Ashanti Curtains

Recently I posted a photograph of a curtain sample for approval. The design, based on an image in the Fortuny "Ashanti" fabric is colored per the designers request and laid on a beautiful (and heavy) Rogers & Goffigon linen. (Click on Fortuny to see their new website)
The wall of curtains is worked around 3 pairs of french doors. The first and last of the 16 total panels consisted of 2.5 widths of fabric, with the remaining two panels five widths each. Leading edge and hem were highlighted with the embroidery - the above photo is 5 folded panels showing two leading edge treatments and 3 hem sections. Each panel in the photograph is 1/4 of the actual width.
Because of the complexity of the panel joins, I have grouped the four sections and named them A,B,C & D. Within each letter, each panel is then marked according to a corresponding drawing - 1 through 16. Next stop, Valley Drapery...

Outlines Provide Impact

I am an avid collector. My collecting passions are many but one of my most consistent efforts has been finding and buying antique textiles; especially embroidered or otherwise embellished textiles. I've run the range from Arts and Crafts era pieces to antiques and also more modern pieces.

There are textiles I have found irresistible from the mid-20th century. Moving from Arts and Crafts and Art Deco to Moderne, some of the textiles I have collected are indeed fascinating. The design above is one of my favorite prints.

It was found during one of my usual scans of textiles on eBay. A short single curtain, this linen was obviously unlined as it had sun wear on the back but the front looked great. With no identification on any selvedge giving me a clue about it's origin, I proceeded to deconstruct it's pleats. Once I had it in a flat panel, I determined it to be stable enough for a gentle hand washing. It was filthy!

Finally, I decided to embellish the design with just an outline on some of the major areas. It didn't need much but I guess I wanted to leave my own mark. I then used some Rogers & Goffigon fabric for the backs of a pair of pillows seen above. One day I hope to take my fabrics and reproduce them, creating a line of textiles.

The Fine Art of Trapunto

Years ago I graduated with a MFA in Weaving and Textiles from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. Prior to that I received a B.S. in Art Education. I've always been a teacher personality and I hope to be able to teach again sometime soon.

During my time at school I learned about trapunto. This age old technique allows one to create wonderful relief patterns on the surface of a textile. Often times it has been used to enhance a design on the fabric or in some cases creates the design on a plain fabric

The method of doing trapunto was to top stitch a pattern onto the surface of a fabric - either with machine or by hand - using a secondary fabric underneath so that one would have two fabrics being joined with the stitching. Once the areas of relief were determined, one only had to make a cut in the backing, stuff the area with fiber, and hand sew the cut to create the desired effect.

Through the years, I have discovered a much better way of creating trapunto. There is such a thing as a hollow needle that when combined with the use of an air compressor, can pierce the backing and shoot fiber (string) into the pocket created by the double layer of fabric and produce the same effect with much less effort and a much cleaner look. The needle is a bit flexible and allows one to get into the corners and tight spots. The above photo is a detail of one of my favorite trapunto patterns. This one is on a beautiful Rogers & Goffigon wool twill, which adds a beautiful directional pattern to the work. Be sure to click on the photo - it will give you a good look at the results.

Jansen's Curtain Border Interpretation

When I first glanced at the beautiful book "Jansen" by James Archer Abbott, with it's striking red jacket, I found it compelling. Then, on page 219, I saw a beautiful drawing of a window treatment for the bedroom of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Allen Jr. The simple but graphic border along with the beautifully articulated valence, soft blue gray color against the black background just captured me. Needless to say I bought the book.

Within hours, I set out to capture the essence of that design using satin stitches on a Rogers & Goffigon wool sateen. Technically, I think I did a proper job, but I did not catch the pattern's romance in my first attempt. I put the sample away and moved on to orders.

Recently, Interior Designer Suzanne Rheinstein approached me about interpreting the pattern for curtains in her New York home. This time I took a different approach. The fabric ground is a handsome platinum colored silk from her own collection designed for Lee Jofa. For the image, I custom dyed a rayon chenille in a dark taupe and using the hand guided Cornelly machine applied the chenille and finished using chain stitch. The finished embroidery is finished above along with a detail for closer inspection.

The chapter on the Allen residence does not show the master bedroom and I am not sure if the curtain treatment was ever made but Suzanne tells me that she loves her curtains which makes me very happy indeed.

Ashanti Curtain Border

Today I am reviewing this large sample which if approved, will be the basis for a curtain order. The design will be used along the leading edge and hem of the curtains. The design is pulled from an element in Fortuny's "Ashanti" pattern which I have admired for years and have hand beaded often times as decorative pillows.

The fabric is from Rogers and Goffigon, available here in Los Angeles at Cowtan & Tout Showroom. The embroidery is achieved by using the hand guided Cornely machine which gives the pattern a lovely hand made quality.

Below I am attaching two photos - one is the initial sample of the design which inspired the designer to customize the pattern in her colors and material and beaded pillows in the Ashanti pattern which I sold recently to Michael S. Smith.

Custom Sofa Embroidery for Michael S. Smith Inc.

This week I finished a project for interior designer Michael S. Smith. I embroidered an interlocking geometric pattern to be used for the deck of a sofa.

The project consisted of three panels; two side panels and one front panel. I made a right and left side panel and ended the design off rather than continue it to go inside the seam. This gives the side a custom, finished look. Each side panel measured about 44" in length - the pattern measured 6.5" high.

For the front, the fabric consisted of three fabric sections with two seams. Starting from the center, I worked towards the ends by framing the fabric in 3 sections, each time making sure that the pattern matched exactly by using registration lines that I built into the pattern. The total width embroidered for the sofa front was 108 inches.

The fabric is a beautiful woven silk from Claremont Textiles and I used a cotton thread for the embroidery. The pattern is a classic one that I digitized using my Pulse software for my TajimaNeo2 embroidery machine with the extra long border sash frame.

Custom Embroidered Tablecloth with Linens

The above photo was taken at my home. The tablecloth I hand-guided machine embroidery on J.Robert Scott Silk; the trim is from Decor de Paris. The Linens are from Sferra, the tableware is Cristofle, the dishes from Genori, the glasses are vintage Mirano.

The napkin is embroidered with a design taken from an antique embroidery I found on eBay. I had my good friend JeriLee Auclair digitize it for me. I used just part of the pattern, there is a beautifully articulated birds nest with eggs that is an optional part of the leaf pattern. It is also beautifully used with a monogram.

The border on the tablecloth is my Spanish Border, a border I have used a number of times for curtains. I is large at the corners and slims down on the sides. Taken from an antique piece of embroidery I acquired some time ago, it can be interpreted in many different ways.

Leather, Embroidery and Pearls

Leather can be such an amazing material to embroider. The acanthus pattern with pearl trim was a recent selection by a designer for use in creating two leather ottomans. The embellishment is placed on the oval shaped ottoman sides.

It is challenging making this because the material had to be completely seamed prior to embroidery. It will be placed on the ottoman form and more or less slid into place. This allows a beautiful finished seam in four places on the ottoman with the embroidery moving over the seams to give a wonderful custom look. The leather is from Edelman Leather.

The cording and the chain stitch are achieved using the hand guided Cornely machine. There are two sizes of pearls used here, the are applied using metal prongs that pierce through the back of the leather and firmly pierce the pearl and hold it in place. The effect on leather is really quite surprising.

Custom Embroidered M Monogram for Chair Backs

It seems lately I am doing quite a collection of monograms for upholstery. Having just finished the pearl encrusted S about a week ago, I am now finished with two inside chair backs. The M is modified from a previously digitized AL monogram, which for maximum decorative effect, was mirror imaged to form a beautiful emblem.

Single letter monograms are generally not quite as emblematic, and in my search for the perfect historical document, I never found one that was exactly right. That said, I started to review others that could be modified and one that I already had seemed perfect for use. The size of this monogram is 10" wide by 8.25" high - it is a perfectly scaled size to rest on the back of the chair without taking over the chair.

This monogram was digitized by my good friend and digitizing guru Jerilee Auclair - she also managed the color change modification which now makes the M stand out in great glory. The depth of Jerilee's satin stitches is amazing. Next up is a letter A monogram which will be used on a foot board panel of a Michael S. Smith bed. I will be posting that in a few days.

Chair Back Embroidery

A while ago I did a blog post on a "brand" I interpreted in embroidery for a chair back. Seldom do I see photographs of installations or of completed projects but National Upholstery Co. was kind enough to forward these shots of my chair back in place to my friend Luis at Mimi London, the Los Angeles representative for National.

The embroidered back is made up of a complex fill pattern using my computerized embroidery machine, that I digitized from artwork provided by the client. National is a wonderful furniture manufacturer from the San Francisco area that makes fine custom furniture.