Quiltsrÿche. Edgy Quilts By Boo Davis.

above: Cock Rock quilt from Quiltsrÿche

You gotta love a crafter who labels her textile designs with the sign-off "Made With Hate." At least I do. On her own site she describes herself as follows: "Boo Davis is a designer, illustrator and quiltmaker living in Seattle. She spent much of her youth cozied up under her grandmother's quilt listening to Ozzy. As a grown-up metalhead and design geek, the intersection of cute and evil is what she finds most compelling."




This is apparent in her hip quilts. No grandma patchwork for this gal, instead Quiltsrÿche blends rock n' roll imagery, attitude and a smart sense of color and design. Her graphic and edgy quilts are reminiscent of another modern quilter, Denyse Schmidt, only on acid.

Skullfucked1:

Skullfucked3:

Basketcase:

Does Not Compute:

Bangover:

Beastie:

Beastie Prototype:

Love It or Leaf it:

Quilt In the Headlights:

I'm A Wiener:

Damaged:

Primer:


Quiltsrÿche uses 100% cotton fabrics, though some of the vintage fabrics are blends. All fabrics are pre-washed. A Quiltsrÿche quilt is made with straightforward linear quilting that is durable and adds, in Boo's words, "that totally killer juxtaposition of handmade and industrial."

Your Quiltsrÿche quilt can live on your bed or on your wall. Request a rod pocket to be sewn on the back if you'd like it to hang. Quilt backs feature three stripes in coordinating or complementary colors. Let Boo know your color preferences for the binding and back of your quilt.

Order your Quiltsrÿche quilt directly from Boo here.

She also has a book available for purchase, Dare to Be Square Quilting: A Block-by-Block Guide to Making Patchwork and Quilts



•Check out her illustration and graphic design here.

•Here's a nice New York Times Q & A with the edgy quilter.

special thanks to Boo Davis and Stuart Isett for The New York Times for the above images.

Pattern Pretty: Minakani's Textile Designs And Modern Wall Coverings

Minakani is a Paris based consultancy and design studio run by Cecile Figuette and Frederic Bonnin. They create textile designs for both fashion and home decor. Their wonderful patterns are used in the manufacturing of some well known fashion brands as well as products like tableware, jewelry, bedding and wallcoverings for the interiors of stores, restaurants and homes. They also design and produce custom and commissioned patterns and textiles.

Here are some examples of their patterns used in fashion and homewares. They have created textiles for such well known brands as Anthropologie, Kenzo, La Redoute, Le Sportsac, Oxbow, Organic Stereo and Chez Monoprix to name a few:

Fashion:






Home decor:

for Bernadaud:



Wallpaper
Here are just a few of their illustrative and artistic wall coverings:


Paris:


London:


Copenhagen:


Zurich:


Rio:



Milan:


Berlin:


Their Indigo collection


Their Atelier in France:




minakani.com
contact information:
28 rue Etienne Dolet
75020 Paris
+33147974514

Laura Goldstein's Silk Down Cushions: Twice As Nice As Most Pillows

Above: the front and back of Laura Goldstein's Swimming pillow

Laura Goldstein (aka Grotta & Co.) designs silk cushions that are about as divine as throw pillows get. Made with fine materials and down-filled, her stunning cushions are twice as nice given that the designs on either side are different and equally attractive.





Richly hued silk charmeuse, repeatedly hand-dyed, printed patterns drawn from nature, old family letters and flea market finds contribute to the beauty of each pillow. Feather inserts, hidden zippers on seams and piping in contrasting colors are just some of the details that make these both unique and impressive.

"My pieces are made with the intention that they will be around forever and passed down from mothers to daughters." says Laura.

In this age of mass-produced products, Goldstein's pieces are printed and dyed one at a time. All are slightly different. Many of her fabrics include a layer printed with hand-written family letters. The handwriting is from the late 1800s when penmanship played an important role in defining a person. In her larger works, she often hides a tiny image or two within the design--most of them symbols for good luck.

Some of her pillows shown below:










Goldstein comes from a specialty toy background and recognizes the need for all ages to play and dream. All of her collections boast two completed sides--giving the wearer a "two for one" experience. A pillow or scarf can be displayed one way or the other, displaying two completely different colors and images. Her scarves and wraps, when worn, play off this collage-like effect.


In addition to the beautiful pillows, she makes scarves with the same beautiful fabrics and patterns, also double sided, making them twice as pretty.


Where can you purchase these?
The Artful Home

Or check out the distributors on the Grotta & Co site here.

contact info:
Grotta & Co.
207 E. Buffalo St.
Suite 209
Milwaukee 53202
Phone: 414-273-8066