heavenly hemp #hemporium

I got my first taste of hemp quite a few years back. I was searching for a dress shirt for BK and I found one made by Hemporium at Lifestyle Surf Shop in Muizenberg. I bought it, he loved it (and wore it to death) so I had to go and get another one in light blue. 

BK's Epic Hemp Shirt - still going strong after many years

Then, a couple of years back I popped in and got myself two knitted tops that are perfect for anything and anywhere and any time - from an after-gym workout to a parent-teacher meeting to the beach to a braai. They have worn beautifully, are soooo comfy and I love their colours.

My knitted hemp pullovers. How gorgeous are the colours? 

They say that hemp dates back to 8000 BC. Despite its industrial beginnings (it was used for items like sailcloth, sacks, rope, paper and rough canvas) it is now one of the softest, but most durable, fabrics around. Once manufacturers had found a way to finish the hemp fabric, there was no turning back. Nowadays, hemp is sometimes blended with other fabrics like cotton or silk which give it a softer handle or a luxurious sheen. 

Hemporium fabrics are available in different weights, weaves and widths. 

There is plenty of info to be found online about the wonders and uses of hemp so I won't go into lengthy detail. What I will say, however, is that it's one of the most eco-friendly, and sustainable crops to produce. I read that it beats both cotton and flax when it comes to crop production, producing 250% and 600% more fibre than cotton and flax respectively. This makes it both cost effective and kind to the environment.

Knits and flat weave hemp from Hemporium. Laid-back look, soft, breathable, natural and lovely against the skin. 

Due to its tap root system, it requires very little water. It's fast growing, very hardy, mould resistant, and is said to contain anti-bacterial properties. No herbicides or pesticides are required either. The bast fibre within the hemp stalk is where the magic begins for fabric production.

Some of the colourways in the lightweight, knitted and heavy weight hemp from Hemporium.

Although this is a fabric blog, I'm bowled over with the wide range of uses for hemp. Hemp oil is used in a variety of products from cosmetics, soaps and body products to salad dressings and ink. Hemp seeds get the salute for being a nutrient rich wonder-food. They're used in breads, cereals and health bars are also used to produce protein powder and hemp milk.

How stunning are these bags! For their full range of clothing and accessories,  visit their website on  https://www.hemporium.co.za

Last but not least, Tony Budden of Hemporium has been blazing a trail in South Africa, promoting the use of hemp for construction. Not only is he a trail blazer, but you will search far and wide to find someone as passionate and knowledgable about hemp as Tony. 

Hemporium bedding is soft and durable and gets better and better with every wash.

To see Hemporium's full range of prodcuts, visit them at https://www.hemporium.co.za.  Or, if you're in Cape Town, pop into their store at Westlake Business Park. Even though you can order everything online, it's great to see their products in REAL LIFE.

Till next time nerds :)

x

Resources:

https://www.hemporium.co.za/Fabric

https://www.hemptraders.com/Hemp-Textile-Properties-s/1881.htm

https://hempbenefits.org/hemp-textile-uses/

https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/hemp-clothing/

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/hemp-101-what-is-hemp-whats-it-used-for-and-why-is-it-illegal

The Big Hearted Enviana Quilting #passionproject #charity

(Image via myfrenchawakening.wordpress.com)

Ever since watching How to Make an American Quilt and more recently, Alias Grace, I've loved that quilts are imbued with memories and love and history and adventure and all round specialness.

(Gorgeous traditional quilts above clockwise via Jen Kingwell pattern on etsy, @todaysquilter on twitter and www.cabbagequilts.blogspot.com)

Today's post is dedicated to quilting and the wonderful Diana Kraak who recently finished quilting one of the pieces that will be sold for charity in favour of TEARS.

I first met Diana a few years ago when she lovingly quilted a throw I had made up using vintage embroidered tea towels and napkins (yes, I also got all of the tea towels and napkins at charity shops.) She took such care in selecting a design that would work well with the look and feel and her expertise and knowledge about her quilting machine is something to behold.

(The very first vintage tea towel and napkin quilt Enviana made for me)

When I came up with the concept of using fabric samples to make up pieces for charity, she was the first person I thought of because her work is SO BEAUTIFUL. 

I love the idea of using scraps and discarded fabric to make up gorgeous things. The image on the right uses mens dress shirts. (Images clockwise via www.themoernquiltguild.wordpress.com, Pintrest and Pintrest)

Inspired by the French quilting style that I'm crazy for (top right), Diana made up the 100% linen and cotton quilt on the top left. It would be perfect for a double-bed guest bedroom or as a throw to add colour to a country-style lounge (Image right via Pintrest.)

I asked her to give me some background and whereas I'd normally work it into the post, I really loved her answers in interview style.

So, without further ado, I give you Diana Kraak from Enviana Quilting...

FN: How long have you been doing machine quilting 

DK: I started sewing at the tender age of four years old with my grandmother.  Quilting did not interest me until 2002 and then the bug bit. I joined a group to meet people little did I know that it would stimulate a creative passion.

FN: What kind of machine do you use (long arm?)  

DK: Initially I used my sewing/embroidery machine to quilt but my interest in long arm quilting was aroused at a visit to the International Quilt Festival in New Zealand.  It was then that I started researching the subject and this lead me to the purchase of a Nolting Pro24 Longarm Quilting Machine to which I added Intelliquilter, a quilting software.  I was also blessed to become the Southern African Agent for both Nolting and Intelliquilter.  Nolting has a range of machines to serve both the hobbyist and Commercial user.

FN: Do you do quilting yourself? (i.e. putting the little pieces together).  

DK: Yes, I do quilt myself, doing both traditional quilting and just simply using bits and pieces to create some art.  In addition, I enjoy creating whole-cloth quilts.

FN: What do you love most about what you do?  

DK: For me, the love of fabric and colour, seeing the skill of others and being able to enhance their work gives me endless pleasure.  I now work with a group of ladies, teaching the art of quilting.  The reward for that is seeing their eyes light up as they too realise that they are capable of learning new skills and creating items using scraps of fabric.

FN: What is the best way for people to get in touch with you? 

DK: My mobile number 0833883444, website www.envianaquilts.co.za; facebook: EnvianaQuilting Studio.

In addition to being a "Master Quilter", Diana's other passion is Toastmasters. She is passionate about the supportive learn-by-doing environment that it fosters, resulting in improved communication and leadership skills. She gets much joy out of seeing the transformation of people as they home their skills and how this translates to their live as their self-confidence grows.

Thank you so much Diana for your big heart and eagerness to help. You are an absolute LEGEND!!! 

Till next time nerds
x

The Epic and Wonderful Diana Kraak.

a drapers dream ~ Insight Interiors

I love the simplicity of tie top curtains. They make a room appear to be visually "light" (Image Via Pintrest). 

This week we celebrate the awesomeness that is Insight Interiors. Based in Cape Town, Insight is owned by Lynn Steyn. Together with a group of 6 incredible “Sewsmiths”, Lynn has been producing high-end, quality soft furnishings for more than 20 years. This CMT makes all kinds of soft furnishings, including curtains, fabric blinds, scatter cushions, night frills, bed base covers, tablecloths and cushion covers (for daybed mattresses, outdoor cushions etc.)

Lynn's lovely Sewsmiths <3

One of the things I love about Insight is that although they are adept at producing all the professional, traditional, conventional styles of curtain headings, they are also innovative and creatively flexible. So, if you have a creative idea, bring it to them. I’m sure they will be able to make it work. (If they can sew synthetic organza ribbon in straight lines on to natural linen, they can pretty much do anything!)

I discovered Lynn when I was still a rep in the fabric industry and was astounded by the quality of her work.  Regardless of the challenges that are often presented to her by clients (erm, yes, people often have big dreams and small budgets), her team manages to produce labour-intensive, creative, beautiful soft furnishings. I’m not sure how they do it, but they are always on time, always cost-effective, and always an absolute delight to deal with.

Don't be afraid to fall in love with something unconventional. It's your space dog gone it! (Image via Country Living UK)

Lynn and her team work directly with the public as well as with Interior Decorators and Interior Designers.

I adore Lynn and her lovely ladies. They made the first set of roman blinds for my son’s rooms when they were babies and she’s just made a new set for my youngest who just went to high school so we have a long history.

I love the classic, unfussy feel of these blinds. Linen and leather... yup, sign me up. (Image left via Etsy via Pintres and right, via decorlots.com)

So, if you need someone who loves fabric and is excellent at fashioning magical things out of it – look no further.  You can reach Lynn via email on lynnsteyn3@yahoo.com and her contact number is 071 359 2027.

The curtain on the left makes clever use of narrow strips of fabric. So stunning if the vintage vibe is your thing. (Image via  Etsy via Pintrest). For me, the curtain on the right works for classic, contemporary or modern interiors. The puddling adds a bit of opulence and of course... that linen. Siiiigh. (Image via Archzine.fr).

I love all of these for different reasons: the top left for it's lil'bit country feel (Image Via dressingroomsinteriors.com), the right window treatment is so simple but it makes a cool statement. Nice idea for a room that loves light but still needs some privacy (Image via Pintrest).

Till next time nerds :)

x

P.S. if you're looking for a good place online to reference things like curtain headings and types of blinds, I found these guys in London: https://www.pretavivre.com. Sew-helpful also break it down nicely.

Shoreline and Aqualina

To welcome 2018, Hertex have brought out two new, fresh, easy-to-use, laid-back ranges: Shoreline an Aqualina. 

Shoreline is a salute to stripes. This poly/linen collection consists of timeless broad stripes, bold checks, skinny stripes, ginghams and "old-school" stripes (that's my name for them, at least - think school ties and blazer trim...). 

If like me you love the simplicity of stripes, this is a real go-to range that offers sludgy colours that eliminate the naivety that often comes with stripes that come in clean colours (think Coastal Maine and Martha's Vineyard rather than Brighton Beach deck chairs.)

Skinny stripes and pin stripes are a great way to break up plains and keep things interesting. From far, they read as a plain, and make less of a statement than bold stripes. I know I yammer on about the glory of fabrics that are gender neutral, but it's certainly becoming more of a thing in apparel, and stripes offer one solution, for your living environment, at least.

Of course, checks are indispensable if you're going for a rustic or country look, but they're not limited to that style. Couple a smart grey or charcoal oversized gingham with plains of the same tones, and you can easily swing a Manhattan loft look.

 Old-school stripes will never get tired and can bring a nostalgic mood to an interior.

Hertex has always been a market leader when it comes to supplying outdoor fabrics. Their new range Aqualina is a collection of outdoor woven designs that consist of chevron stripes, geometrics, plains and boucle weaves. Their composition is 100% olefin, which means that the fabric is strong, colourfast and resistant to mildew, sunlight and staining. All the designs come in 3 "natural tones" (Lava, Sand and Dust) as well as tones of blue (Fjord), Green (Forest) and Aqua (Spa). You can see the full range here.

Main patterned designs below are Thon, Mulino and Fjord.

The plains below are Vestlia, but check out the other plains Scandic and Ola on the Hertex website.

Till next time nerds, 

Keep up the feeling :)

Saint Siena and The Bakers Wife

The name of this blog post sounds rather like the title of a novel, but the short and sweet story is that over the December break, I fell in love with a new (new to me, at least) shop in Kalk Bay. Saint Siena is a visual and tactile feast and boasts clothes and fabrics that I'm totally mad about. It stocks a collection of clothing, interior decor pieces, jewelry, sunglasses, greeting cards and more.

I haven't paid much attention apparel on my blog, but that's because most of the clothing you will find in chain stores, is made from hideous synthetic fabric that makes me itch and perspire to even look at. While it's true that some stores stock delicious cotton and viscose apparel, you will seldom find 100% linen clothes.  (Take a drool at the texture of the linens below).

Ta daaaaa. Enter Saint Siena. The shop is a collective (more about the other designers later) and one of the designers I love is The Bakers Wife. The creative brainchild of Cyrille Carreon, her collection is comfy and sophisticated in an understated way. 

Her signature piece is the onsie, which comes with either full sleeves or spaghetti straps. I call it "beach-to-bar" wear (though in my case it's more beach-to-parent/teacher-meeting :) 

Her swing top/tunic is elegant and simple and you could rock this in both a casual or formal setting.  The raw edges are a fresh take on the linen look, which is normally super tailored. 

Not only are Cyrille's designs a delight, Cyrille is a delight too ~ I was lucky enough to catch a quick cup of coffee with her before the madness of the year began! 

If you'd like to read more about her brand, check out her website. Her designs are also available at the Mojo Market where in addition to her clothing line, she also sells a range of hand embroidered napkins.

Till next time nerds,
Have a magical week x
:)