There have been places I've lived that needed a distinct injection of life and colour to make them feel more livable... favourite things can do this, plants and flowers help... but textiles for me can do something very important ...and he good thing is often on a shoe-string... an op-shop find or hand-me-down piece of fabric can hold so much life in it.
One year I took some 2 metre pieces of light-floaty fabrics to a holiday place and turned the spare cabin into a cosy colourful 'home'. There are some fabrics I have stored on a shelf that the mere sight of make me feels very at home...
...why is this?
Do you have this feeling for fabric and textiles?
I liked this image below... put it on tumblr the other day... perhaps the ceiling fabric I'd pass on... but the elements are so inviting in this shot.
bohemianshoebox: places to rest easy… scanned by moodboard |
Here's a place for you to go on a quick excursion ...a wonderful blog called World of Textiles or WOT.
I've toured around this site to bring you a taste of eclectica... as i did I started thinking how I wish I'd photographed some of my fav pieces over the years from my home. You dont think abut it till moments like these ... at least I didn't.
Such riches ... personal stories and layers of cultural histories are found in the threads of our textiles.
I've toured around this site to bring you a taste of eclectica... as i did I started thinking how I wish I'd photographed some of my fav pieces over the years from my home. You dont think abut it till moments like these ... at least I didn't.
Such riches ... personal stories and layers of cultural histories are found in the threads of our textiles.



![]() |
| Louise's Mother in The Tapestry Gallery:1911 |
![]() |
| LANDSCAPES - GENEVIEVE LEVY |
![]() |
| 10,000 BLOMSTER - Ursel Arndt - NORWEGIEN KNITTING MUSEUM |
![]() |
| MEDIEVAL FRENCH TAPESTRY |
![]() |
| JAPANESE BORO - 19TH CENTURY |
![]() |

![]() |
| CUSTOMISED FRENCH LINEN - LA CERISE SUR LEGATEAU |
![]() |
| COILED FIBRE ART WORK - ABORIGINAL BASKETS |
PLASTIC BASKETS - JOSH BLACKWELL![]() |
![]() |
| RECYCLED PAPER YARN - Greetje van Tiem |
![]() |
| BOUQUET LIGHT SHADE |
![]() |
| ANTIQUE WELSH BLANKETS |
![]() |
| A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY - KENT VILLAGE LADIES |
![]() |
| RECYCLED CARPET - REMY & VEERNHUIZEN |
![]() |
| ECO - 366CM |
![]() |
![]() |
| RAG QUILTS - BARBARA WISNOSKI |
![]() |
| GUNTA STOLZL - BAUHAUS TEXTILES |
![]() |
| Sann Annukka - Marimekko |
![]() |
| CAMPANA BROTHERS |
![]() |
![]() |
| Nathalie Lete |
![]() |
| Mina Perhonen |
![]() |
| Patricia-Bown |
![]() |
Miranda July and others...Images from ThirdDrawerDown |

Op Shop Love by Grrl + dog
![]() |
| Chop Wood, Carry Water - from the fabulously talented Grrl + Dog |
So much more to explore... but I must leave you with something that inspires on so many levels:
![]() |
| eco-dyed cloth - India Flint |
Read this post from the fabulous India on her writing and books: felt like telling stories at her excellent blog Not all those who wander are lost .
I cant wait to see India's second book...





























27 comments:
wow, what a post! i have a personal relationship with textiles, having always been interested and had the pleasure of working with medical textiles like sutures, meshes, knits and weaves, used as patches and grafts. not as pretty as these here... i really love this post... the variety, colors, textures, so beautiful!
Oh... never really thought about all those medical textile options you've had a chance to explore Em ... maybe that wrap around gauzy stuff. Mmm good possibilities there Im sure!
I did manage to get hold of some plastic syringes which I have painted with from a stay in Hospital 3 years ago... over 15 days I got to know the staff...they were intrigued and gave me a farewell gift.
glad you popped in with this!
S
totally inspiring as always.
Glad you enjoyed this Claire... love finding the abundance of clever, industrious people out there in this world!
S
fabulous collection Sophie .....and i was thinking that even before i got far enough to find India's work!
Of course I could have included one of your pieces too Roz! Mmm ... thats a thought!
S
What a beautiful and comprehensive post! Thanks you for sharing this Sophie.
my pleasure Debu!
S
what a beautiful post, thank you. cant stop looking at al those wonderful textiles.............
XXXm
This post sums up why I love textiles sooo much. Well done! excellant! Brilliant! BRAVO miss sophie!
thank you Martine!
I saw your images from the workshop in Switzerland with India... wow! thanks for popping in here!
S
Hello Mary... I must say it was quite uplifting to do this post on fabrics... something so sensual and timeless about them really...
Thank you my friend!
S
So inspiring! Love this post...beautiful!
a lovely post sophie! yes i see that love of interwoven colors and textures in your paintings. was just realizing the other day, the reason i was a fashion junkie for many early young years must have been based similarly on the appeal of the textiles. when i figured out that the fashions didn't actually look so great on ME, that's when i could become clear about the textile itself.
honoured to be part of this lovely collection...
Thanks Elizabeth!
Been thinking about some paintings I saw at your blog...have to pop over again and see!
S
Mlle P... That makes sense ... you are a natural maximalist... like me... Love of colour, pattern, fabric, textures. Insightful reflection.... i recall up until age 30 being focused on fashion to satisfy that interest... then beyond 30 it was all about living with it... not wearing it! Now painting it.
S x
Just delighted to share the new book here with this mosaic of your ecocolour/pattern magic India!
S
Thanks for posting all this inspirating stuff! Again and again its a deep pleasure to see the beauty of textiles...
I agree whole-heartedly n-tse... thanks for leaving this lovely comment!
S
abolutley love so many of these. The time and detail. The color.
that shot of the sofa with pillow at top made me want to lay down and read in the sun until i dozed off. It must be the heat.
ha... well said mansuetude!
Textiles invite the creature comfort response... if that makes sense... sensuality... etc
Good to hear from you,
S
I may have discovered howm any tabs one can open in one browser,
thanks to you.
Such opulence
such click iness.
And to be in the same page in your post as India well..
I as wondering how to spend my day..
thankyou!
Hey Grrl....
ever since starting up tumblring I have had this particular penchant for click i ness... or reblogging.
So much talent in the world... so little time! My other agenda?
Well .. I reckon it doesnt hurt for us to acknowledge the depth, breadth ... well the multi-dimensionality of human expression and ingenuity. Less "I" .... more "we" in the world is a pretty good thing! Something like that!
I really wanted to post your header Grrl ..sensational ...with that doggie!
S
fantastic post again sophie. very inspiring!
What a wonderful collection of photo's. thank you for searching and posting them.
Wow- super post Sophie- I used one of your links!!XX
Hey Nathalie,
time to hop over and visit you... had a good weekend away... now settling back into work.
S
Elis,
Lovely to have you visit.... I was fascinated you're working on a project with Abigail Doan and others... Look forward to finding out more about this!
S
Hi Annamaria,
glad you shared something... interesting how the more you dig the more one finds!
S
All of these colors and patterns, each so different but all with their own beauty. I can hardly wait to see India Flint's new book too! roxanne
It but a small taste of what's out there...but so diverse and unique as you say Roxanne.
Will be wonderful to see the new book indeed!
Sophie
Post a Comment