Burlap Love

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all good and back in the swing of things?

A beautiful September’s day here in Northern California with the light working it’s usual magic…

On what I think is my last hydrangea to blossom this year.

Autumn is nipping at our heals.

But for right now…a new subject…

Have you noticed that so much of what is in fashion at the moment was once a functional, workman like product that was not primarily meant to look pretty but just get on and do the job?

You know…like steel lamps and tables, wire books cases, concrete floors and counters – things made from strong,  durable materials…

Even the metal stools that I used to sit on in Physics and Chemistry are now featured in all the grooviest stores with a hefty price tag dangling ( let’s hope they’ve scraped all the gum from under the seat…)

What we are looking at here is a welcome rise in the popularity of industrial design….and one of the happy spin offs is the impact it’s made in the world of textiles with the growing prevalence of the workman like burlap

Most famously, we think of the large old burlap coffee sacks that held together many a bean with it’s coarse and breathable weave.

Rough and ready and strong as an ox.  It is sturdy stuff and I love it.

Nowadays you can see burlap cushions strewn across the sofas of Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware … still paying dues to their industrial roots with black lettered prints saying things like ‘Banque de France’ and ‘Product of Columbia’.

Anyway,  I thought I’d have a go printing on this lovely stuff myself…

I decided to screen print some navy blue swallows swooping about…

Here’s my first set of prints hanging out to dry in the sun…

I ended up making a bag or two…

And lined them with some left over blue linen I had knocking about…

I love the combination of the burlap and linen, surely second cousins in the textile world – one made from the skin of the jute plant and one from flax fibers…

And with the rest of the prints, I put together a few pillows

For inside…

And out…

And I know that these babies will last…

That’s it from me today – I think it’s time for me to sit on that chair outside with a nice little pot of tea before four hungry people walk through the door.

I will be back very soon.

See you later,

Ros

ps Welcome to all those people from Sarah’s lovely Beach Cottage – thanks for dropping by…

pps    If you would like me to add someone to my email notification list, just send their email address to roswyatt@greenplumdesign.com – thanks for all the ones you have already sent…

About Ros

My name is Ros Wyatt and I live across the bay from San Francisco. I moved here from England fifteen years ago with my husband, two children and a dog. Since then I have had added one more child to the line up and work as a painting contractor, color consultant, blogger, and screen printer.
This entry was posted in Burlap, California, Feeling At Home, Flowers, Garden, Green Plum Design, Industrial Design, Inspiration, Interior design, Light, Vintage Fabrics and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

16 Responses to Burlap Love

  1. harriet garbers says:

    Love the bags Ros! x

  2. admin says:

    Thanks Harriet – dying to hear how the teaching is going? xxx

  3. Pat says:

    What fabulous work you do!

  4. lisa says:

    These are wonderful Ros!
    I too, love burlap. The color and texture are wonderful. I have a friend who covers frames with it, and then handpaints on the burlap.

    Thank you so much for sharing this at The Creative Exchange.

    Have a wonderful day!

    lisa.

  5. admin says:

    Thanks Lisa – I really like the sound of that idea – I might give it a go!

  6. admin says:

    Thanks Pat – I bet you liked the swallows!

  7. Deanne says:

    These look great, well done!

  8. Great looking bags! Love the pic of the flowers too 🙂 Thanks so much for adding your link to Beach Cottage Good Life Wednesdays.

  9. admin says:

    Thanks Sarah. Loved the tips for taking pics on the i-phone – I especially agree with the bit about walking closer to what you are taking rather than using the zoom.

  10. These are really eye-catching. Very elegant and earthy. And just so you know, my birthday is in March…. xo

  11. admin says:

    @ Zoe – gotcha!

  12. Very beautiful! I would love to re-learn how to screen print. Haven’t done it since college. I really loved this post and what you’ve made. If you haven’t already, you should share this at my weekly Air Your Laundry Friday party that went up Thurs. night. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and leaving your sweet words! Happy we found each other’s blogs!

    xo,
    Jami

  13. admin says:

    THANKS JAMI, I will definitely share my blog on your site and will be stopping there again! Rosxx

  14. Jeannie says:

    Cute bag. I love your photos of France and England….please post more!!

  15. admin says:

    Thanks Jeannie – I am working on it right now!

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