I was happy to hear from Michelle Smith, a designer, photo stylist and blogger whom I’ve known in the blogging world now for like, ever. Her new line of Spring-y tea towels puts me in total Sunday brunch mood, complete with twinkle lights and Carla Bruni’s new album, Little French Songs. I also think her pillows and prints are super pretty and I love the mood boards she made that inspire her designs. What do you think?

You can buy these in her online shop so definitely head over there if you want to support an independent designer and own something special that is handmade in North Carolina.

Thanks Michelle for sharing with me your pretty designs!

(images: michelle smith)

Do you love fabric as much as I do? I’m really liking Rashida Coleman-Hale’s latest designs for Cloud9 Fabrics which share her vision of Japanese Koi ponds that are floral, festive, geometric and fun! They would look gorgeous paired with patterns from the collections of other designers for a little mix and match fun. I love her modern interpretation of traditional Japanese motifs and the colorways are gorgeous and feel very current. Here are some of my favorites below.

I really like Ebb & Flow, Pennants Waving (in white) and Smile & Wave (in all colors). I’d love to use them for my sewing and gift wrapping projects but imagine using them for children’s clothing, quilt-making and even stool covers or seat cushions too.

What do you think?

(photos: cloud9 fabrics)

Your friends read your blog. Really. Don’t think for a second they don’t. I assumed that since my pals hang out with me offline that the last thing they want is more of me online, but it seems I am wrong. Most of my friends read this blog and take what I write about here pretty seriously, especially when I talk about things I need or want — from emotional support to a new vase. A blog truly is a very public Dear Diary entry, that’s for sure. Sometimes this can be a really good thing because your friends can really know your taste and through their blog, you can learn more about what they love. This comes in really helpful when gift giving.

Do you remember my post last September about vintage Kantha quilts? My dear friend Tinna remembers and evidently, didn’t forget how passionate I was when I wrote about them. Recently, while visiting a design fair in Denmark, she spotted a stack of them at a booth and brought home a gorgeous Kantha quilt for me as a surprise. You can see it in my home below. It’s from a Danish company called AU Maison and though I knew about them and own other things from this brand, I had no idea that they stock these quilts. When she gave it to me last night, I wanted to jump up and down but remained as composed as I possibly could despite that I wanted to kiss and hug her to death. This is the best present ever!

Tinna is an agent for House Doctor and Ferm Living, and she’s Danish (though living in Germany for over 20 years now), so she’s frequently in Denmark for her work and to attend the big design fairs. I always wonder when she’s off on her trips what she is finding and responding to since she has great taste and is very likable and chatty. She is THE perfect person to attend a fair – always looking, talking and isn’t afraid to approach people. I’m so glad she approached AU Maison and asked them if she could take home a quilt – what a cool lady, thank you Tinna.

I am thrilled to have this and love that there is a little story behind it. Stories make objects so much more special but beyond that,  I am so happy and grateful to have friends in Germany that are like family. Maybe this little blog is more than just a way to reach people who don’t know me, perhaps it is reaching those who do. Do you ever think about your blog like that – that it can also draw in your friends even closer to you?

Do you love these quilts from India too?

(images: holly becker for decor8)

If you know me well, you know all about my extreme fondness for fabrics produced by Liberty London. Liberty has held a spot in my heart since first learning about them in 2004 when I was in design school and our teacher raved over their exciting patterns and colorways. I definitely saw what the fuss was all about then and I still do. Liberty prints and patterns are some of the best in the world in my opinion and I love them.

I use their fabrics in many of my craft projects at home and even in my workshops. Do you? I’m not sure if you know this, but when I launched my first book, Liberty was nice enough to host a large event for me at their London flagship store in April 2011. I felt I had died and gone to heaven. A day after the event, they invited me back to do a few lectures and I ran into Amy Butler who was signing books and made a new friend – a day later we were shopping together in Notting Hill. I also more recently used Liberty patterns framing pages in my new book and was thrilled that they were happy to allow me to do so.

I really love fresh new season of prints in their Flower Show collection. Some are shown above. Can you imagine all of the pretty things you can do with them? I am already dreaming of a few.

How much do you really know about Liberty fabrics? I ask because until recently, I didn’t know much about their process or production. I received a thorough education simply by watching this video narrated by Mollie Makes magazine.  I respect their brand even more now – they are made in England in an old factory with real people who have a passion for this line of work producing them. How nice (and rare these days!).  Please watch the video, really, it’s great.

(images: liberty london)

I always like to hear from my friends over at Freunde von Freunden in Berlin so today when Sarah asked me if I’d like to share this story with decor8 readers I instantly checked it out and said Yes, yes, yes! It’s a portrait of textile designer Harper Poe in South Carolina who has an, “intrepid spirit and affinity for indigenous materials”, and who owns textile label Proud Mary.

After Harper’s divorce after being married for 8 years, she was forced to make some changes and started to reach out for inspiration traveling as far as Central and South America along with West Africa. I love her strong will and determination to start anew! Sourcing textiles from native artisans, she frequently ventures solo to remote locations in order to connect with her suppliers, most of whom have never sold their products outside of their own village.

Her complete profile with lots of lovely photos can be found here. Thank you Sarah from FvF for reaching out to me!

(photos: fvonf)