Celebrate Independence Your Way {Très Americaine!}

yes, you can make this double-layered American Flag Quilt yourself!

I have been (irrationally) in love with Alabama Chanin for years (irrational because the clothing is un peu trop ingenue for moi, and I'm not a needle and thread type!). Natalie Chanin originally hooked me with her one-off chandeliers crafted from found wood, wire, feathers, stones, bones; and her charming chair seat covers, tablecloths, for the elegant, rustic handmade touch for the home. Uniquely designed and handmade at her atelier in Florence, Alabama from natural cottons, linens, dyes and materials, her things are definitely in the "you won't see this anywhere else" category!

I'm thinking these DIY flowers could be perfect for the

fall farm dinner I am designing

fabric you ink yourself then make into a little summer dress!

(pickles not included!)

Now she has created a series of DIY projects of the most unique, touchingly hand made, sweet and rustic-chic kind. I'm not one for mail-order kits, but these are quite another story!

Celebrate your independence from buying readymade, and get over to Alabama Chanin DIY for these fabulous sewing, stenciling and beading projects...many are perfect for the home, some are great for simple skirts and scarves, and all will help you spend some old fashioned productive time as the summer days lengthen long into evening. You won't have to do these by candlelight!

Then brag to us here...or put your creations on etsy! I can guarantee a visit to Alabama Chanin will leave you inspired, and maybe even inspire a daughter or son to put down the iPad/iPhone/iPod for a few precious minutes and take that first handmade stitch towards creating something with their own two hands! La route d'independence!

medallion boudoir pillow with backstitch reverse applique

spiral applique and beaded camisole dress

bandana kit comes painted, stenciled and ready to sew;

do you know someone going through chemo who might adore this?

sampler quilt comes stenciled and ready to sew

I love this rooster and rose tablecloth...would someone just make

that one for me, please?

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Alabama Chanin

BOOKS

just above are some fabulous books you can find at

Alabama Chanin's online store, or Amazon

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

The Stunning Chinoiseries of de Gournay

Made in France.

Handpainted.

On handmade paper.

Using all natural materials.

deGournay wallpapers are sustainable and green today, just as they have been for 300 years.

Did somebody say that "green" can't be beautiful?

Reinterpreting the exotic style of Chinoiserie in modern and exciting colorways, deGournay has taken on the most accurate and stunning reproductions of the original Chinoiserie designs first introduced to an adoring Europe almost three hundred years ago. By 1720 the taste for Chinoiserie, which had grown up during Louis XIV, had become a craze.

Chinoiserie design endures today because the asymmetry and novel motifs create lighthearted relief in modern, austere and classically designed interiors.

At an extravagant price point, cost is a consideration when using this luxurious handmade wallpaper. So take a cue from the thrifty Provencals and use a little of this enduringly chic motif inside panels on your walls, on your cupboard doors, your screens.

You really don't have to choose between green and beautiful. You just have to have exquisitely good taste.

..............

Kit Golson Design

elegant sustainable pragmatic

interior design solutions