Quilting Inspiration by Denyse Schmidt

A few years ago I rediscovered my love for quilts and all the comforts that they bring. My curiosity and interest came in the form of the book Quilt by Denyse Shmidt. Her modern take on quilt patterns, color pairings, and simplicity really resonated with my love to create something functional, timeless, and authentic. Around the time I picked up this book I also happened to have a collection of tee shirts, in similar neutral colors of cream, white, grey, and tan that I had a feeling would all pair well together. So fueled with inspiration by this book and a season of Project Runway, I set off into my first quilting adventure. I posted about the finished project a few years ago and included some of the lessons I learned in the process. Patience, finding beauty in the flaws just to name a few. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat and I can't wait until inspiration strikes again! Which makes me curious to know, have you ever taken on a long term project that was so worth the wait?


* First Photos & Patterns by: Denyse Shmidt
* What's In Your Toolbox Interview by Design Sponge

Loving: Illustations by Kiersten Essenpreis

For this weeks loving post, I thought I'd share some illustrations from a very special artist (and former middle school art classmate), Kiersten Essenpreis. She is a freelance illustrator/ gallery artist who lives and works from her home studio in Brooklyn, NY. Some of her clients include GQ, The New York Times, LA Weekly, Paper Magazine, Nylon Magazine, and Coach Handbags, to name a few. This gal is such a talent! Her drawings, paintings are so original, fresh, imaginative, and sometimes a bit frightening at the same time. Here are a few of my favorite picks of her pen and ink line drawings which are available for purchase on Etsy. To read more about this artist, check out the interview she did over at Evolve Happy. Congrats on all your continued success Kiersten!

{ Interview with Lara Cameron }

I was fortunate enough to take some time with Lara Cameron, the very talented textile designer I featured last week, and ask her a few questions about what inspires her to design, how she nurtures her craft, and where she hopes to see her beautiful designs printed on next!

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EV: When did you first know that design was your calling?
Lara: When I was very young I was into all sorts of arts and crafts, but as I grew older I developed the notion that I could never make a career out of being creative - that I didn't have "the talent". It wasn't until I did an internship during Uni (in a creative role) that I realized that maybe I could! It's very much about practice and persistence.

EV: What inspires you to design?
Lara: I just really enjoy the creative process, and positive feedback on my work really drives me. Since starting a blog I've become so much more confident about what I do, and therefore a lot better at it. Living in such a creatively inspiring city such as Melbourne always helps.

EV: What kind of supplies and construction goes into the making of your textiles?(meaning what kind of dyes, fabrics, and printing methods are used)?
Lara: We print with water based, solvent free inks, onto mostly cotton/hemp fabrics. With the new printing studio we'll be hand screen printing on a 11m yardage table.

EV: Your designs include so much more than just textiles. Where else do you see your designs making their mark?
Lara: I've always loved the idea of printing wallpaper, which is something we'd definitely like to experiment with in the new studio. I also would love to create a range of stationery - preferably letterpress. Having designs cut out of metal or wood would be awesome too.

Yay! Thank you, so very much Lara for taking time from your busy schedule. Congrats on the new printing studio (get a peak of her new studio here) & much continued success to you and your talented team!

{Lara's newest design}

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Want more of Lara Cameron? Find her here:

Website: http://www.laracameron.com
Blog: http://kirinote.blogspot.com
Shop: http://laracameron.com/shop