sew satisfied

i recently completed a nice little sewing project, using the fabric stacked above, for a teen-inspired entertainment room i redesigned. everything turned out so well, that i'm hoping to make a habit of sewing custom pieces for clients going forward. it's a great way to add a unique touch to an interiors project and really make it my own. plus, it often costs less for me to make pillows and window treatments than it is to buy them at a shop, so it's a win-win for my clients! i chose the fabrics and created the pattern for all six pillows and three window valances ~ all of which are made with washable, fade-resistant fabrics. . . . . simple and contemporary with a bit of whimsy for the teen sensibility, don't you think? hopefully soon i'll have some photos of these beauties in the new room to share too!

trying to catch up

new post, new post!

oh my, how did an entire month go by without me updating my swellspring?

what with christmas, visiting family, new years, road tripping from oregon to san francisco, getting laid off {while on maternity leave, imagine that!}, designing myself a website and raising a newborn, my blog has kind of taken a back burner. so this is just a triage post, to let you know i'm still alive, and to try to get us caught up.

so what's new & noteworthy.....

{alesia's new quilt made by her grandma....and she's 3 months old now, by the way}

{a new addition to my family: a mini cooper in peacock teal! ultra-fabulous! i took this photo at a look-out point on highway 101 on the oregon coast with one of my most favorite spots in the world in the background: heceta head lighthouse}

{alesia's 1st tango lesson, with none other than my favorite tango teacher, ney melo, at his studio tango vida. also note jennifer bratt's incredible collection of come-il-faut shoes displayed in the background....jewels for your feet!}

{speaking of feet....i'm able to wear hottie heels again, and am loving it. oh and i've only got about 5 more pounds to go until i'm back at pre-pregnancy weight. phew!}

{my first manhattan since getting pregnant. it was a long time comin' and i loved every sip!}

{i got a new queen mattress set & alesia got a new bumbo.... moms if you haven't heard of the bumbo baby seat trust me and go get it right away. it is the best baby docking station i've found so far. so now both alesia and i have new comfy places to chill ~ ahhh!}

{vicente wolf's book "crossing boundaries, a global vision of design" is a new favorite that i highly recommend ~ lots of design eye candy and gorgeous photographs from all over the world, madagascar to myanmar}

what's new with you? goodness gracious i've missed blogging, and i've missed you!

bamboozled ~ in a good way

besides the ever popular & beautiful use of bamboo for flooring, many designers have found other lovely ways to utilize the versatility of this material. whether you're looking for exotic one-of-a-kind furnishings, an asian-island motif, or chic contemporary style, bamboo can shine in any setting. just take a look at some of the fantastic finds i've gathered. . . . .

{ok, a bit wild, but definitely will be an eye-catching and noteworthy piece on the patio or sun porch ~ the yoda sectional sofa from janus et cie}

{seascape woven bamboo pendant found at velocity is simple, soft & entirely lovely ~ it almost has a mid-century modern feel to it}

{this elegant venetian bamboo leg table from wisteria is both chic and refined}

{yum! bamboo bowls & spoons from viva terra}

{sleek and modern, the jimbaran coffee table oval by sueno studio}

{hearty and beautiful bamboo vessel sink at stone forest}

{bamboo stick screen from bamboo54 is perfect for that tommy bahama look}

{bamboo fiber textiles by donghia ~ just one of many examples using bamboo fibers to create functional fabrics for upholstery, drapes and decor}

{contemporary style with island whimsy ~ eric brand's bamboo credenza through thomas lavin}

{solid bamboo chest at ecodesignz is a great beauty for form and function}

{the ornate black throne chair by dan marty design would bring regal and sleek styling to any room}

{the bamboo-inspired meurice chandelier by jonathan adler, actually made of nickel. mr.adler has several more pieces in this line ~ all of them equally as fabulous}

spoonflower power

my friend, tom, sent over a link to a wonderful concept company that's still in its beta form ~ spoonflower. thanks to a group of inspired folks in chapel hill, north carolina, spoonflower is an answer to a huge void in the crafter-designer-artist market: giving us all the ability to design and make our very own fabric. yes! for a reasonable price you can have your very own designs printed onto fabric. how wonderful is that?!? all you have to do is create a design, make it into a tif file, and send it off to spoonflower to print onto 44" 100% kona® cotton fabric {a 2nd choice of fabric will be available soon}.

from their website: "spoonflower exists to give crafters a powerful tool for expressing their creative visions using fabric. it gives individuals the power to print their own designs on fabric that they can then use to make quilts, clothes, pillows, blankets, framed textile art and many, many other things that might surprise you."
they have a nice little blog and a great flickr group.

i snagged some of my favorite projects from their flickr group to share with & inspire you here:

grosgrain's greatness

ok fabulous people, i've got a good one for you. a really good one.

it's called grosgrain. this fabulous blog is by the very talented & generous kathleen dougherty. basically she designs & makes the most adorable children's clothes ever and she gives away one of her creations every single week to one lucky winner. for free.

i'm so swooning over her generosity & creativity. . . . . even if you don't have a wee one yourself, i'm sure you know some one who does, so click on over to get in on some of this swooning.

Summer by the Lake Swimsuit GIVEAWAY!!!!

living is nice at ... rice

if only this denmark-based shop sold their goodies to the u.s. market.... rice is just the type of shop i'd like to support. not only because they have a plethora of fantastic products but also because their goods are produced with a clear conscience. all rice products are designed and developed in denmark, but are produced in the third world with the highest respect for the people who make them. they do not use child labor, and they ensure the workers employed by them are treated properly, and are not discriminated against, racially or otherwise. they find it extremely important to treat the people that work for them in an honorable way ~ for example their crochet items alone assure the survival of 300 families in madagascar.

and why, you might wonder, did they choose the name "rice"? for the simple reason that rice is a basic survival product for many people in this world, and especially in the third world {where they decided to focus their efforts to benefit people the most}. in fact many people working for them in madagascar receive a bag of rice as part of their salary package. now that is nice!

{first heard about this company on dreamhouse}

ro::living

ro::living is an exclusive boutique featuring specialty home décor items of original design, incorporating vintage and contemporary couture fabrics and textiles. all of their items are handmade and one of a kind. ro::living proudly rescues vintage designer fabrics, breathing new life into fabulous classic couture textile patterns from respected french and italian designers. their 2007 collection celebrates the textile genius of italian designer emilio pucci (1914-1992). many times these amazing and precious vintage fabrics would otherwise be lost if not revitalized in other creations. a significant number of the textiles that we have chosen for our designs have been out of production for decades. because of this, once our designs from any particular line have sold out, there are no more available.

{this exquisitely delicious upholstered chair balances fresh, quietly modern design with accents of vintage emilio pucci for formfit rogers fabric [circa late 1960s]. the clean, crisp white and minty-cool chameleon green blends smoothly into the genuine pucci fabric, denoted with the unique "epfr" signature on the turquoise, purple, green and blue floral field}

{modern sensibility with high octane style is the standard in the jet set series, distinctively denoted by this chandelier of ro::living's signature design. it's all in the details ~ in this case that means vintage emilio pucci fabric (circa early 1970s) of sequin-like discs that shimmer and mingle with opaque onces in a waterfall pattern. an acrylic cylinder houses the lighting element and diffuses the light beautifully}

{ro::living's vision of this fantastically fun george nelson classic brings it to a completely customized level, with fabrics that coordinate with each client's individuality, personality, and residential/commercial decor needs. the cushions are detachable for easy cleaning, and can be interchangeable, as well. this item is custom-order only}

{especially for jendita & sethie! but what prized pup or kitty cat would not want to ride in style on these exclusive pet travel beds? each travel bed is simply designed with four-legged friends in mind, making their travels that much easiser. with comfy polyfill and couture detailing in a mod orange, moss green and black pattern ~ designed by kiki kenman!}