sefte

yesterday while i was researching macrame i ran across this bedding company called sefte. when i saw these scrumptiously luxurious and eco textiles my eyeballs almost melted out of their sockets. they look so soft and are so pretty, i just want to curl up in these blankets and watch a movie or read a book. their products are made by artisans in the siwa oasis of egypt and the high andes of peru and are inspired by nature. they are committed to a world that lives in harmony with its environment, they design exquisite pieces that celebrate both the self and the world beyond. enjoy! amanda

The art of needlework is as old as civilization itself. For women that traditionally remained at home, embroidery was an expression of the innate human yearning for beauty and art. This creative and expressive craft is considered to be one step from drawing. The ancient Romans actually described embroidery as 'painting with a needle'. By rediscovering the beauty and value of Siwi women’s embroidery, and supporting Siwi women in continuing this great tradition, Sefte has not only helped to revive this dying art, it has also connected the women of the Oasis with the rest of the world.

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get some macrame in your life. it will make you feel better.

i feel like macrame and weaving in general has always been in the background of my life. my mother and aunts had large looms when i was a small child; they always seemed a little mysterious to me. the loom tools my mother had were interesting to me because some of them looked like combs that you would brush your hair with. so anyway there has always been a creative undertone for many types of handmade crafts that i feel lucky to have grown up with. a couple of years ago jolene and i were collaborating on a design for a hotel lobby. we wanted to creatively use macrame in the main entrance but were denied the opportunity by the money people. oh well! maybe we will use the idea somewhere else in one of our projects down the line.

patterns from a macrame book

photo by kc petersen

what is it about macrame and owls? this is a phenomena. lol! the above owl is a perfect modern take on the original macrame owl.

how to make a macrame doll from art mind blog.

love these hammocks.

crocheted poufs and planters by ineke visser. they can be found at heins home.

knotted chair by marcel wanders


alpaca scarves with macrame patterned edges from econsciousmarket.com

lovely macrame dress. lol!! i kinda want jolene to wear this somewhere. also i love those things hanging on the wall behind her.

some lovely 70's macrame fashion! one for a boy and one for a girl!

mico-macrame by Kristine Buchanan

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Christmas in New York City - Art Galleries & Theatre

Christmas in New York City - Galleries & Theatre

This Christmas visit to New York I was fortunate to see the Musical, South Pacific at the Lincoln Center, and two Art Galleries; Georgia O'Keeffe at The Whitney Museum of Modern Art and Kandinsky at the Guggenheim Museum. I love theatre in New York.  There is something very special about getting dressed up and the excitement of the opening strains from the Orchestra.It was a toss up between the new play 'A Little Night Music', the latest revival of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical with Angela Lansbury and  Catherine Zeta-Jones, or the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical 'South Pacific' at the Lincoln Center. I am happy to say that I saw South Pacific and it was as good as the concierge at my Hotel said it was. There was something soothing about hearing songs that I have grown up with and are so familiar. The theme song "Some Enchanted Evening," stayed with me for several days. Here is the YouTube version of 'Some Enchanted Evening' you can listen to.

 

  
South Pacific at Lincoln Center 

The Guggenheim Museum had a wonderful exhibit of the work of the Russian artist, Vasily Kandinsky, who was a pioneer of Abstract Art and broke new ground in painting in the first decades of the twentieth century. The Guggenheim designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was opened in 1959 and, rightly so, is claimed to be one of his most famous masterpieces. The spiraling design of the interior makes this museum one of the best venue's I have ever been in to view an art exhibit. As you walk up the spiral ramps you can view the pieces of artwork as a whole. Magnificent!!!

 

    

The view from the roof top of the Guggenheim across the reservoir & jogging trail of Central Park.

  
I want this townhouse!

 

These are two of my favourite pieces by Kandinsky from the exhibit. 
You can view the exhibit on line here.

After the exhibit we got directions to a local's favourite restaurant on E. 73rd Street where I had a most memorable lunch of Arugula salad topped with sliced roasted artichokes and topped off with large, (very large) paper fine slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Yummm!!

Via Quadronno on E. 73rd Street. (left)
A Beautiful piece of street sculpture outside the restaurant. (right)

The walk back to the Hotel was in typical New York style down streets lined with beautiful townhouses all decorated for the holiday season, past apartments with uniformed concierges, among the locals walking their dogs, across streets with bumper to bumper honking taxis, and a short jaunt through Central Park.

   
Townhouses decorated for Christmas on E 73rd Street

   
Fifth Avenue

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart.

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y Felicidad.

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y Felicidad.

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas

From the bottom of my heart.

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Designer firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

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snug as a bug in a...

...rug. yep, apparently i am obsessed with rugs this week. can't get enough. i recently saw a strike off from liora manne of one of their felt rugs. it was very delicious. i haven't really been paying too much attention to a felt rug option for any client, but after very minimal research, i cannot wait to keep these on my radar for future projects. they are very soft to the touch so i can only imagine how they feel on the feet. many color options. many design options. jolene.

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