Patty Van Dorin

lifetime love with fairisle

I have always loved fairisle sweaters.
It started with this sweater my dad gave me in the late 1960's, one he had brought back from when he was in Norway.

At the time, it was too big for me to wear and then later it became too precious to wear. It is one of the few things I have kept all these years.
This fall and winter, I have been unusually obsessed with these sweaters and I can't seen to get enough of fairisles.

Taking inspiration from this fabric journal from a few years back

I think there is a photo album on the side bar with more of the pages from this journal

I will repost a few

anyway, I have reconstructed several fairisles that are inspired by this fabric journal

keep scrolling

I will show the reconstructed sweater at the bottom of this post


Reconstructed Fairisle Sweater

this sweater looks great with jeans or leggings

Fairisle Garden Sweater - available on etsy

vintage wallpaper destash lots

another round of destash lots

This destash is vintage wallpaper rolls that I have cut down so I can really fill a medium flat rate box full of all kinds of patterns and colors.

Click here for the Wallpaper Destash boxes on etsy sold

then I had a few small rolls left that didn't quite fill the box, so I have added a large stack of vintage ledger pages from 1902 and 1903

 all destash lots sold - thank you

All of the wallpaper and ledger pages are from my personal collection and have been favorites of mine. It is the paper I use in my journals, books and rolodex cards. These destash lots are an excellent deal if you like vintage wallpaper.

I have only three boxes of each and it is the last of my vintage wallpaper.

Also, if you have purchased my online classes they will be available until the end of the year and then the class sites will be coming down.  I am not taking any new registrations for online classes.

Beautyberry

 
The berries are just starting to turn. This fall, my plan is to try dyeing some fabrics with the berries. 

Have you tried dying with natural plant materials? 
If so, please share with us in the comment section.

Chicken Coop Fabric Journal Book

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When I came to binding this fabric book, I decided the chickens needed more structure.  A fence made of bamboo and was used as binding rods on this journal. Not sure I like the thread wraps but after a couple of trys, I have left it as is.

cluck

 
The fabric book I am working on right now. I have no idea where it is going or how I am going to bind each single page. I am just kind of winging it...
 
These fabric transfers of hens and eggs have been sitting in my studio for a very long time. The same with the neon and bright little fabric samples.

 
All of the pages are assembled with hand stitching and then embellished with more stitching and a bit of beading.

More to follow soon.

I added a new category over in the right column called "currently reading".  Are you reading something good right now? Something old or something new, post a comment or email. I love reading a book as much as I like making books.

winter relief

 
on a drab, dull, cold wintry day, you sometimes need a pop of bright cheery colors

a page from a tiny fabric book I am working on

more fabric journal

 
this one has a working zipper
a place to tuck a little hidden note
 
detail
 
another
 
detail

once I have all the pages finished, I will bind them into a book form

rut buster

It happens to all of us. Falling in a rut, doing the same old thing over and over again. When this happens to me, I try and challenge myself to try new colors, patterns or working with a medium that I don't use often.
 
Many times these experiments don't turn out well or as expected. I can't say I care much for this page but it was fun playing with markers. I think I will like it more once I add some journaling to the page.
Vintage fabric (below) was used for the inspiration.

 
Colors and patterns that normally don't find their way into the journal.
Next I will play with the vintage Japanese fabric in brown, ivory and pale sage green.

So don't sit and pout. Look around the house for inspiration, try some new motifs and use colors that you would never dream of putting together.

Thanks to all the nice emails regarding the fabric journal and for all the requests for more closeup pictures. Here are a few.
 
 
 

flowers in the garden

"We have so many problems in this world, color brings just a little bit of joy into our lives" ~Vera
 
played with color in today's fabric journal page
 
a little tip:
-if you have a digital camera, take a picture of the layout that you like
-then you can open the picture up on your computer and this will give a reference when making the page
 

fabric journal for 2011

a new fabric journal has been started
 
today's page was inspired by this

creamy neutrals, beiges and winter whites 
 
with fabric it is not literal but a feel of color and texture
a found piece of wire, beads and bits of knits

Control is the main focus of this fabric journal. My goal is to keep the pages in check so they don't become so large like the last fabric journal.