As I find myself drawn to neutral home decor I have begun introducing cushions in that style. Here are a few that will be coming up on my new website at the end of the month. These have metallic branches in bronze, gold and nickel for some subtle shimmer too.
Of course colour also has a place in neutral decor and I’ll still be using colour in my new pieces.
More process and photos that don’t make it to the blog can be found on my Instagram account @shibangdesigns.
Lately all of my posts have been focused on furniture and painting so getting back to working with textiles feels good. This pillow is made with white wool fabric with my hand dyed wool applique on top.
While I love neutral decor just adding a bit of colour can change the feel of the room and that’s where textiles are perfect for accessorizing.
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been working on my prototype for the iPad sleeve and the final product is now here. There were lots of things to consider in making the design and I experimented with several different closure options. This sleeve works really well with the iPad on it’s own or with a smartcover. I can make it larger to accommodate larger book covers as well.
I’ve begun posting this in my online store and etsy shop.
A new website for Shibang is underway right now with the help of a webmaster to make the site iPad friendly.
velcro closure
Elastic Closure
The first “Shibang” bag was a large denim tote that I made and embellished with my first hand dyed wool and loopy first hand spun yarn. It was purple with an orange centre and in an abstract way looked a bit like a flower. I was a Textile Arts student at Capilano University in my first year and I wanted a bag that could carry all of the wool, fabric and books I was bringing to class each day.
What I liked about this bag was how it added some interest to any outfit and was different from anything I’d ever seen before. I began making large tote bags in 2005 and continued for a couple of years until I focused on creating smaller items.
This season I am bringing back the oversize tote in new version — made on heavy wool with structure, leather handles, rivets & metal feet. This is the perfect canvas to showcase a large colourful abstract flower and it looks good with a blazer and jeans, a casual outfit or for travelling.
The style is inspired by classic shapes with an influence from vintage luggage.
One perk of being back in the Vancouver area is that I am close to all of the family furniture and special belongings that date back many decades. The suitcase and trunk pictured above have been in the family for a long time.
The trunk was used by my great aunt Flora when she travelled to Scotland to visit family and brought it full of food. The brown suitcase belonged to my great uncle in Australia and he gave it to my parents to use when they were returning to Canada after their honeymoon in Australia and didn’t have enough space to carry everything back.
My new line of wall pieces is officially ready to launch. I made a few of various sizes and colours which are now stretched onto canvas and ready for the wall.
To me these wall pieces shout summer because they’re fresh and add a shot of colour that is right in season. I took some photos of the pieces unframed as well as in a white floating frame. Today when I took went looking for frames I was happy to find the perfect one that compliments the piece by keeping it contemporary.
I have plenty of other ideas of more pieces to make and how I’d like to photograph them. Once I’ve got it all ready then I’ll set up a photo shoot and commit to all of the holes I plan to put in the walls.
One more thing that I wanted to share was the piece below. This is a giclee of a photograph that I took 7 years ago when I was in my first year of college and had a passion for photography.
My interest was in flowers (big surprise) and I developed a technique using my dad’s old SLR camera to take extreme macro shots that gave the photos a painterly look. In my second year of college when I decided to start a textile arts program my intention was to make interpretations of my photos with fabric.
Now here I am, quite a few years later, going full circle and making large floral pieces for the wall. Over the weekend I’m going to look for some of the photos I have taken so that I can share them because they have definitely had an influence in my work.
Shibang Designs for the wall. This is something that I’ve thought about and usually for large craft shows I have wall pieces for display. I’m now working on making smaller wall pieces that are easy to ship and can be combined to create larger wall displays.
These coral ones that I’ve just finished making are 8″ x 10″ and 10″ x 12″ in size. They’ll soon be available and can be customized with different fabric backgrounds and flowers.
Last week I was mentioning some of the new shades of cream, grey and silver that would be coming. I prefer to use neutral coloured fabrics because they make the colours stand out the best. The look can completely change just by updating the shade of grey or beige. Here are some photos of this new look – bold black with bright colours. This cream is light and a good alternative to white for people who like the summer look but are cautious of having white.
More photos of the finished products are available on my new website, online shop and etsy. In the next couple of weeks more new fabrics and colour combinations will be coming out, in time for the Halifax Crafter’s Spring Fling happening April 30th & May 1st.
Of course it’s the thought that counts, and those thoughts don’t have to cost a fortune. Wrap them gorgeously, present with love, and you’re done.
iPhone cases are available for $15 on etsy.
I am excited to announce that Shibang Designs is now being carried by Galerie Prager Kunstsalon in picturesque Nürnberg, Germany. The Gallery is owned and run by a lovely mother – daughter duo. Below is a photograph from inside their gallery.
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