Monday's Lesson: Silk 101

I feel as though my Monday Lesson 101’s are a little few and far between so to get back into the swing of it, tonight is a big one on my favourite raw material, silk!

I don’t know if I was sick or just don’t remember the week at school that I think every kid is meant to have, where you go in search of a mulberry tree, steal the leaves and shove them in a box with some worms and that is supposed to teach you about evolution and the making of silk? It doesn’t resinate with me so I thought we should start right from the beginning just in case you missed that week in primary school too!

Silkworm Eating Trays

Silkworms seperated ready to make their cocoon. 

Silkworm cocoons.

Cocoons are boiled to soften the thread and remove the gum like mucus as well as kill the remaining worm/moth. 

The softened cocoons are then pulled into a twine.

The twine is then cleaned and bleached ready for dying.

Spinning wheels are used to pull the silk twine thinner into a shinny thread ready for weaving.

  Silk bobbins.

Silk being woven onto the loom.

Weaving process. All silk making images courtesy of designboom.com

It’s a long process with supposedly very simple beginnings. Supposedly discovered in 3000 BC by the Chinese empress Hsi Ling Shi who when one day enjoying her tea under a Mulberry tree had a cocoon fall into her cup, noticed that the cocoon unwound with the heat, and upon pulling the cocoon out of the cup noticed it formed a thread, the rest is history!

Thought to be a delicate fibre due to its origins, silk is surprisingly strong and can be used in upholstery, accessories and drapery. Used as a plain fabric or as a base cloth for delicate embroidery or printing or as a thread to make silk velvet [the most sensational, luminous, fragile velvet], silk provides an interesting textural addition to interiors due to its slubs [a natural characteristic caused by the joining of the threads]. An important note to remember through is that direct sunlight will deteriorate silk thread so always consider lining silk drapes and using in areas that are not flooded by natural light.

Stunning striped silk upholstery on what looks to be feather/fibre fill cushion, good choice!

Nina Campbell Farfalla Embroidered Silk

The most stunning navy raw silk drapes, I love the volume!

Again all that volume, silk drapes almost have a crunch to them.

Lorca Painted Silk Radjada

Super cute silk upholstered occasional chair, see the slubs and the natural colour variation.

Designers Guild NEW Jacaranda painted Silk in colour Willow

Absolutely stunning bedroom, the wallaper and that bamboo steel bedframe! Love the complement in the coral pink silk bedspread and cushions.

Designers Guild NEW Mararhi painted silk in colour Ocean.

There is that crunch again!

And just to add to your appreciation of silk the last little tid bit, each cocoon can produce anywhere from 300-900 meters of thread, each cocoon!

Forgot to tell you, I escaped the cold!

I forgot to tell you all that I am away this week for work, visiting all of my lovely clients in far north Queensland! It was only three days ago I was complaining about how cold it is and now I am in the beautiful and balmy north where it is currently 28 degrees and sunshiny, it never disappoints!
So since I am all sunshine, beaches and rainforest I thought why not look at some fabrics that can evoke that nautical/coastal/tropical feeling back home!

This style makes me think of two of my dearest friends Scott and McCall who both love this tropical/coastal look and are in the process of creating homes full of fun, light and colour, this post is dedicated to you! 



Robert Allen Regatta Club colour Sand Dune - This is a definite me fabric



Tommy Bahama Swaying Palms - this would be a definite for both Scott and McCall!

Lulu DK Rope - different to Lula - this girl is my pick, love her collection!

Lula Deliscious Monster Colour Chartreus - different to Lulu DK!




Lulu DK Mari - I can see McCall stretching this one over a canvas for the lounge room to accompany her soon to arrive cushions!



Tommy Bahama TBO Rising Sun - Scott this has your name written all over it!



Christopher Farr Brisa

When I get back home I will also cover this style on a Pinterest page so stay tuned!

New Collections: Pierre Frey

Tonight it is cold yet again, so me and my gorgeous Molly [or Molly, Molly Moo Mah as I like to call her] are in bed under the doona, sporting my husband’s tracksuit, laptop on hand and just oozing pure style. I had no idea what I wanted to write about tonight so I was reading all my favourite blogs [still yet to be shared] and going through all my favourite fabric house websites [yes, still yet to be shared] when I came across seriously the most exciting new collection of fabrics EVER!!! I painted the whole story about being in bed because I caught a look of myself in the mirror just all plain faced, hair a muck with no real facial expression whilst the inside of me was like I had won the Lotto, backflips and somersaults everywhere, this seriously is the most awesome fabric collection ever! Weird about my outside reaction though?

So here it is, my favourite highlights from the new Pierre Frey Atmosphere collection. What do you think?

Pierre Frey Gaya - Cotton Print

Pierre Frey Gatsby - Cotton, Silk, Acrylic Jacquard

Pierre Frey Playtime - Cotton Print



Pierre Frey Angelina - Polyester Jacquard



Pierre Frey Mojito - Linen, Viscose Embroidery



Pierre Frey Darling - Embroidery on Silk Sheer



Pierre Frey Venus - Cotton Print

Pierre Frey Panarea - Printed Linen

To view more of the Pierre Frey range visit their website or my Pinterest Page http://pinterest.com/bobbinscissors/designer-pierre-frey/

Monday's Lesson: Paisley 101

It is COLD! I have my hands wrapped around a cup of coffee just so they can thaw out enough for me to type without the message getting lost between my brain and my fingers! I know any of you overseas are thinking ‘but wait a minute isn’t she Australian and a Queenslander at that’ well before you go checking my ‘About Me’ go check the weather, it is cold!

So anyway let’s talk Paisley! Paisley for me conjures up images of heavily intricate, rust, mustard coloured patterns on throws and bedding in front of a fireplace, maybe that is why I wanted to write about it tonight! It is a stunning pattern with an interesting history. Resembling a twisted tear drop, Paisley can be incredibly intricate and colourful or plain, simple and elegant. A traditional Indian pattern, Paisley was introduced to Europe in the first half of the 17th century [interesting fact number 1: some Baltic states used it is a protective charm to ward off evil demons!].

With the onset of early textile printing, manufactures in Marseilles France began to mass produce the pattern for the European market as the East India Company couldn’t keep up with demand  [interesting fact number 2: due to an overwhelming mass of the pattern on the market the print was banned by French royal decree in 1686-1759]. 

Paisley is actually the patterns western name, derived from the town of Paisley in central Scotland. However in India the pattern is known as Mankilam, Persia as Boteh Jegheh and referred to as Persian pickles by quilt makers and Welsh pears in Welsh textiles. Today, Paisley no longer conjures images of the sixties with pattern layer upon layer but as a sophisticated pattern addition to any interior, fire place or not.

Stunning colour combination large scale Paisley. Not sure about the green occasional chair in the mix but I do love that little settee with it's shape and that pattern!

If this was my Kelly Green tone I would have it tomorrow! I love the detail, the framing on the bedspread, border on the valance and box pleats on the pelmet and of course the simple, spaced out contemporary Paisley.

Schumacher Paisley. Love the tone on tone!

This to me is what I initially think of when it comes to Paisley, beautiful soft rust, mustard and ochre colours. Traditional sophistication.

I am super symmetrical so this I love for that reason alone, let alone the fact it is awesome! Love the use of the Paisley as a bedhead drape and the colour is sensatonal, great accents.

Vanessa Arbuthnott hand printed Paisley fabric.

For more gorgeous ways to include Paisley in your interiors check out my Pinterest Page http://pinterest.com/bobbinscissors/pattern-101-paisley/

What Blogs Are You Reading: Kerry Moriarty?

You know how sometimes in life you meet just extraordinary people? Well I think that these people come into your life for a reason, they pop up with their little skill or what it is that makes them extraordinary at just the point in your life when you’re lacking it!

For me, Kerry Moriarty is one of the many extraordinary people I know who came into my life just when I needed her. To this woman who by day manages the Zepel Fabrics Brisbane showroom and by night runs her own wholesale homewares company Moriarty & Co, writes two blogs, Moriarty & Co and the second her utmost love Bountiful Beasties, nothing is out of the question, the sky is the limit!

These are Kerry’s top 5 blogs, and for this woman of endless energy, ideas and passion they are probably only her top 5 for this week, I am sure we will revisit!

1: Peach State [This is Kerry’s amazingly talented, beautiful, long femur boned daughter Georgia, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!]

2: The House That A and M Built

3: Pure Style Home

4: Table Tonic

5: A Pair and a Spare