Ta-da!

And here is Creek Van Houten's "Amazing Large Tote" in all its finished glory!

Nice and roomy, but not too huge, this bag has two big pockets inside for letter-size papers, and two narrower pockets for gadgets and a water bottle. There was enough of this pretty fabric left to make a small zippy pouch, key fob, a visor, and a 14" pillow! I have many wonderful fabrics, so there will be more to come... (To see more of the process of the making of this bag, read my previous post.)

By the way, Creek is exhibiting at the San Anselmo Art and Wine Festival this weekend. Go check out her work!

Pictured on one the vintage chairs that used to be my Grandparents. We call them the "Thrones."

Matchy-matchy!

Big zippered pockets

Wide Brim Visor

Embrace Your Boho

Boho style on the runway

The layering of hippie, folk, romantic, flowing cotton blouses, beaded necklaces, leather and metal accents, and ethnic-inspired textiles is everywhere. The bohemian look has come and gone many times, each reincarnation with a new twist. Boho Chic reigns again in 2012.

Traveling to the Mideast, my grandparents, Fran and Harry, brought back wonderful carpets and kilims. Growing up with these rugs under my feet influenced my gravitation toward textural graphic textiles and designs. My grands were also savvy in the modern design department. I have their well-worn Eames-style lounge chairs—they would be fun to recover, boho style, like this one at bokjadesign.com.)

Eames, meet Boho

I joke a little when I say "I make hippie bags," but as unique as the tradition of weaving, each bag in my Caravan Collection is made from one of a kind kilim prayer rugs. I am at peace with the spirit of bohemia—a sense of adventure, a modern riff on tradition, and for me, a feeling of home. Hippie bags are OK!

New bags from my Caravan Collection
© 2012 Heather Graef/Gstudi

A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE KILIM

The kilim is believed to have its origins in the tribal flatweaves of Central Asia. While kilims may have been in production as early as 3,000 BC, the slitweave technique seen in Kilim rugs is thought to have originated around 1,000 BC, related to much older flatwoven textiles discovered at Fostat in Egypt.

Scorpion

Before Kilims became decorative items they were an essential part of life in tribal communities. For practical purposes, they were used as floor coverings, protection from the elements, and to store grains and other goods. However each was woven with symbolic imagery, telling a unique story in the life of the weaver. Modern kilims still incorporate many of these symbols.

A KILIM FOR YOU!

Select bags from the Caravan Collection will be available at local events, and in my online shop by the summer.
Click here to like my Facebook page for updates.

Channel your inner-Boho sooner, and click here for some lovely kilim wallpapers for your computer screen:
http://www.kilim.com/wallpaper/index.asp 

References: kilim.com, letsgoturkey.com

The Magic of Spoonflower

I got my first fabric sample from Spoonflower! I chose to sample one of my patterns with a dark background because I wanted to see how accurately the color would print. It printed as a dark brown rather than the dark charcoal gray I specified, but even so, I like how it came out.

I would suggest to anyone to create your sample with a variety of colors, and shades of similar colors so that you can adjust your final design to come out closest to your desired effect when you send for your final yardage.

Spoonflower tells me "...you can order as small as an 8 in square, or a fat quarter." They offer an array of fabrics and weights:

1. Quilting Weight Cotton
2. Organic Cotton Sateen
3. Organic Cotton Interlock Knit
4. Upholstery Weight Cotton Twill
5. Linen-Cotton Canvas
6. Cotton Lawn

The organic cotton interlock knit feels a little too lightweight for clothing, but would work well for accessories, plush toys, etc. The crépe de chine (coming soon), is perfect for scarfs, rosettes, or other accessories... and all with your own pattern! Spoonflower.com has tips and links for creating your patterns and uploading them to the site for printing.

My test sample below, with Spoonflower's fabric sample booklet.

Design and Print Your Own Fabric!

All I can say is "wow!" If you ever wanted to get your own design on fabric, this looks like a great way to do it, and for a relatively low cost per yard. I am definitely going to try this out for my Gstudio bags in the future! Thanks, Ellen, for sharing this on Facebook for us!