calico blog and upcoming book signings

for the last year and a half i have been really enjoying writing the calico blog. calico - or calico corners as it used to be known - is america's premier decorating resource. with over 100 stores across the usa, free design consultations and literally thousands of fabrics in stock, calico is an aspiring decorator's dream come true. the blog allowed me to share my passion for textiles and love for interior design with a wonderfully engaged and equally enthusiastic audience. some of my recent posts have included the new french general textiles, inspiring fall tablescapes, and the return of the upholstered wall.

so i am thrilled to take this show on the road: i will be visiting two calico stores over the next two weeks to meet-and-greet customers, sign my latest book scraps, and talk design with anyone who cares to listen. do come and meet me! oh yeah, and there will be breakfast too :)

calico short hills: saturday, december 5 from 10 am to noon
calico mamaroneck: saturday, december 12 from 10 to noon

upcoming events at BKLYN DESIGNS and QED Astoria

i'm taking my show on the road, and happy to be part of the following two events:

on sunday, may 10 at 1:30 pm, i will be doing a scraps lecture-slash-workshop at BKLYN DESIGNS, brooklyn's premier design event, shining a spotlight on the creative economy in my home borough. fabrics for this workshop are generously donated by Robert Allen for Calico.

on saturday, june 6 ay 2:00 pm, i will be teaching a t-shirt jewelry class at QED Astoria. we will learn how to turn an old t-shirt into yarn, master the crochet chain stitch, and create two statement necklaces. cost for this workshop is $20.00/person, and all materials are included.

hope to see you there!

scraps book signing at andrew martin nyc showroom on february 12

i am thrilled that the wonderful people at andrew martin have offered to have a book signing for scraps in their amazing d&d building showroom. below are all the details. hope to see you there!

scraps is out!

happy (belated) new year! last week saw the launch of my very first book scraps. i am beyond thrilled to see the fruits of years worth of labor in print and online. i will post teaser images of some of the projects over the next few weeks, but for now, i want to share the evite to today's scraps book signing and workshop at new york city's pins and needles. join me?

mini macrame

i am thrilled to announce the publication - in just a few short weeks - of yet another craft booklet for the taunton press. this one is on the subject of easy and quick-to-make macrame projects. don't be horrified, these are nothing like the crunchy-granola touchy-feely fiber art stuff you may have grown up with in the seventies.... take a look:

Bungee Band Bracelets & More

i am so excited to announce the publication of "bungee band bracelets & more", a booklet i produced, photographed and wrote for the taunton press. the publication date is april 1 (no joke), and it is already available for pre-sale on amazon. i loved exploring the craft possibilities for this fun material, here are some examples of the projects you'll see in the booklet:

much loved

i just came across mark nixon's book "much loved" (harry n. abrams, 2013). mark is an irish photographer and this book showcases his teddybear portraits, all in varying stages of decay, wear and tear. intriguing, touching, and sometimes a tad disturbing, these images evoke many thoughts and feelings around innocence, childhood, friendship and play. gorgeous.

the theater of insects

completely by chance, i stumbled upon a copy of jo whaley's book "the theater of insects" (2008, chronicle books) at a yard sale this weekend and i am so inspired. i absolutely adore the whimsical and poetic little still lifes, created by this san francisco artist, especially the ones that incorporate vintage victorian portraits. check out her website: http://www.jowhaley.com/.

alphabet de la brodeuse

this little book with embroidery templates for letters and monograms has been in my family's possession for as long as i can remember. i have always loved it, not only because i like the idea of personalizing items with a letter or monogram, these patterns also appeal to me on a purely graphic basis. it also recently occurred to me that these embroidery templates really have that retro 8-bit aesthetic that's so big again among kids.... what comes around, goes around...

yoko saito

i just picked up the book "japanese quilting piece by piece : 29 stitched projects from yoko saito". i am blown away. yoko saito is a master quilt artist who explores traditional folk themes, but interprets them with a vintage, yet modern feel. some of the projects in the book are a bit daunting, and require a serious dose of patience, as well as major skill with needle and thread. yet, each page is more inspiring than the next, and yoko's color palette especially is so gorgeous: all tonal tea-stained taupes, mushrooms and charcoals. absolutely gorgeous!

vintage decoration

a small part of my vintage book collection focuses on the subject of interior design and decoration. while most of these looks unbelievably dated, there is one particular book that contains the most amazing imagery. "decoration de france - appartments et hotels particuliers" (edited by olivier queant, published by les publications de france, 1949) explores the hotel particulier, in the french context that would be a townhouse of a grand sort. the images below are among the most inspiring and timeless i have ever seen of vintage decoration. they feel very current, indeed even directional.

we start with a minimal collector's study clad in cerused oak, a very un-politically correct hunter's trophy wall and a rather striking green bathroom all by jean-charles moreux.

next up is a dramatic man's study and a spartan but stylish gym, both designed by jean pascaud.

finally, a wood paneled library by ph.g. normand

the holy grail of cat books

you know how every design aficionado is pining for a copy of "i married adventure" by osa johnson? well, this is the cat lover's equivalent. "walter chandoha's book of kittens and cats" was first published in 1963 by random house, and quickly became a classic in the field of animal photography. the black-and-white photography is simple, unpretentious, and absolutely delightful. a must for any cat lover! although apparently long out of print, i was able to score a copy for $2 at a brooklyn yard sale, money well spent.

coverlets

as i was going through my growing stash of design books last weekend, i stumbled upon "labors of love" by by judith reiter weissman and wendy lavitt (1987 - wings books/random house), an absolutely fascinating exploration of american textiles and needlework from 1630 through 1930. such a wealth of material is covered in this book, it cannot be done justice with just one post. so i will start by just showing some examples of early nineteenth-century jacquard coverlets, often executed in indigo and white cotton/wool. these feel so current right now, it is amazing they are almost 2 centuries old.

folk art

i was never really a big fan of americana, folk or tramp art.... until i found this book in a secondhand shop in the catskills last week: "patchwork folk art - using appliqué and quilting techniques" by janet bolton (sterling publishing, 1995). it takes it all back to the basics. no garish colors and cheap materials here, just pure naive artistry in tea-stained linens and cottons. gorgeous.

retro craft - labels

these gems of ingenuity were taken from the book "a book full of ideas" (no kidding) by noelle lavaivre, first published in great britain by angus & robertson, in 1972. i love the use of the classic yet humble lick-and-stick labels. i remember these fondly from elementary school. the necklace looks quite contemporary, i will certainly give this a try. the second craft - an OCD collage - has great graphic appeal but falls squarely into the "too much time on my hands" category.

a treasure

one thing i always look for at flea markets are vintage how-to books: knitting, crochet, sewing, crafts... you name it. i've come across some real treasures (pantyhose crafts anyone?) and i've decided to dedicate some posts to these, all with proper credit of course. i wanted to start with "embroidery - a fresh approach" by alison lilley. first published in 1964 by mills & boon limited in london, this is not at all your typical how-to book. in fact, i have found it remarkably unusual in how the book does not offer a series of well-outlined projects to follow from start to finish, but rather contains a wealth of wonderfully inspirational sketches and ideas. as per the author: "it has always been my opinion that books illustrated with actual embroideries, whilst making their point very clearly, lay themselves open to direct copying and indirect imitation of style. i hope that drawn illustrations will lead people to adapt what they see to their own individual needs and apply their imagination to translate from paper and ink to fabric and thread." well said, this book is an absolute treasure.