I just received in the mail the custom printed fabric swatches I sent for! I couldn't be happier - the colors are right on with my digital file in Photoshop and the blues match the paints and other fabrics in my house.
The only thing I noticed was the pattern is slightly smaller in scale then my digital file - something to keep in mind! The company is Spoonflower and you can click on to their website and upload your own digital designs for yardage in any of their many various fabrics. Just follow the file size requirements. An 8"x8" quilting cotton swatch costs $5 each with $1 shipping.
When I order the faded blue roses for my living room curtains, I will have the pattern put on the linen/cotton. The other pattern is a fun Swedish folk floral I want to use for a table cloth, matching napkins and various simple slipcovers. Its a happy, cheery floral.
Another cool feature is if you order yardage, you can opt in to make the pattern you designed "public". Spoonflower offers it for sale per yard in their online shop and with each sale, the artist/designer gets a 10% commission.
As I prepare 2 bedrooms to rent out to foreign college students, I find my already tight budget stretched a wee bit tighter as I have to furnish each room with a bed, desk, chair and dresser. I have been foraging through thrift shops for great deals (last night I scored an awesome neo-Rococo cream dresser with mirror at a local Goodwill for $39.99!!). I'll post the before and after on that piece once I clean it up and repaint it white.The upstairs bedroom is furnished but the downstairs one needed a few more pieces, including a bedside table. I found this Simply Shabby Chic table on Amazon.com and pounced on it. It was delivered 2 days ago and last night I finally put it together, then stood back, amazed at how sturdy it is and how pretty it is too! It will be the perfect table in a room with faded blue and white floral-vine wallpaper, glass chandelier, lace curtains and Ralph Lauren blue rose print bedding.I am very pleased with it. The best part was the price - under $35!
As I wait (impatiently) for my wallpaper to come so I can finish the second bedroom, I thought I'd share some of the wallpaper patterns I have either already hung in my house, bought and am waiting for shipment or considered using at one point. As it ended up, the very top right blue rose swag is now hung in my bedroom and the top center blue and white floral vine is due to be delivered any day now and will dress up the walls in the 2nd bedroom, which was once planned to be the library but is now going to be a rental room for foreign students. (hopefully a girl)
All these wallpapers are from the website http://www.wallpapermore.com/ and are discounted in price. My entire 12' x 14' bedroom was done for $180 and the wallpaper made the room come alive! It was so simple a step to make but added way more personality to the room then a flat coat of paint ever could!I also used the left over paper to line the inside of my hutch last summer. (see earlier entry)The 2nd bedroom's walls will be covered for $160, with enough paper left over to line the drawers built into the eaves upstairs. I had a hard time choosing from the selection that caught my eye but in the end, I went for soft and romantic.
Built in 19th century Denmark, and now part of an open-air museum in Aarhus, Denmark, this teahouse is one of my most favorite examples of Gustavian design. I have been in love with this little treasure for years so I thought I'd share it with you.
It's a dream of mine to have something just like this in my own back yard some day! From the melon-tinted walls which glow in the sunshine, to the muslin-swagged windows, painted table and chairs with brown striped cushions, the whole room speaks of elegance and sophistication!
I love the classic Royal Copenhagen "Blue Fluted" porcelain tea set on the table. I'm a big fan of RC china. I collect the "Blue Flowers Curved" pattern. Imagine yourself sitting here on a sunny day with a group of friends having afternoon tea with a lemon-glazed cake, or alone with a great book, listening to the rain on the pagoda-styled roof!
Have you heard of Spoonflower.com? If not, check them out! Here's what they offer: your own custom designed and printed fabric!
YES, using your own design and colorways - choosing from several fabric types ranging from simple quilting cotton to linen & voile!I hated the plain white curtains I ordered for my living room last week so sent them back for a refund. I thought they'd be OK but they were too plain Jane for me.
So instead I am considering having my own fabric printed in a pattern I love and a colorway that will work for my taste. I prefer a more purplish blue - like a denim shade, only lighter. It's hard to find and when I do, it's usually out of my price range.
But being a professional graphic designer, I was able to create my own RL-inspired blue rose pattern by scanning in an old cotton hankie from my Mom's vintage collection, cleaning up the roses from the background and colorizing them from red to monotone blues, then putting them through a couple watercolor filters in Photoshop to achieve the look I wanted.
The image I present to you now is the result - it will be repeated over and over to create an all-over rose pattern. You have choices in how to repeat the printed pattern and also how much yardage - from a swatch, to any yardage you want.
You can make the pattern private, for your own use, OR make it public so you keep the copyright but it allows anyone else to order the fabric too, giving you, the designer, a 10% commission!There are several fabrics from other designers you can choose from as well. Yesterday I sent for a sample square to see how the colors come out - everyone's computer and printer is working on it's own calibration. If the blues come back too teal or turquoise, I will tweak it and make it more purplish - when the color sample comes back right, I'll order my first 3 yards for my first living room curtain panel! (probably the cotton/linen blend)Check them out and tell me what you think of it! I'm anxious to see how the fabric looks/quality, etc.
