More Sampling

Today was spent cutting and printing more linens for sampling. I seem to get so much done when I'm in the studio alone.

I printed the front of these linen tea-cosies with a small screen.

Here they go through the textile dryer. It looks like they're being gobbled up, doesn't it? I can't wait to see these finished but I still need to cut new fabrics for the bread baskets to be picked up for sewing on Thursday.

This is the Cottage Garden print on black organic linen. I will definitely have a wrap dress made from this.

Stay tuned for our new range of coloured organic cottons and don't forget to put your 5 cents worth on my previous post for your chance to win my blog giveaway.

Periwinkle and Basil

Periwinkle is my new favourite word. I just love saying it. As mentioned in my previous post, the colour is featured in Thea & Sami's new Cottage Garden fabric collection. I think I first heard the word when I discovered Laura Ashley and owned one of her decorating books from the 80s.

Being a true nerd, I needed to know a little more about the flowers that are commonly used as a ground cover. The plant is native to central and southern Europe and can be used for medicinal purposes when dried.

Our new Hydrangea fabric is now available printed on hemp/organic cotton. One of the colours we have chosen is the Periwinkle. This looks so pretty and is perfect for European-inspired Country Living.

The colour of hydrangeas range from pinks to blues and everything in between and can be controlled by adjusting the pH level of your soil. Blue flowers bloom when the soil is acidic. Am I the only one that thinks that is truly amazing?

Our second colourway is a green inspired by basil, an aromatic herb usually found growing in every Mediterranean garden. I love fresh basil in tomato salad.

Our Cottage Garden design is now available in the hemp/organic cotton fabric too and hand-printed in our studio with toxic-free, water-based inks. The printed colour seen here is Basil Green. Both fabrics are offered in either colour and designed to complement each other, making them ideal for home decor projects.

The designs have been printed on organic cotton canvas and organic fashion fabrics and I will be adding those to the website soon!

We are still to include a third ink colour to the palette for the hemp blend fabric so please leave your suggestions by next Tuesday week (Feb 16th). One of you will be randomly selected to receive a 1/2 metre of your choice to play with. All blog followers (no need to comment) will also go into the draw for a mystery gift. Please ensure that I have a way of contacting you if you don't have a blog link.

Giveaway winners have now been announced.

Images sourced from here and here.

My Inspiration Board

I had so much fun putting together this inspiration board for week's Blogging Your Way homework. Decor8's master blogger and teacher extraordinaire, Holly Becker, is one smart cookie and is challenging us to think about how we would like our blog to look. This was the main purpose of this exercise and something that I hadn't really thought about until now.

I have incorporated some of my new hand-printed fabrics in my collage. Inspired by cottage gardens on either side of the English Channel, my board comprises of traditional periwinkle tones as well as natural and striped European linens.

I enjoyed this exercise so much that I have decided to do something similar for a couple of magazine ads that I am designing this week. I will share once I have them done. I recommend that you make your own inspiration board; it really does help you see things clearer. Update: didn't have time to do a collage for my ads. See this post.

I need to apologise if you braved the rainy weather to visit the Young Designers Market today for I had to call in sick and I didn't open shop :(

Jesse Lino Prints

I would like to say that these lovely ladies are my work but I would be lying. Inspired by vintage sewing patterns, they are the creations of talented South African Jesse Breytenbach whose blog I have been following for a while now. Jesse is an accomplished illustrator and print maker who uses the block printing method for her fabrics.

I am very impressed by the even spacing achieved here.

Yep! All lino blocks are hand-carved.

Jesse's Chocolates print on cotton. Ironically, Jesse has authored a graphic novel named I Don't Like Chocolate available in her etsy store here.

Is there no end to this lady's talent?

Jesse has started another blog called Print Specs that reveals what materials printmakers from around the world use. If you visit, you will see a picture of me having a bad hair day, which is typical of most days really.

All photos are courtesy of Jesse Breytenbach.

Thank Goodness

I'm thankful for the lovely designers that are sewing our hand-printed fabrics because I just feel like things aren't happening as quickly as I would like over at the Thea & Sami Camp. Am I just impatient or do many of you feel frustrated that you're not where you would like to be at any given time?

On a positive note, it is gratifying when people choose our fabrics and to see what they make with them. I love this bag by Margaret at Konstant Kaos using our Marguerite print in red on hemp/organic cotton. Fully washable, this creation will be one available at the Northside Makers Market in Melbourne on Saturday.

Margaret has also created a range of ever-so-wicked Wizard of Oz bags and purses. Fun!

We make our own range of hemp/organic cotton tea-towels from our printed fabrics but I love the retro spin the Shimi girls have put on theirs. The set of two, comprises of a bamboo fabric hand-towel featuring our Fretwork design in red and includes a tea-towel in the same fabric.The sets are also available in other colours here.

I spent some time looking around in the Shimi store and discovered that they have a range of very innovative maternity fashions and for new mothers. How stylish is the LBD - that's short for Little Breastfeeding Dress. The cleverly designed split-level front allows for discreet baby feeding.

Speaking of markets, I will be peddling my wares in Brisbane this Sunday at the Young Designers Market. If you are in Southbank, please say hello. I will be sewing some new products tomorrow and will bring plenty of fabric and scrap packs along for your crafty types.

Critter Love

Who doesn't love getting surprises in the mail? Nice ones, that is. Recently, I was the lucky recipient of this gorgeous bundle of Critter Cards designed by clever Tania Ennor from Myrtle and Eunice.

Tania asked me for a little advice as she has started screen-printing and I guess she liked my answers :)

There is a problem with these cards though; they're just too nice to use. I would be selfish but I don't think I could bear to part with such lovely works of art printed on high-quality cotton paper.

Tania doesn't have an on-line store at this time but I'm sure if you bug her (pardon the pun) you may be able to acquire some of the Critter Cards too.

Thanks Tania!

New Product Samples

This week we will be finalizing colour-ways for our new designs. We have also received new organic fashion fabrics so will be sampling those too. In the interim, I thought I would share our new product developments.

Inspired by all things European right now (and yearning for that overdue trip), we have developed a eco-friendly tea-cosy. Hand-printed on hemp/organic cotton fabric with water-based inks and insulated with Bamboo wadding. I am quite happy with how this turned out. I just want to re-size it as my tea-pot is a little larger than most so I want to make sure it fits over all pots.

Do you like my new porcelain tea-cup sets? Some of you may already know that I collect vintage tea cups as posted here. I have a weakness for roses and these treasures were scored at the New Farm Antiques Centre. I wasn't as fortunate with sourcing quality goods at the Woolloongabba Antique Centre yesterday but it's also the luck of the day.

I am equally excited over our new fabric bread basket. This is also quilted with the bamboo wadding (no nasty polyester here). This is only our first sample but I am impressed with how well it stands up even when filled with bread rolls.

We will be making these to be reversible with coordinating fabrics on either side of the wadding. The other change will be to replace the cheap poly/cotton binding with our own cut fabric one.

I am anxious to make these products with the new designs very soon and to cut and sell some as craft kits too (hear the crafters cheer).

These china doorknobs are totally unrelated except that I also found them at the New Farm Antiques
Centre for only $15 for a set of 3. I couldn't resist.

Please contact me if you are interested in being a stockist of Thea & Sami eco-friendly homewares.