Julia Rothman changed my life

Image by Julia Rothman

Julia Rothman changed my life

I spent most of today breaking my brain trying to work out how to do a very simple repeat design (thanks so much to Wendren for your kind help).

I was despairing at my ineptitude, thinking I'd never manage any kind of complex repeat, and then I flipped to Design*Sponge, where Julia Rothman is guest blogging, and where she posted this amazing tutorial on how to make a repeat from a complicated image (the finished item pictured above)!

I think Julia just changed my life. Now, where are my scissors?

PS: Emma wants to know how cold it really gets in South Africa. Truth be told, and especially by Swedish standards, it's not that cold at all - it's been about 14 degrees C today. But it's wet and it's windy in Cape Town, and we're really bad at insulating our homes down here, so it's just as cold inside as it is outside. Also, we're going through a nationwide electricity crisis, so I'm too scared to turn the heater on in case the whole country plunges into darkness. Yuk.

Two nice things

Two nice things

After the two nicest things - the estimable Monkey and Nanook - there are two other nice things for you to take a look at:

First, Indie Fixx is running a Spruce up your Place Challenge with some fab prizes (I should know - I'm providing some of them!)

And second, go and read this great post by Nina. So charming and funny - like all her posts, but this one really tickled me.

(One more nice thing: In just 11 days we jet off to London! And Tuscany!)

50s love

50s love

Lots of 50's-inspired stuff on my mind lately. Jesse and I have been working with ceramics transfers, both making things very reminiscent of that era (it's for Rooms on View, but we can't show anything yet...). And then over the weekend, I bought Taschen's Decorative Art 50s book, which is an absolute treasure trove of inspiration for textiles, furniture, ceramics, lighting. Wow, it's totally to swoon for.

I got these pics from the Taschen website, and you can see more here.

Helen Dardik is a genius

Helen Dardik is a genius

Ok, it might look like I'm just saying Helen is a genius because of this adorable pic she made after her teatowels arrived in the post, but go and check out her amazing blog and the beautiful illustrations on her website and you'll see I'm not exaggerating. Love this lady!

Here's a tiny taste of Helen's work:

Genius, right?

Mountain walk

Mountain walk
The Autumn weather descended on us over the weekend, and we felt it on our ears and noses when we took an evening walk on Table Mountain yesterday. I found lots of little treasures to draw.

Grey inspiration

Grey inspiration

I simply adore this mug, found in a lovely treasure hunt post at Bloesem yesterday. I've been thinking a lot about ceramic transfers lately, and this is very inspiring.

Frodo and friends

Frodo and Friends

I joined Frodo and some other friends at Milnerton Market on Saturday, and packed my camera in an effort to take snaps instead of buying things. Saw some lovely collections.

But my camera battery went flat, so I got out my purse instead, and came home with a darning mushroom, a potato peeler, a set of jumper cables, bags of nuts and a stack of vintage crochet patterns. I love that market, I do.

Folly Cove Designers

Folly Cove Designers
I'd never heard of the Folly Cove Designers until SeaSideStudio left a comment referencing them on one of my papercuts. Since then, I've done a bit of research, and thought I'd share it:

Folly Cove Designers was a guild of designer-craftspeople that operated for 30 years from 1938, based in Folly Cove, Massachusets.

The founder and leader was an illustrator called Virginia Lee Burton, who taught amateur enthusiasts - mostly her neighbours at first - how to design and print.

The group mostly concentrated on making decorative fabrics for their homes, and then started selling their prints during the summer months, with great success.

Their popularity grew, and so did the demand for their work, and the Folly Cove Designers became quite famous. The image below is from a Time Life article published in June 1958, showing Virginia Lee Burton and other members meeting together.

Although the group disbanded after Virginia Lee Burton (who became Demetrios after marriage) died in 1968, the Folly Cove fabrics can still be purchased from family members who have created Folly Cove Designers II, dedicated to perpetuating the group's legacy.

All images are from the Folly Cove Designers II website. I just chose the ones I really liked, but there are lots more, so check it out.

And by the way, talking of beautiful block prints, have you checked out what that clever Jesse's been doing lately? Do yourself a favour and click here.

Holiday drawing

Holiday drawing
I spent many hours in my holidays (so long ago now!) drawing every piece of vintage crockery we have here at home. It was one of the nicest things I did all holiday, really.

It's taken so much longer than I expected, but I've finally turned these drawings into a brand new teatowel design! I was about to post my photos of it... when Blogger turned all mean and spat my pics out. Grr.

Watch this space. New teatowel design coming soon, really soon (speak soothingly to nice Blogger)...

Tulip patterns

Tulip patterns

I love what Denise at Freshly Found has done with the African Tulips falling onto her driveway. Check it out!

Bookhou

Bookhou love
I keep visiting this lovely linen bag at the Bookhou shop.

And thanks so much for all the very kind congratulations about the Heath sale. You're all so generous in your support - it really blows me away. xxxx

Have a great weekend everyone! Oh, and do check out the Poppytalk's series of posts on collections. I really enjoyed this one about Lisa Congdon's collections (thanks, Lynne).

Many thanks

Thanks, all

2008 has had a great start!, with lots of very exciting interest in my work from all over the planet. I hope to tell you lots more about this soon.

Also, I've had so many lovely mentions on other blogs this year, and just want say a big Skinny thanks to Zee Homebug and to bowie style of Print & Pattern for letting everyone know about my new flickr page , to Jen of Painted Fish Studio for the beautiful photo of the teatowel she bought, and also to Victoria at sfgirlbybay for the multipronged shout-out she gave me yesterday.

And thanks for all the comments from everyone too. You guys are the best!

Another way 2008 has started well is that I've had rare expanses of time in which to do things just because I wanna! On one of these glorious afternoons, I cut the paper flowers at the top of the post. Here's hoping for lots more days like this in 2008!

Happy weekend!

Dinner outdoors

Dinner outdoors

From 'Betty Crocker's Dinner for Two Cook Book', and illustrated by Charles Harper (from Nofi's Flickr).

Book luck

Book luck
I had some book luck at the St George's Cathdral bric-a-brac shop on Friday. The Better Homes and Gardens book was by far the most old-fashioned (lots of colourised pics), but I found such amazing rooms. Some favourites:

The book starts out with a whole series of looks showcased like this. Obviously "Casual Modern" is my favourite flavour.

Adore this! I'd never paint harlequin patterns on the walls at home, but think this is great, especially the orange napkins in the foreground artfully echoing the design!

Love the skylight, enormous copper chimney, and all that low, low furniture in a high, high space.

Ladies, I think it's time to go shopping for a new look and hairdo to go with your funky new living room.

It's quite small and hard to see, but I really like the bird print on the wall. And could that be a pet tiger? I'll have one of those too.

Acapulco

Acapulco

Ok, I'm hooked on Flickr. Love it! And it's educational too. Look what I learned since getting started yesterday:

The mug above is one that Lena Corwin just bought at a thrift shop. It looks quite a lot like Villeroy and Bosch crockery in the Acapulco design, like this teacup and plate of mine:

Lena agrees that it's not quite the same design - definitely "inspired by" though.

Then Zee Homebug told us that Villeroy and Bosch is re-releasing the astonishingly vibrant Acupulco design, this time on "new wave" cups and plates.

Erm, I'm not convinced, V&B. Wavy plates? Hmm.

Flickr, on the other hand - I'm a convert!

(ku)nihito

(ku)nihito

I took this pic at my studio, inspired by this which I saw amongst the beautiful photos in (ku)nihito's Flickr photostream. Hers is so much better than mine, but I enjoyed my attempt to emulate. It's a good way to learn.

(via 2 or 3 things.)

Charley Harper

Crawfish

This illustration by Charlie Harper was made for Ford Times in 1956. I found it via ffffound.com, originally from Glen Mulally's Flickr photostream.

If you like 50s style, check out Grain Edit for more design and style leads along those lines.

Atomic

Atomic Christmas
Other than sipping bubbly around a pool and jumping on a trampoline with exciteable nieces, I've spent my Christmas break looking for fabric inspiration so I can get around to recovering our Ercol daybed. I found a couple of cute things at Atomic Textiles.

PS: Update from Lara, who tells me that the reissued Pamela Walker print at the top can be bought directly from Australian outfit, Sprout Design. Thanks, Lara!

Rebound
Those clever kids at local outfit, Rebound Books , have come up with such a brilliant idea. They remove the guts of old hardcovers and fill them with creamy blank pages, transforming old, neglected books into beautiful notebooks.

Apart from Peacock Pie, these are my favourite Rebound Books :

You can buy them online, but Capetonians can also find Rebound Books at Biblioteq in Kloof Street.

Inside the envelope

Inside the envelope
I have a drawerful of envelopes at home, saved for their beautiful patterns inside, so I like this site full of security envelope patterns. Here are a couple of favourites.