Category: Inspiration

Textiles

Colorful Rope Sailors’ Knot Wreaths

by Elliott Katy
Colorful Rope Sailors’ Knot Wreaths

I came across these colorful sailors’ knot wreaths on a walk one night in Marblehead. It was green and hanging on an old wood door. The decoration was simple but striking. When I posted the door on Instagram I found out the wreaths made by All For Knot Rope Weaving and were for sale at my local art museum, The Peabody Essex Museum’s shop.

I caught up with the museum’s Merchandising Directory and Buyer, Victor Oliveira, and we chatted about All For Knots’ and how their wreath’s colors really stand out. “All For Knots’ intent is to keep history alive, rope out of landfills, and create designs that generate memories that “Connect with the Sea” allowing folks to experience the ocean at their door, wherever that may be.”

Since Covid, Nova Scotia has been shutdown and Victor mentioned how as the popularity of the wreaths has grown All For Knots’ has been able to employ more local workers. By the museum recognizing the importance of rope weaving they broaden All For Knots’ reach and help to promote a growing creative business. Victor mentioned how a few specially designed wreaths for the PEM will available on the website soon.

Lobster Rope Sailors’ Wreaths will last outside for decades, resistant to mildew and fading. Using the traditional Turk’s Head knot, these wreaths are hand crafted in Nova Scotia, Canada on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. This knot has been tied for centuries and was originally crafted aboard ship for decorative purposes. Wreaths may be hung on a door, used as a candle ring, to frame a mirror/picture or a flower pot mat.

-Peabody Essex Museum

I wanted to find out more about the wreaths and the story behind them so I reached out to Angela Worsley of All For Knot Rope Weavings and she was kind enough to answer a few questions for more me over e-mail.

Q: The wreaths are made of lobster trap rope? Are they salvaged? Where do you get it from? Local fisherman?
A: Some of our wreaths/products are made with reclaimed rope and yes, it is the lobster fishing rope that has lost its strength for holding the lobster traps. It is doesn’t absorb the moisture so will not mildew and it is colorfast. 

Q: What colors do your wreaths come in?
A: We have Aquamarine, Beachglass Blue, Blueberry, Morning sun, Overcast, Carbshell, Dory Red, Sou’wester Black, Seashore, Emerald Sea, Ocean mist and we are in the process of developing new custom wreath for Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Q: The knot used for the wreaths, does it have a special name?
A: There are about a hundred different variations of Turk’s Head Knot, made for centuries aboard a ship for decorative purposes. This variation of the knot is painted by Leonardo Da Vince in the 15th century. 

Q: How long have you been making wreaths?
A: I’ve been making the wreaths for eight years now.

The Peabody Essex Museum will have the wreaths for sale on their website. But be warned they are becoming quite popular and sell out quickly. A new batch will be released this week and the best way to find out about when they will be available is signing by up for their newsletter.

All images shown here are Courtesy Peabody Essex (PEM)/ Photos by Kathy Tarantola

All images shown here are Courtesy Peabody Essex (PEM)/ Photos by Kathy Tarantola

Textiles

Eyelet Pillow Shams

by Elliott Katy
Eyelet Pillow Shams

Your 1980’s summer bed theme

When I think of summer bedding at the beach I imagine crisp cotton sheets and eyelet. I picked up a set of vintage eyelet shams at thrift a few weeks ago and they instantly transported me to a 1980’s summer beach cottage. They have me thinking about the movie, Mermaids filmed in Massachusetts. I loved that movie.

Eyelet shams are pretty but not too fussy. You can find them easily on sites like Etsy or look at your local thrift stores. Pair with embroidered pillowcases and your bed will instantly feel fresher and light. I can’t wait to sleep with the windows open at night letting the breeze blow through the room with the sweet smell of lilacs outside.

To brighten vintage linens that might be yellowed with age I typically wash mine in white vinegar or OxiClean. And I find drying them outside really helps too. You can use a drying rack that folds if you don’t have a clotheslines set-up.

Eyelet sham paired with a vintage quilt, sunflower yellow sheets and painted walls.

Here are a few eyelet shams I found on Etsy. They are one of kind so once they are sold they are gone.

Cotton euro sham ruffled eyelet, $35, ETSY.COM
Waverly cotton blend eyelet ruffle, $22, ETSY.COM
Ralph Lauren pillow SHAM, $35, ETSY.COM
Vintage Eyelet Pillow Shams/Ruffled White Eyelet Shams, $35, ETSY.COM
Vintage white pillow sham swiss dot, $19, ETSY.COM
Art

Artist Katharine Watson on Her Garden Series Prints

by Elliott Katy
Artist Katharine Watson on Her Garden Series Prints

I came across Katharine Watson’s work on instagram. I immediately fell for her tomatoes from her Garden Series prints. The colors and design are so appealing and happy. She recently added a strawberry version and I had to have it.

I am planning to have framed for the kids room. The cheerful strawberries feel like a perfect fit. I recently painted the room blue, white and yellow. I was intrigued to hear more about Katharine’s work so I asked her if she would do an interview with me so I could share her work with all of you. Enjoy!

katharinewatson.com

Q: How were you inspired to design your garden series?
A: I’ve been gardening for several years but it took on a new life during the pandemic as it became my main hobby and social outlet. It just made sense to do a series of garden-inspired prints since I work so much with floral and botanical patterns anyway, I wanted to make that more literal. Plus, I can see my garden out the studio window so the inspiration was literally right in front of me.

“I can see my garden out the studio window so the inspiration was literally right in front of me.”

Katharine Watson

What is a risograph? Risograph is a process similar to screen printing where the design is burned onto a screen and the ink is pushed through it. I knew I wanted to do multi-colored prints for this series, and when I’ve done multi-colored linocuts in the past they’re often smaller runs and more expensive because they’re time consuming to print, and then they sell out quickly. I wanted these to be more accessible, so I knew from the beginning that I would use risograph to do the final print.

I carve the design from linoleum, print the original block print, then turn that into a risograph print. That way it has the same look and feel as my other work, but I’m able to offer more of them and keep them at a lower price. 

Will you be creating more design this year to add to this series?
Absolutely! I have a long list of plants I want to work on, I’m sure that list will grow now that the actual garden is getting going again. I’m hoping to add a handful of new prints every few months. It will be a waiting game just like a real garden!

Tell me more about your garden and what your excited to grow this year?

My garden is in my backyard, and has had several versions over the last few years. We fully finished setting it up and got it to a really good place in 2019, then in the fall a massive tree fell and destroyed the entire thing. It was devastating, but it meant that we started from scratch in 2020 and had a lot more time on our hands, so we built it back bigger and better.

There’s not as much structural work to do this year, although we are planting a few more fruit trees and vines this spring. My favorite thing to grow is Zucchino Rampicante because it turns into a massive vine with giant leaves that you can grow up a trellis (and I think the squash is delicious).

I’m also growing some new-to-me flower varieties this summer which I’m excited about. I know that Mexican Torch sunflowers are a gardeners staple and favorite but I’ve never grown them, so I’m excited about that! If they look good, maybe they’ll become a print! 

All images courtesy of Katharine Watson

All images courtesy Katharine Watson

katharinewatson.com

Lighting, Paint

The Jelly Jar Flush Mount Light

by Elliott Katy
The Jelly Jar Flush Mount Light

When you are renovating you spend thousands of dollars on structural fixes and then furnishings. But when it comes to the lighting budget you might not have much left. I offer a simple solution that won’t break the bank. The simple jelly jar flush mount. It is aesthetically pleasing and solves the problem of lighting hallways, pantries, bathrooms, closets and porches. A simple glass jar illuminated with a clear light bulb is quite elegant.

You can find Jelly Jar lights at most big box stores. They are under $20 and come in oil rubbed bronze, white or antique brass steel bases. Flush mounts are perfect for halls or closets where a sconce would be super sweet in a bathroom with a a vintage vibe.

I bought a set for my hallway in the oil rubbed bronze. Once I installed them I liked them but I didn’t love them. I kept thinking about Thomas O’Brien’s Perry Flush Mount and this updated jelly jar light by Deborah Ehrlich . I was worried I was being cheap in buying in the basic jelly jar and I should have just sucked up the extra cost and chose a different designed light.

I decided to try giving the base an antique brass treatment using Rub n’ Buff wax metallic finish paint. I only used a tiny bit and squirted on onto a piece of cardboard. I used a soft cotton rag to rub onto the lamp base. I added just a tiny bit of paint and rubbed back and forth all over the base. I wanted the black tone to show through so I was careful not to over apply the paint. I think it gives it more of an aged brass look rather then flat brass. I then covered the screws with paint to match too.

The installation is pretty simple but if you are new to installing lighting please contact an electrician. The glass jar screws into the bottom of the base with three screws.

I am super happy with how they turned out and can’t be more satisfied with the results. Step-by-step photos below.

Art, Living Room

4 Ways To Fill A Big Empty Wall with Art

by Elliott Katy
4 Ways To Fill A Big Empty Wall with Art

I made this piece of fabric using indigo. It would be beautiful framed and on a large wall.

Hi Katy! I really love your style and was hoping you could give me some design advice… I have a HUGE wall in my living room behind our couch that is begging for some kind of art. I’ve looked into wall tapestries and blanket to cover the space but haven’t found anything that’s quite my style (it’s all pretty modern). Any thoughts or recommendations? I am open to a DIY project!!! Thank you 🙂

I received this reader question through my contact page. I decided to share because I know a lot of us struggle with how to fill a big wall. A big wall is BIG. You could build a gallery wall of frames or one big piece of art. Below are five ideas I sent to CG (reader).

  1. FRAME A BIG PIECE OF FABRIC
St. Frank sells beautiful one of kind textiles framed.

I love St.Frank. Their large framed textiles are to-die-for. The large scale pieces are one of kind. Because of the unique quality you are going to pay $$$. Sourcing large textiles and framing is expensive so the price is reflective of those costs. BUT you can source textiles and frame yourself too. I would suggest a deep dive on Etsy. Anything can be framed, a small scrap of fabric, tablecloth, coverlet. Look for pieces that have depth and layers of color. Try searching the terms: Suzani, Block Print Fabric, or Otomi Fabric.

After you find the piece you need to get it framed. Online framing shops like Framebridge. The note on their website:

We can certainly frame textiles such as scarves, handkerchiefs, knitted hats, embroidered art like Otemi, shirts, baby clothes, or really any cloth piece (as long as the item can be folded or lie fairly flat, we need the depth to be 0.5″ or less). For items like this, we’ll need to use a special technique called a sew float, which is an additional $25. Sew Floating means we will gently pin the textile on top of a mat using nylon fasteners. We’ll also iron or steam your textile free of charge when it arrives for a crisp clean look if applicable.

-FrameBRIDGE
A framed Suzani in a Nantucket Beach House featured in Architectural Digest.

#2 Potato Print a Large Piece of Fabric

A potato stamp textile by Rebecca Atwood for Emily Henderson

I love the idea of creating your own art work. This potato stamp textile made by Rebecca Atwood for interior designer Emily Henderson. The variation of blues really elevates the piece. I think if it was all one color stamp it would not have the same impact.

Learn how to make one on Rebecca Atwood’s website. She walks you through all the steps: rebeccaatwood.com.

#3 Enlarge a Landscape Photo From a Favorite Place

A beautiful interior by McGrath II. The landscape photo is one of my favorites.

Take a photo of favorite place and have enlarged. I have a really cool photo I took of seagrass that looks like a lion’s mane that I have wanted to enlarge for years.

Websites like Framebridge make this super easy. You can easily upload via your phone and they will tell you how large you can print the photo so it retains it’s quality. When thinking of a photo brainstorm texture, or a photo that recedes into the distance (which creates depth in the room) or a photo you snapped that feels like a painting. You will treasure this photo for the rest of your life and well worth the cost.

Seagrass that looked like a lion's mane
A photo I snapped of seagrass
This is what my photo looks like in the Framebridge app

#4 Make a Gallery of Cyanotype prints

Make a gallery of cyanotype prints and arrange in a grid on your wall. The bright blue color is gorgeous and arranged in a group you can create a beautiful composition of color and texture. I included an informative youtube video I found above explaining the process so you can make any size you want. I like the versions where the paint is laid on painterly and not quite touching every edge. You can also buy Sunprint kits at a local art store on or online.

I hope that helps and gets your creative juices flowing. I could probably list about 800 more ideas but this should help to get everyone started to thinking about how to fill a large wall. xoxo