Chivasso –

…A European fabric company with some beautiful patterns, worth keeping an eye on in the months ahead.

Paul Smith at Kvadrat –

Stripes by Paul Smith at Kvadrat go perfectly with rain in San Francisco.

The site is full of other contributing designers and can be easily navigated if you’re looking for a specific color, type of pattern, etc. In the U.S., fabrics featured on the site are sold through Maharam.

Designers Guild –

Designers Guild (powered by the artistic vision of Tricia Guild and known for very colorful large scale prints and a kind of hyper-stylized take on “shabby chic”) has – as I explored this evening – a very satisfying and easy to navigate website that also actually sells things on-line, a rare thing for a company primarily geared to a trade-only market. And not only do they sell things on-line, they also have sales on-line, wherein items like the above blanket are offered at considerable discount.

Metaphores’ Boa –

I encountered the ultimate animal print today: Metaphores’ cotton velvet “Boa”. You really have to see it in person to get the full effect, but in sum: its incredibly soft hand, convincing shimmer and rich multi-dimensional colorways should be enough to undermine even the most entrenched anti animal print prejudice.

Cloth & Paper –

Several days ago I had the real pleasure of meeting Marcie Bronkar, founder and head designer of the new company, Cloth & Paper. In person her enthusiasm is contagious and the dedication she brings to perfecting her artistic vision is obvious – and inspiring. But it was only last night that I actually took the time to look at the designer bio section of her website. And, wow! She’s had a very impressive career.

The pattern above is called Isle of Capri. One of the noticeable things about her collection is a predilection for huge repeats. At 42.75″ x 50.25″ Isle is a good example.

Sandra Jordan –

A new line of incredibly soft 100% Alpaca cloth (lined with Merino wool)  is now available “to the trade” from Sandra Jordan in a drool-worthy array of saturated colors. A great material for bedding and throws — or anything else made better by the words “soft” and “cuddly”. Above, a scan of the colorway Daffodil.

C & C Milano –

Here’s a visual segue from my previous two-tone post, and from carpet to linen. C&C Milano has one the most lusciously understated lines of linen fabrics around (plus wool, silk etc). The loosely dyed patterns and nubby weaves say “casual” but the overall effect is drop-dead sophistication.

Lost City, Update –

I often find great new things (new to me that is – ) in the product report / eye candy section at the start of design magazines — and this was definitely the case with the most recent Metropolitan Home, presenting a tantalizing little blurb on Lost City fabrics. Above is a detail shot of their Vienna fabric. Yum.

P.S. “Lost City” sounded vaguely familiar actually, so I just searched fibercopia and voila — I did a post on it back in November of  2007. At that time they didn’t have a website; now they do!

Romo Fabrics –

The British fabric company Romo has some great fabrics – easy to use and quite affordable (for upholstery weight). They have great solids as well as some lovely prints.

The Gods –

When my grandmother (Oma) was still alive she always referred to God in the plural, believing there were many protectors. I’m not sure when she picked this up (she grew up in Michigan during the Great Depression) but she was a big fan of ancient Greece when I knew her and even claimed to be have been visited in visions by toga wearing sages. I can only hope the Gods my grandmother believed in are with us now as the United States takes on more of the contours of a Greek Tragedy rather than the American Dream. The fabric above – called Jules et Jim by Clarence House – got me thinking in these terms.