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Tanya Whelan: New Fall Fabric Collection

I recently had a chat with talented Tanya Whelan of Grand Revival Designs, a designer of fabric and sewing patterns living in Belgium, about her new collection of fabric due out this Fall from Free Spirit. After catching a peek I couldn’t help but fall in love. And so here I am, sharing a glimpse of what Tanya has in store for us. She was so nice to send in such wonderful photos (most just shot over the weekend) to share on decor8 today. This new colorful line is called Dolce and you can watch her blog or the Fat Quarter Shop for updates on the exact launch date in both the U.S. and abroad.

Tanya Wendelken

Tanya Whelan

Tanya Wendelken

Tanya Wendelken

Tanya Whelan

Tanya Wendelken

Tanya Wendelken

Tanya Wendelken

Tanya Wendelken

Thank you Tanya for sharing these views today!

Psst: You can also send an email to kimberly AT fatquartershop DOT com to receive notification when these fabrics become available to purchase.

(images: Tanya Whelan)

Posted in textiles on September 22, 2009

Homes & Gardens Inspiration

Looking for a little roomspiration today? I have some beautiful rooms that I’d love to share with you that have appeared in previous issues of Homes & Gardens (UK) magazine. Are you a regular reader? I usually find my copy at the train station here and really love many of the rooms that they feature. Let’s have a look together below at just a few of them. If you’d like, you can tell me which ones you favor and why. I’ll number them to make it easy for you to reference them in your comment. Ready?

Homes & Gardens UK

(1) This space feels very warm and glamorous to me. I really like the trimmed pillows and that mix of lilac and yellow here. The painting marries everything below it. So, so welcoming.

Homes & Gardens UK

(2) I think the person who owns this home clearly has the same obsession with chairs as I do. I laughed a little when I counted 7 in this living room, in 3 separate groupings (which is how, I imagine, the owner justified owning so many chairs). I like the scale of this space too, it’s very grand and palace-like. The crown molding, mirror and curtains are so insanely beautiful! Come into my parlor for tea, ladies…

Homes & Gardens UK

(3) What’s not to love here? First, that green wall. Wow. And those petite chairs, like the ladies perched atop them must be size zero as they look almost like they’d break otherwise. Like dollhouse furniture…  The lighting is extraordinary as well. And then, with so much perfection you have a very imperfect floor and a cover tossed over the table to appear almost like a casual break for tea and cookies… And aren’t the seat covers unexpected?

Homes & Gardens UK

(4) This is so serene and I like how the fabric is acting as a headboard here. A very low-budget DIY way to make a bedroom beautiful with a striking focal point. And it’s smart, because if you tire of the fabric you can swap it out for something different. I also like that the lamps aren’t taking away the powerful print of that fabric – clear glass just seems so perfect for the lamp selection. And then you have all that mint and beige, and the bed that is slightly messy… I want to do a running jump onto it right now in fact.

Homes & Gardens UK

(5) Here we go again, pastel hues that feel so feminine and welcoming… And what a sweet sofa, the bottom cushion looks like silk doesn’t it? Maybe raw silk (my favorite)? Whatever it is, I love this choice for the sofa as it could look too serious otherwise. The stripe adds personality.

Homes & Gardens UK

(6) I think this room comes closest to my style, because it’s very calm and casual, almost beachy-in-the-city and since I was raised on the beach and spent my adult years in the city, I know why my style is a little of both. I love the chair and the curtains, and of course the blues and violets with shades of creamy white..

Homes & Gardens UK

(7) This room is a bit more modern, less relaxed but more curated… I imagine the owner to be a very posh socialite or something. (not me). Doesn’t that rug look like heaven for the feet? Yellow and gray works so nicely in this space…

Homes & Gardens UK

(8) Another well edited space. A little too perfect for me to actually live in, but if I add a few of my own touches here I can see myself enjoying this living room. The shelving is a nice choice for a small room like this, and I like the small white table near to the chair, the scale of it is perfect for placing a cocktail or some magazines.

Homes & Gardens UK

(9) I’m going to cheat with this one because what I like most is the lighting and the view! Look at the balcony railing, it’s so ornate and reminds me of London for some reason…

Homes & Gardens UK

(10) I love this sofa and the pillows on it. I imagine this room much differently if I were to occupy it, but I could see myself working in that sofa somehow. It would be fab in a bedroom that was large enough to have a sitting area, wouldn’t it?

Okay, your turn! :)

(images: homes & gardens uk)

Posted in Books + Magazines, Decorating Tips on September 22, 2009

Ordering Stationery & Fabrics From Japan

After Leslie’s Color Me Pretty post yesterday, I’ve received many questions about how one can find and order Japanese stationery and rubber stamps online. I know there are some great Japanese shops I’ve referenced here in the past, but that was awhile ago so I think I’ll round up just a few of my favorite stores today, some I’ve shopped and had a perfect transaction every time.

japanese things

Ginko Papers — Lovely owners, they’ve sourced Japan and pulled together a curated selection in their online shop. I ordered masking tape from them and some other paper products and the transaction and products were lovely!

Super Buzzy – Japanese fabric and papers. Weeee!

Fabric Tales – Fabrics and more.

This and That from Japan – Great source for everything crafty!

Karaku – This has long been my secret source but I’ve decided to share… I’ve been a total shopaholic from this store in the past. Great things. I have rubber stamps, fabric stamp pads, cotton tape, fabrics and more from this seller and have ordered way too many times to confess the exact number. But I heart Karaku. :)

3point5dollars – Another secret source of mine. Shhhh.

Do you have any sources to supply with sites in English? Please share your links if you’d like, we’d all really appreciate it! :)

(image: masking tape)

Posted in Arts + Crafts, etsy, round-up, stationery on September 22, 2009

Etsy Take Five Tuesday

So many pretty things for you enjoy today, so please… sit back and relax as I take you on a little trip of my top five etsy sellers of the week. :)

Etsy Take Five Tuesday

Munieca: {etsy} {flickr}

Etsy Take Five Tuesday

Alice B Gardens: {etsy – first shop} {etsy – second shop} {flickr} {blog}

Etsy Take Five Tuesday

Elisabeth Bentz: {etsy} {blog}

Etsy Take Five Tuesday

Fiction Shop: {etsy} {blog}

Etsy Take Five Tuesday

Laura Amiss: {etsy}

Did you enjoy my picks? I hope so. Do you have some of your own that you’d like to share? If so, please mention them below in the comments section with a link so that I may consider them for a future take five! Thank you!

(images: linked to their sources above)

Posted in etsy on September 22, 2009

Color Me Pretty

Hello Friends! It’s me, Leslie again with Color Me Pretty. Today I am inspired by Japanese stationery supplies and colors like peacock blue, chartreuse, golden yellow, creamy white and a little dark brown. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a brief trip to Japan a couple weeks ago and I wanted to share my inspirations with you. I spent hours, yes hours, in stationery stores all over Tokyo. I just could not get enough of the pens, papers, tapes and stamps. We all have our weaknesses and one of my big ones is Japanese stationery and craft supplies!

Color Me Pretty

Peacock blue (a really dark turquoise) looks stunning in home decor, especially when paired with a lighter shade of turquoise. Add a little chartreuse or avocado to the mix and you have one of my favorite color combinations!

Color Me Pretty

Color Me Pretty

Color Me Pretty

Color Me Pretty

Color Me Pretty

This time I also brought in a little golden yellow and some dark brown as Fall is settling in here. If it is Spring where you are, a lighter shade of yellow works well too. In grad school, I upholstered an old Scandinavian sofa that was given to me in a fabulous peacock blue velvet. It sounds kind of scandalous as I write this but it actually looked amazing against the white washed walls of my apartment! Today, my dear sofa is in storage but I still love turquoise accents around my home!

Color Me Pretty

Color Me Pretty

I can only hope that one or some of these photos may inspire you to start a creative project for yourself. I love the month of September because to me it feels like the time for a fresh start. Time to do something new or to get back to things that have been on hold. It is nice to decide to stay home in the evenings and focus on what we want to create. Maybe it could be a journal that incorporates collage. How about an album of just inspiring photographs or of you at your happiest and most fulfilled moments instead of just the usual chronological one? Design files and small home improvement projects can be fun to tackle too. Whatever gets you moving and creating.

Thank you for your support of my column and I can’t wait to see you back here again soon! -Leslie Shewring

(images: leslie shewring)


Posted in Color Inspiration, Color Me Pretty, inspiration on September 21, 2009
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