passion project #creativecharity #helpfulcreatives

Sooo, I have had a very exciting few weeks. I have been literally BLOWN AWAY by the generosity of the fabric houses I have approached for this project. 

Take a drool at these stunning fabrics from Hertex! The flowers were given to me by one of my passion project helpers <3

Cara from Hertex has been an utter rockstar. She arranged for me to go to the Hertex warehouse where I was helped by the lovely Rene. I could barely contain my excitement when she showed me the bags of fabric that Hertex was willing to donate. THANK YOU TEAM HERTEX!!

This is the lovely Rene and some of the gorgeous fabrics that will get a new life :)

For those of you who are on your first rodeo with The Fabric Nerd, my passion project is to create awesome products from beautiful discontinued and unused fabrics that have been generously donated from fabric houses. These gorgeous goodies will either be sold online or at pop-up shops. All funds raised will be donated to TEARS animal shelter. Please check out their Facebook page, they really are a super cool, wonderful organisation.

I rounded up a few of my friends who had sharp wits, sharp minds and sharp scissors. We spent a lovely evening catching up and cutting the samples so that they are ready to be stitched together. There was plenty of oohing and aahing when they saw the fabrics that had been donated. BK even helped out. I love him <3

These are the busy hands, lively minds and helpful hearts who came to lend a hand. Please notice how Lacey the dog is supervising.

Keep checking on the blog for new developments. We're rolling up our sleeves to start the next phase of co-ordinating fabrics and deciding what will be made into what. 

Eeeek. So exciting.

Till next time nerds,
Yours in touchy-feely fabric
xx

sheer art

As you may remember, I popped into Mavromac in Cape Town last week and caught up on their new ranges. I'm nuts about their new Sheet Art collection because:

a) It's so so beautiful!

b) The designs are so easy to use and are gender-neutral

c) It's not too "pretty-pretty" (know what I mean?)

d) I love sheers because I loathe utterly dark bedrooms (let me see the moonlight!!!)

The first design is my favourite. It's called watercolour and it somehow nails being soft and strong at the same time.

The glorious design below is called Leaf Sketch and I think there's such a purity of design about it. It's simple but interesting.

Shadow Palm comes in these four muted tones. I love that they're a quiet take on the riotous tropical trend. 

The designs below are called Java and Bali and they come in the same muted tones. 

Here's Java layed out flat. I can't decide between the Indigo blue and the pale blue. So stunning.

 The last design, Circles in the Sand (yes, I did straight away think of the song by Belinda Carlisle :D) reminds me of the patterning that is used in Moroccan ironwork and tiles. 

Till next time lovely nerds x :)

passion project #creativecharity

Hello nerds!!

Gasp! Horror of horrors, I just saw that my last post happened sometime mid-year. Oh, the shame! Perhaps you'll forgive my AWOL if I explain that I've been working on my passion project.

Yesterday, quite serendipitously, a friend emailed me and asked me where she could find fabric with dogs printed on it. This reminded me that it's high time I launched my passion project. I'm very excited to publically launch my #creativecharity initiative. The clue to which, lies in the images below. 

The first two prints are from Luli Sanchez and they are bold and naive but not too childish. I'm mad, mad, mad for the sausage dog one. (BTW, check out all her other prints, they're INCREDIBLE!)

What's in the bags? Eeeek, so exciting. Inside these bags are beautiful discontinued fabric samples that will be used to make stunning, high-end items like quilts and scatter cushions that will be sold for charity! The incredible folk at Mavromac were so open-hearted and generous when I told them about this project - they gave me a whole bunch of beautiful fabric pieces that will be repurposed for a charity called.... TEARS (The Emma Animal Rescue Society). Thank you thank you thank you!

The dogs desperately wanted to be part of what I was doing and as you can see, were a BIG help :) This is Lacey snuggling up to some linen. That dawg has good taste!

We now take a quick break to look at some more dog printed fabric. Ta-daaaa... left to right these are available from Just Fabrics, Emily Bowen Designs and Fabrics.com.

I feel it's always important to colour-code your dog and your fabric. Pepsi insisted on lying alongside this gorgeous linen printed with a mendhi floral design.

The wonderful Diana Kraak from Enviana Quilts has kindly donated her quilting service for the quilt that will be made with the sample pieces. I had BIG FUN sorting, selecting and co-ordinating the samples yesterday afternoon. Hashtag nerdalert.

If you haven't heard of TEARS, they are an animal welfare NPO that operate in the Southern Peninsula in Cape Town. They do incredible work via their outreach programmes and through their clinic and shelter. They rehome, rehabilitate and rescue all furkids in need.

Last but not least, in fact even last for favourite...a final collage to celebrate all that is dawgs. How totally cool and awesome are these prints by Spoonflower? 

(Below, also by Spoonflower <3)

If you want to know how you can get involved with this #creativecharity campaign, send a message via The Fabric Nerd Facebook page and I'll get in touch.

Till later nerds,

Yours in fabric and furkids :) x <3

floral fetish

I was feeling a little under the weather this morning so I did what any fabric nerd would do: I cheered myself up by spreading out all my fabric samples on the bed (the dogs joined in :)

I have a decor project on the go and I've got big, bold florals on my mind. I found some absolute stunners amongst my swatches.

Clockwise starting top left these are Uzbec (Lewis & Wood), Annapurna (Zoffany) Zarafshan (Lewis & Wood) and Floreat (also Lewis & Wood)

I would LOVE Zarafshan on a big, oversized sofa (the Turquoise/Lime colourway is to die for!) It's printed on a totally awsome 100% cotton basecloth.

How WOW is the sofa below? This looks especially luxurious as it looks like it's printed on satin or velvet. I couldn't find a reference for the fabric but I found the image on www.decoist.com

Benaki (below) from Lewis & Wood is printed on 100% linen - Siiiiiigh! It's a great floral solution for someone who thinks they don't like florals.

It's not that often you find a floral on a very dark or black background. I love the weight it gives the sofa below (Image via Pintrest via HouseandGarden.stfi.re)

 Here is the other delectable smorgasboard of floral prints. We have Zarafshan (Lewis & Wood), Leaf Trail, Scroll Embroidery and Astra Embroidery (all Zoffany) and then a close up of Benaki and Ipek Damask, both by Lewis & Wood.

The Ipek Damask is bold but not hectically busy. As you can see, it makes up beautifully and with a Linen/Jute composition, why wouldn't it?

 Florals meet tropical flair in Stuart Graham's Calypso from their Mardi Gras range. It's a fun dual purpose fabric that has a Designer's Guild feel about it.

 Droooooool! Silsila (top left below) isn't new, but it's a firm favourite. Magnificent Macaws (below and on the right) is a rich, exotic print on a 100% linen basecloth. It is utterly sublime.

 I love the contrast of the mature, hunters-green wall and the very fresh floral on the headboard below. I couldn't find a reference for the fabric but I found the image on www.shelterness.com. Alongside is a bigger image showing the ever-favourite Silsila.

If you're based in South Africa you can get Lewis & Wood and Zoffany via St Leger & Viney. Magnificent Macaws, Silsila are available via Mavromac.

Till next time nerds x
:)

design team dream: my succulent garden

A few weeks ago I felt all grown up and went to Decorex. There were some stunning fabrics on show but I have to say, once I spotted Design Team's stand I made a beeline for them. There I met the totally lovely Lise Butler who showed me their new range; My Succulent Garden.

For those not in the know, Design Team is a proudly South African company that makes the most gorgeous hand-printed fabrics. Their signature style is instantly recognisable and their prints range from understated, monochromatic contemporary prints to clean, vibrant one, two and three colour prints that make you go WOW! Hand-printing is a labour-intensive labour of love - it's an artform that requires serious skill and I consider their fabrics to be functional works of art.

Inspired by their long-standing love affair with succulents, their new range is a salute to this strong, sturdy flora. True to the magnificence of these beautiful plants, the range encompases soft, muted tones as well as vibrant, clean colours. I'm already dreaming up spots in my home where I can use some of these gorgeous designs.

Take a look...

Propagate (bottom right) is a 4 colour print that is simple and easy to use. Lithops (top of the pile, bottom left) apparently comes from the greek words lithos and ops which mean stone and face respectively. I love the neat pattern repeat and the design reminds me of buck spoor. Second on the pile is Jade Plant, below that is Senecio and on the very bottom, Crassula.

Flamin' Firesticks! (Firesticks is the name of design :) I love the sofa below. That colour is too sublime.

Below right is Lithops and Coral Bush, below left is Coral Bush (top), Senecio (middle) and Lithops (bottom).

I love the clean, calm mood of Coral Bush (below right) in Parchment on Duckegg on the wall. Super cool.

Senecio makes a statement in Gold on Navy (below left) and Propagate (below right) in some strong, masculine tones.

To see the full range and all the colourways please visit Design Team's website.  

Also (big ALSO) they have a Winter fabric special running till 16 July 2017 where you can get a limited selection of fabrics at a super special price.


Till next time nerds x

Zambezi by Halsted Design...inspired by Ardmore

I first fell in love with Ardmore Ceramics when I saw a few pieces in a Franschhoek gallery years ago. Then, in the final year of my studies, I got to explore the life and work of Bonnie Ntshalintshali, whose name seems to be synonymous with Ardmore Ceramics.

More than once this week, I've stumbled upon a new range, Zambezi, by Halsted Design. Inspired by Ardmore Ceramic art, this absolutely stunning range reflects all the intricacies, details, rich colours and mood of mystique that is associated with Ardmore's beautiful, hand-crafted ceramics. Intrigued by the images I saw online and in decor mags, I popped into Mavromac to see the real thing yesterday. Wowzer!

Feast your eyes fellow nerds!

River Chase is on the 3 seater, the armchairs are covered in Monkey Bean.

Described as a "colourful, sophisticated and sensual" range that is "deeply rooted in Africa", Zambezi is all the things that Ardmore Ceramics are - and then some.  With names like "Bush Bandits", "Monkey Bean", "River Chase" and "Amasumpa", the fabric names are as exciting as the fabrics themselves and only enhance the wild and exotic tone of the range. The basecloths for the prints vary between cotton, linen, sumptuous velvet and elegant silk.

How amazing are these colours!? The velvet has a wonderful handle - I'm not sure what the composition is but it's sublimely soft.

The geometric print on the right is Amasumpa. They look like an aerial view of parasols :)

They've managed to squeeze in some more traditional colourways that are easy to insert into any interior.

 In this chair one could rule the world!

 You Can view the whole range at www.halsteddesign.com, or if you'd like to see them in the flesh, pop into Mavromac.

Till next time nerds x

Yippee for greenery

(Image via Apartment Therapy)

I wonder if February is too late to be talking about the Pantone Colour for 2017?  Well, even if it is, I still think that green is always worth talking about. Green somehow manages to be both vibrant and calming at the same time. It's marvellous! Here are some of my favourite green fabrics for you...

Below and belower is Ampara by Designers Guild (they never disappoint, do they) is a textured plain with a subtle lustre. And these are just the greens, wait until you see the other colours!

(Image via Designers Guild)

The swatches below are from Elitis and they have a beautiful vibrancy and depth. If you can afford it, do it!

I'm mad for the green sofa against raw concrete wall in the shot below. So clean, so unfussy.

(Image via frenchbydesignblog.com)

Green patterns? Don't mind if I do.

(Image via www.countryliving.co.uk)

The gorgeous pattered green swatches are from Hertex's Awakening range. So stunning, so usable and whoop for being local! Clockwise they are Palmer, Kayla, Betty and Palmer again.

Yes. Green velvet sofa come hither. Combining green with a pop of pink is just yummy.

More gorgeous green pattens from Stuart Graham. The are Polly (Sage) and Bayleaf (Evergreen),

Bamboo is a totally gorgeous velvety plain from Stuart Graham (below) and the are colours Sage, Apple and Moss.

 Yes. Just yes.

(Image via Tumblr via Pintrest)

Till next time nerds :)

x