employed there, she had first dibs on these displays and as her friend, I had 2nd dibs. I remember nights spent on her apartment floor in Kenmore Square rummaging through these scrap piles. A true junkie. Certainly other 18-year-olds had a life.
Okay, back to the boom. Whether you love to sew, or simply like fabric, Atomic Boom in Brisbane Australia specializes in mid century fabric, including Scandinavian and lots of geometric prints (my favorites). They have a store on eBay offering a 10% discount right now, so check them out. Like any vintage textile store, their selection is constantly changing, so if you see something you like, grab it!
Now it’s your turn. Any early signs that you’d grow up with a fabric fixation?
(images from atomic boom)
Have you heard of Sarah Stein, the artist behind Bunshine?
Double swoon alert! Prepare to want everything you see! Drawings, paintings, sketches, there’s even free wallpaper that you can download. Browse her website and enjoy… You’ll love Miss Sarah!
(images from sarah stein)
Orlando based collage artist and instructor Claudine Hellmuth, is catching alot of attention lately, including an upcoming appearance on the new DIY network show, Get Crafty. In addition to her creations, Claudia also takes commissions, which caught my eye because you can send her photos of your family or friends and she’ll transform them into works of art for that personal touch of whimsy for your space.
If you’re a lover of collage art, Claudine also offers classes across the U.S. where you can learn directly from her and next year, she’ll be teaching in Tuscany for a one week intensive in Cortona where you can absorb the basics like color and composition as well as the meaty details like texture and surface enhancement. When you read about this Tuscan adventure, I can almost guarantee you’ll want to go. What an artistic journey!
OH…Just in! I was contacted recently with a little information about how YOU can appear on a new craft show appearing on the DIY Network titled “Craft Lab.” Screen Door Entertainment is looking for young, hip, creative crafters to be a guest on the show. If you’d like to apply, please contact Monica Lee at mlee[at]sdetv[dot]com and let her know that you were referred by Holly Becker from decor8. I’d love to see some of my crafty readers on the show, you’re all oozing with so much talent, so please please please apply. You have nothing to lose so go for it.
[UPDATE 6/29: Claudine also has an informatiove blog with podcasts where you can listen in to her as she creates!]
on the set before taping. This could be YOU!
(images from claudine hellmuth)
There are so many amazing shutterflys out there, I mean seriously, have you scoured flickr or etsy lately? Just the other day, I tipped you off to the very talented photobird in Brooklyn, whom I found by accident on etsy (my order arrived and the card is more lovely in person so please support this indie artist and buy some of her cards.) She photographs the mundane, the real simple things in life that often go unnoticed, but thanks to those like photobird who know how to capture the beauty in the everyday, you’ll find yourself starting to appreciate the humdrum a little more, too.
Now let’s talk about flickr… Don’t miss *n*o*o*r* (Noortje) in Berlin. You can tell she is really absorbed in capturing beauty in run down environments, finding the single item buried in a heap of imperfection that begs her to capture it. Of course, she photographs beautiful things to, but I especially like her more industrial shots. If you’re a flickr member, you can join her pool and have access to the photos that she posts daily. I’m almost tempted to bet she’s a fashion or design student. What do you think?
Have you heard of the 10 Cent Designer? Well the talented $.10 is from western Canada and snaps gorgeous shots of interiors, exteriors, people, all are such a pleasure to behold. I’m especially liking her mid century modern home. We have a similiar taste in home interiors, although I mix a little more vintage modern in my decor, so of course I flip through her photos gaining much needed fuel to complete pending projects in my own space. She’s someone that I’d love to meet (maybe even interview for decor8!) because I imagine she has this very creative mind that one could dive right into. Plus, look at her magazine collection in the above photo. Can’t you envision sitting there for hours flipping through those design piles, bouncing ideas off of her? From what I can tell, she’s an interior designer + photographer and seems to be involved in lots of thrift store rummaging (my kind of girl!) and interior staging.
Did you know that I also have a flickr pool for decor8? It’s a quick glimpse of all images posted here daily. A quick reference with product links listed, too. You’re welcome to join my flickr pool so you have this as a resource.
Have a few favorite flickr peeps to boast about, including yourself? Go ahead, plug away. Comment below!
images from 10 cent designer [top] and *n*o*o*r* [bottom]
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