There is a new collection of fabrics coming to my shop soon. It’s A Morris Tapestry by quilt historian and designer Barbara Brackman for Moda Fabrics. Don’t you just love it?
William Morris started The Arts & Crafts Movement in Britain as a move toward handmade items and was anti-industrial in nature. It was most influential from the 1880’s to the early 1900’s, and had influence in Britain and also in the US where the style was called the Craftsman Style. The push was towards things that are simple and beautiful and handmade by craftsmen and artisans rather than big factories–for William Morris it grew to be a political effort. In the US, it was more of a style for decorating and design aimed at modern living–think Craftsman style homes if the early 1900’s. (Arts & Crafts info in Wikipedia)
I am struck by how much this notion sounds like the current movement to buy handmade items and to buy locally. Etsy and Big Cartel are great places to shop for handmade items, and they are extremely popular. For those of you in Seattle, the Urban Craft Uprising is this Saturday, December 4th at the Seattle Center–a great place to buy handmade for the holidays. I know many, many sewists and crafters are creating “Handmade Holidays” and various other ways of celebrating the winter holidays that are less commercial have less impact on the environment.
American Express recently held Small Business Saturday where small, non-franchises could promote their businesses and individual had a $25 rebate incentive to shop at a small business (using your American Express card, of course). They are apparently planning to promote this for future years, too.
I just find it interesting that history is repeating itself as it so often does. People still feel the need to create and connect with people like they have throughout history. Even though I can find a t-shirt on sale at Target for my son for $1.50, and it costs me more than that to make (especially if you consider my time), I still make a few for him. Because he loves them and there is something about homemade that you just can’t find at the big stores, and it is very satisfying to me, too.
Barbara Brackman has really created a beautiful line of fabrics inspired by the work from William Morris. She had an interesting post on her blog about it yesterday, too. So here are some more pictures of this wonderful collection of fabrics for you to enjoy. Do you like them?? Do you have any ideas of what you’d like to make? Do you think I should do a giveaway once they arrive in the shop?
Wondrous Woven Magic 
