I truly love textiles - from growing up Mennonite and watching my mother and grandmother sew their own dresses and make quilts - I have always found a magic in textiles similar to the magic I feel from paint. Now, it is true - I shy away from anything that remotely resembles the fabrics that remind me of these dresses - I acknowledge where I got the appreciation of fabrics.
Textiles really do make a room. The entire feeling of the room will be changed depending on the textiles that are selected. Much more goes into textile selection than just the simple color, texture, pattern selection. Textiles can be delicate, and special thought must be put into each selection - where it can go, how it will wear and what elements it will be exposed to. Almost like plants in a garden - they can't just go anywhere.
As you probably know by now - I like natural products wherever possible and this is especially true when it comes to textiles. The beauty of linen, wool, silk, or any other natural textiles is always going to be what I want to use. In many aspects there are natural fibers that are going to be great for the given situation, however, there are times where the best solution might be a synthetic fiber. If you have a family room, bathed in sun, kids, and you want light furniture - we are going to look at indoor/outdoor type fabrics that will be more durable and wear longer than any natural fiber textile. Part of being conscience of our environment is also making sure we are choosing pieces that will last long term and not be destroyed and disposed of quickly.
When is comes to textiles - truly the sky seems to be the limit. We can spend hours and hours browsing through beautiful fabrics at the Merchandise Mart. I of course have my go-to favorite places to go, but there are so many options. Price point is an important thing to keep in mind when shopping for fabrics. Quality textiles are not cheap. Many of the most beautiful fabrics are produced in somewhat limited quantities and out of very high quality fibers. Depending on the situation - I often try to stick to more reasonable fabrics for our large pieces and maybe splurge a bit on smaller accent pieces such as the covering for a chair or some beautiful pillows that tie the design together.
Let's explore the beauty of rich textures, weaves, colors and patterns together.
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