when i began studying textiles back in college, the very first thing we learned about in print class was the block printing method, one of the oldest and most direct methods of creating a pattern on fabric. as long as you have a piece of wood that you can carve, some dye, and some cloth, then you're in business. the company block shop textiles, run by sisters lily and hopie stockman, is a textile company based in bagru, india that embraces and supports old school hand block printing - they work with a family of master printers who have been at it for hundreds of years. each scarf design is stamped onto a cotton-silk blend with all natural dyes and pigments, so each one is unique. while i'm bummed that everything on their site is currently sold out, i'm hoping they refresh soon so i can scoop up one of these gorgeous pieces of handiwork for myself! learn more about block shop here.
just the other day i was looking into my closet and that's when i realized i may officially have a problem with printed shirts - i have many of them - florals, dots, stripes, and oftentimes some that are covered in tiny animals. much to my dismay and horror, i realized that i am completely lacking in the cat print department. that's where fellow illustrator and seeming cat aficionado leah goren comes in. her scarves and simple tops feature her hand-drawn illustrations (a mix of old and new, above) which oftentimes end up being some version of a feline friend. i love her loose, illustrative style that walks the line between playful and sophisticated, and i'd be happy to have any of these cats, panthers, or other furry creatures join the rest of the gang in my closet. see more of leah's very lovely work here.
well these scarves are awfully pretty. normally i'm a magpie for color, but every now and then i love the simplicity of black and white, especially if it involves beautiful landscape photography and something soft. these "light as a feather" digitally-printed silk scarves by toronto company fieldguided create a lovely abstract pattern when draped and would make a perfect accessory for any outfit - or a wall hanging! see more from fieldguided here.
rather than try to pronounce this mouthful of a name, i'm just going to say "mmm, pretty" to these digitally printed silk scarves by lyon-based milleneufcentquatrevingtquatre, a collaboration between amelie charroin and marie colin-madan. the name, the long way of spelling 1984 in french, is the year of their births. i love the massive size, and the way the slightly surrealist, abstract compositions dissolve into soft color as they drape on the body. they have a range of stunning patterns, so see more here.
