Refresh your outdoor space in the comfiest rustic style with our new Outdoor Buffalo Check Fabric. You’ll love the simplicity of its classic plaid pattern! Perfect for outdoor lifestyle decorating, create stunning poolside accent pieces, sunroom or patio cushions, upholstery, pillows or table top. Find them here https://www.housefabric.com/Outdoor-Plaid-Fabric-C6461.aspx

Create a relaxing outdoor oasis with these timeless yet trendy outdoor prints.  Outdoor Buffalo check collection is fade resistant and UV tested for 1000 hours of direct sunlight. These fabrics are at such a fabulous price point, you will be able to create a custom look without breaking the bank. It makes the perfect statement in any outdoor space!

Denim has been used in the USA since the mid 19^th century.  Denim gained popularity in 1873 when a tailor named Jacob W. Davis manufactured the first pair of “rivet reinforced” denim pants.  At this time, clothing for laborers was not very durable so the popularity of denim jeans began to spread rapidly and Davis was quickly overwhelmed with requests.  Davis wrote a proposal to Levi Strauss & Co that had been supplying his denim fabric.  He proposed a patent on the design for the rivet reinforced denim pant and Levi was so impressed with the possibilities for profit that they hired him to be in charge of the mass production that would take place in San Francisco

Why is Denim Blue?

Denim was traditionally colored blue with dye produced from the plant Indigofera Tinctoria but today most is dyed with synthetic indigo dye.  The most common denim is indigo denim, in which the warp thread is dyed, while the weft thread is left white.  As a result of the twill weaving process, which is a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from canvas and cotton duck, creates denim’s signature fading characteristics.

Types of Denim and Common Uses

While the original denim was a 100% cotton material, you can now get it in a variety of materials, including blends that give you the same wonderful look of 100% cotton denim would with some great additional features.  The types of denim are cotton serge denim,  dry or raw denim, selvage denim, stretch denim, and poly denim.   Dry or raw denim, as opposed to washed denim, is a denim fabric that is not washed after being dyed during its production. Selvage denim (also called selvedge denim) is a type of denim which forms a clean natural edge that does not unravel. It is commonly presented in the unwashed or raw state. Typically, the selvage edges will be located along the outseam of the pants, making it visible when pants are cuffed. Although selvage denim is not completely synonymous with unwashed denim, the presence of selvage typically implies that the denim used is a higher quality. Stretch denim  is usually about 98% cotton and 2% Spandex for ease of movement.  Poly denim is made of a polyester and cotton blend.  It is usually lighter weight and dries faster than 100% cotton denim.

Denim is very popular for use as slipcovers and upholstery. It is a durable fabric that is easy to use and wears well. Many denims now come in pre-laundered or a washed finish to make them even easier to use for slipcovers. White and natural colored denim are very popular to give that Pottery Barn look. Custom denim slipcovers give an even cleaner look and fit than commercially available slipcovers.

Denim at Housefabric.com

Denim at Housefabric.com

Classic Indigo Denim

Classic Wrangler Denim

Heavy Denim White

Bansuri, a popular ikat from Echo Design, shown here in multiple colorways

Alice Guercio the Vice President of Product Coordination at Kravet answers your questions about Ikat Fabrics

One of the most popular trends in interior design today is ikat. The word ikat comes from the Malaysian word ‘mengikat’ or to tie, bind or wrap around. The proper pronunciation of the word has long been debated; however, the correct way to pronounce is ‘ee-kaht’ not ‘eye-cat.’ This ancient style of weaving uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye where the warp and/or the weft yarns are dyed before the fabric is woven on the loom. The result of this process is a motif which is “blurred” in appearance. This ‘cloudy’ look comes from the slight bleeding of the dyes into the resist areas.

Click here to hear how to pronounce “Ikat”

Ikat is a universal weaving style common to many world cultures and is likely to be one of the oldest forms of textile decorations now. It is extremely difficult to determine where the technique originated. It probably developed in several different locations independently. For instance, during the 19th century, the Silk Road deserts of Bukhara and Samarkand were famous for their fine silk Uzbek Ikat. India, Japan and many South-East nations such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand have weaving cultures with long histories of ikat production. In addition, these designs were also common in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.

Ikat couch done in Dwell Studio Batavia Ikat Citrine Photo From Design Gush

The ikat design is created by tying areas of the threads into bundles using grasses, wax or even plastic to prevent penetration of the dye. What this means is the weaver needs to figure out where on the loose threads the dye should go in order for it to form the proper pattern when it is woven. For more exact patterning, a weaver will typically use warp ikats, where they can see the pattern on the loom. With a weft ikat, the pattern is less exact because the design is not visible until it is already woven. The most difficult is the double ikat. This is when both the warp and weft are dyed to create the pattern. This form of weaving requires the most skill for precise patterns to be woven and it is considered to be the highest form of ikat. As you add colors, the process becomes more complicated.

Many design motifs may have ethnic, ritual or symbolic meaning. Traditionally, ikats are symbols of status, wealth, power and prestige. Today, ikat has become a generic word used to describe the process, the cloth itself and the type of motif that is created as a result.

El Convento Mesa Ikat Print by Nate Berkus

Check out Kravet’s Blog for the rest of the article and to see the video of how Ikat is made.

Find more Ikat fabrics at Housefabric.com

Today we are featuring one of the designers that we carry Tilton Fenwick. Find their collection at HouseFabric.com

 

What is your favorite pattern from your collection & why?  So difficult to pick just one! “Rocat” is one we think greatly represents our collection and our decorating style, incorporating a rich variety of patterns and colors in just one print. We love the versatility of this fabric as well, with a border design that can also be used for trimming and other coordinating details in a room.

 

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?  We both started careers out of college in advertising but today if we weren’t designing at Tilton Fenwick, Suysel would be a hotelier in Tulum, Mexico and Anne would be a real estate broker.

 

What was your favorite part about working with Duralee on your collection? The collaboration with the design team was incredible. We had such synergy throughout the design process and looked forward to walking up to their studio (just a few blocks from our office!) for meetings. We learned so much from them about textile design and in addition to our working relationship we developed a true friendship with the whole team. We know our collection was only improved by this incredible collaboration.

 

If you were to pick a song as your anthem, what is it?  “Independent Women” by Destiny’s Child

 

If you were to collaborate with any fashion designer, who would it be?  In addition to interiors, we have a similar fashion sense too! It would be a dream to collaborate with the Spanish fashion label del Pozo.

 

Where is the most inspiring place you’ve ever been?  We love finding inspiration through travel. One of our most inspiring trips was to the Spanish island of Mallorca, where we stayed at an old military fortress turned hotel. There was such deep rooted history combined with today’s modern amenities. The architect did an incredible job and we were hard pressed to distinguish between where the old stopped and the new began. We have fabric inspired by and named after this special trip – Cap “Rocat” our awe-inspiring hotel.

 

If you could live on any movie set, which one would you pick?  Petulia, a 1968 film by Richard Lester with set design by David Hicks.

 

What is the best advice you could give a new designer just starting out?  Don’t be afraid to promote yourself! It takes great confidence and conviction to put yourself out on the front line and share your work with the world. Harness the power of social media and promote your talents!

 

If you had to choose any other designer to design your home, who would it be and why?  Markham Roberts, Suysel’s mentor, is truly one of our design idols of today. Simply put, his work is impeccable.

What’s on your wish-list right now?  Always on our list is a furniture piece by Tommi Parzinger. Outside of interiors, we both love jewelry by fellow NYC based designer, Paige Novick.

Via  – Duralee