Pattern prints

I hope Easter was as relaxing for you as it was for me this year. For the past few years I have always been rushed off my feet at Easter being the busiest time of year at work. So this time I had time to enjoy the break and enjoy my Guylian egg!

I was reminded this week of the fabulous Scandinavian fabric design house Marimekko. I had a love affair with them during my design degree and would always include a little accent of their bright prints in my interior projects! They translate so well to furnishings and clothing it’s hard to resist the cheerful lure of their psychedelic prints.

It was when Jackie Kennedy popped in and bought seven dresses in the 1960’s that the company was springboarded onto the international arena. Check out their website for a great timeline of their colourful past and evolution. Still as relevent today as they were 50 years ago we still see other designers paying homage to the style. SJP sports a colourful number as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the city.

Dolce & Gobbana styled this red flower print dress in 2010 in almost identical fabric to Marimekko’s stand out prints. They settled the dispute in the end but it does highlight how coveted these designs are globally.

 I used some fabric from a market in Holland to create this fun bedside lamp. It’s just a simple little plain shade which I attached the cotton. It looks great at night when the colours really pop with the light illuminating the pattern from behind.

I will be making more of these as it’s always been hard trying to match lights with a particular vintage piece of fabric or DIY upholstery.

At a loose end over the Easter break I fancied making something with Marimekko in mind. The bright fabrics translate well to children’s products and I had a little scandinavian cross-stitch print cotton to use. My little girl isn’t quite at the colouring in stage jet but I saw a tutorial on the Pleated Poppy for a Crayon roll so thought it was worth a go.

I love the folksy print and how cute the crayons look all wrapped up. What a great idea for children’s gifts. Isn’t there something comforting about having an emergency stash of crayons in the car or on the go just in case the little darlings need entertainment… I’m going to make a few more for gifts and will pop one in the shop if anyone would like to buy one.

Hannah x