the monkey's blog

Sparkle Studio Styling Flashback...

2010-10-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

For the red carpet of their film project "Olive Juice," Leighanne Littrell asked us to spiff up a few choices for her and husband Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys. The name of their film in metal studs on Brian's shirt, and a shoutout for her hubby on Leighanne's sleeveless sweater.

New Mosaic Tile Tables Added to SparkleStudio.com

2010-06-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

We have added a selection of smaller mosaic tile side tables to our site. Perfect for summertime lunches and teas on the patio, these are perfect alongside a chaise longue or a pair of poolside chairs. Each piece incorporates whole and fragmented vintage tiles thoughtfully arranged. Weathered painted wrought iron bases make these pieces compatible with many other different styles of indoor and outdoor furniture. Find us also on facebook and Etsy!

Wendy Fanny Pack Update!

2010-05-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Keith and I were very surprised and excited to receive in the mail two autographed cards signed by Wendy herself(!), thanking us for the fannypack that we embellished and sent to her. We will continue to follow her show as we do every day, she still might pull it out on air!

As always, feel free to join us on facebook!

The "Weekend Wendy" Fanny Pack

2010-05-04T04:10:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is our gift to Wendy Williams, what we are calling the "Weekend Wendy" fannypack. It is our homage to the outrageous and larger than life personality of Wendy Williams, whose show we are big fans of. It incorporates her favorite colors purple and pink metal studs and Swarovski rhinestones, and is attention-grabbing as the woman we have made it for. We hope she wears it and enjoys it, and shows it off on her show!

Check out more Sparkle Studio and follow us on facebook!

*Our letter to Wendy:

David and Keith Company, LLC
Sparkle Studio / http://SparkleStudio.com
8702 Sherwood Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Wendy Williams
Attn: Ultimate "Weekend Wendy" Fannypack
P.O. Box 2078
New York, NY 10101-2078

May 1, 2010

Dear Wendy! (From David and Keith in West Hollywood, CA)

We have been loyal and dedicated fans of your show all the way back to your "6 Week Sneak Peek," and are thoroughly entertained by all of the madness, the wonderfully upbeat audience, the Hot Topics, and the HAIR!

Our site SparkleStudio.com shows some of what we do, Interior furnishings such as pillows with antique fabrics, and Fashion accessories such as one-of-a-kind bags and leather and rhinestone flower pins.

We know very well that you love FANNYPACKS! We saw fashion stylist Stacy London cringe when you mentioned it, and also heard you mention that you only had one black one and one beige one that you rotate when you're tipping out and about on the weekends. Sparkle Studio needs to know that you have one fannypack with a bit of OTT flair, so we have made for you a custom embellished lavender fannypack with your WW logo. We hope it brings a smile to your face when you are out sporting it, and that you wear it with the bag on the front so no one SNATCHES it!

We LOVE YOU, and wish you continued amazing success!

David Kahauolopua & Keith Webster
David and Keith Company, LLC
Sparkle Studio
http://sparklestudio.com
blog: http://signofthemonkey.blogspot.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparkle-Studio/189688473385?ref=ts

Kevin Stea and That Rogue Romeo

2010-04-05T01:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 3rd marked the video shoot day of "City of Glass" by our good friend Kevin Stea, aka That Rogue Romeo. As a dancer and choreographer, Kevin has danced with literally everyone, everywhere. That Rogue Romeo is his current project as a solo artist. We provided Kevin with a custom black leather obi sash that looked great on! By all accounts the day sounded like it was a big success, and we can't wait to see the resulting video. We look forward to more collaborations with Kevin and creating bold and edgy leather accessories!

Find out more about Kevin and That Rogue Romeo on facebook.

Check out more Sparkle Studio and follow us on facebook!

photo courtesy of Marc Cartwright

Sparkle Studio Cuffs & Gauntlets

2010-02-12T21:37:00.000-08:00

While other types of cuffs and armband gauntlets are worn with buckles and snaps, Sparkle Studio offers a creative alternative with grommets and adjustable leather laces. Made from remnants of vintage leather, denim and camouflage prints, these cuffs are often simply embellished with various combinations of metal studs and rhinestones, and the laces are meant to dangle after tightening to the desired fit and tied in a bow or loose knot.

While we are continually adding new things to our Sparkle Studio site, we do want to provide the following size chart so that you can best determine what will fit you best, and all you would need to do is take a measuring tape to measure around your wrist. With the lacing there is a bit of range in the wrist area to allow for slight size differences from person to person:

SMALL: wrist 6.5 - 7 inches around; cuff length 4"; gauntlet length 8"
MEDIUM: wrist 7.5 to 8" around; cuff length 4.5"; gauntlet length 9"
LARGE: wrist 8 to 8.5" around; cuff length 9"; gauntlet length 9"

Check out more Sparkle Studio and follow us on facebook! Please don't hesitate at all to contact us with any further questions you may have. Enjoy!

The 4 Corners of Sparkle Studio!

2010-02-08T03:01:00.000-08:00

There are four locations where you can find out all about us and all that we have to offer. Sparkle Studio offers fashion accessories and interior furnishings. We incorporate vintage and antique fabrics, trims and beads, shells and tiles all to create a wide variety of products. As we mentioned previously, we have just launched our site and are currently only accepting sales through Paypal, though we plan to also accept all other credit cards very very soon!

*Find us first at our website SparkleStudio.com
*Connect with us on facebook for the latest info and additions to our site
*Follow the monkey's blog, where we'll go deeper behind the scenes of what we're creating;
*Etsy is an extension of our site that also gives us further opportunity to connect with you!

Sparkle Studio Launches!

2010-02-06T03:27:00.000-08:00

Sparkle Studio is up and running! While we are currently only accepting Paypal, we expect to be able to accept all credit card transactions very soon! Please check back often as we will adding to our inventory as soon as exciting new products we have created are ready. Also, do not hesitate to go to the "Contact" section to provide any feedback you may have for us.

Please join us on facebook so that we may be able to provide the latest updates to all who choose to become fans of Sparkle Studio!

Cherub Cards Incorporating Vintage French Fabric

2010-01-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

These are two of our latest card creations for the Sparkle Studio website, both cut from the same vintage 1940s French printed cotton fabric, and both depicting winged cherubs. A limited number of each will be made for the site.

a 5" by 7" template allows us to center each design to best make use of this wonderful cotton fabric that would otherwise be too thin to make pillows out of. The pieces are then backed with an iron on webbing material that allows the fabric to be ironed directly to the card, rather than using glue and having the glue seep through the fabric. Each card is then bordered with a 3/8" coral grosgrain ribbon with handcut mitered corners. The fabric itself is then embellished with opalescent sequins and superfine glitter.

The cards are made from recycled cardstock and are blank inside. Enjoy these and more designs on our site as well as more designs to come! Join us on facebook as well!

How To Care For Your Sparkle Studio Cone Incense Burner

2009-12-30T01:26:00.000-08:00

*About the design:
Antique coastal town souvenirs, shellwork "sailor's valentines," devotional shrines, "tramp art" of the 1920s and 30s as well as European grottoes have all served as inspiration for these original Sparkle Studio creations. All are comprised of a pair of large scallop shells and a mix of smaller shells with accents of glittered sand, loose rhinestones and gold leafing. Each one measures approximately 4 1/2 inches across at the base and 4 1/2" across the back, and each one also incorporates a 1 inch square of ceramic tile on which the cone is placed after it is lit.

*About the cones:
With your purchase of a Sparkle Studio handmade burner you will receive one free dozen incense cones to get you started. The cones are wrapped in packs of three, so you may choose up to 4 packs of any scent to equal one dozen. This is a list of the scents we currently carry:
-Coconut
-English Rose
-Jasmine
-Lavender
-Nag Champa
-Patchouli
-Rain
-Sandalwood
-Vanilla

*How to light and place cones:
Standard incense cones such as the ones we offer with purchase measure approximately one inch. The best way to light them is to hold the base of the cone in the tips of your fingers and light the top of the cone, letting it burn for approximately 15 seconds before blowing out the flame and carefully setting the cone on the tile square.

*How to handle & clean the burner:
Although the scallop shells are securely attached to each other, please use caution when handling your incense burner. Hold it under the base when lifting or moving it. All we recommend for cleaning the ash after each burn is a clean inexpensive paintbrush to carefully dispose of ashes in a safe receptacle.

*Where to order more cones:
Incense cones are readily available wherever incense sticks are. However, if you find that you particularly enjoy this method of burning incense, search the internet for the keywords "incense cones." There are many online incense & fragrance companies carrying incense cones that you would be able to order at a more affordable price, and some may offer up to 100 different scents! We recommend the 1" sized cone for these burners, as they burn for approximately 20 minutes, leaving the area of the burner with a wonderful aroma to enjoy! Thank you from Sparkle Studio.

"Pillowmakings"

2009-12-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

Probably not a real word. In any case, I've switched into "pillow mode" this past week in order to get some thoughtfully planned ones for Sparkle Studio made. This is still a bit of a production since most of the "good stuff" - the French 19th century fabrics, 1940s damasks and vintage/antique trims are in storage bins. Instinctively I pulled a French 1930s cherub print and a coordinating pinstriped red velour, an amazing graphic floral 1960s print also from France that will either become pillows or maybe a couple differently shaped handbags. Tune in to see what becomes of my selections.

First up is a beautiful piece of Fortuny that I have been saving up for a special occasion. As mentioned previously, Fortuny fabrics are extremely collectible and very well documented. Because some of the higher end silk velvets can retail for up to $600 per yard, vintage Fortuny is highly desirable. This particular print is called "Fiori" that was produced in the 1940s and 50s, and is a beautiful floral design in pink and silver printed on cotton. Because my collection of vintage Fortuny is small, I have waited for the right combination of backing fabrics and trims in order to go ahead in the design and construction of anything with it. Also in very limited supply is my collection of antique French metallic trims, such as this 2" silver fringe that I will be incorporating into the 2 pillows i have planned for this piece of Fiori!

Join us on facebook as well!

Sparkle Studio hits facebook!

2009-12-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

One of our tasks on our Multitasking List has been achieved: get Sparkle Studio on facebook! Now as the launch of our site is within sight (haha), we will be taking full advantage of various arenas to spread the word about, which of course will take just as much time as making new products for SparkleStudio.com. This is the one time I wish at least my arms could be cloned in order to get everything done! Become a fan of Sparkle Studio on facebook, see you there! Oh and by the way, I can officially reveal/unveil our logo here!

Sparkle Studio Chromo Collage Greeting Cards

2009-11-14T01:33:00.001-08:00

Over the years I found that I had an affinity for making different kinds of greeting cards. I tried as often as i could to send out handmade cards for the holidays and for birthdays. Working with antique fabrics and trims for as long as I have, I incorporated textile fragments that were too small to make anything else out of, and these even sold fairly well in our antique shop. Because most of what we carried in our shop was of a French origin, I became familiar and knowledgable with chromolithography. This was a technique of art reproduction used widely in 19th c. France among other places that allowed a larger number of reproductions to be made with out the tedious element of handcoloring. Artists who traveled abroad to document other people, botanicals, animals etc., were able to share images of their journeys with a wider number of people. Also, figures and flowers were reproduced to be used by young girls as sort of paper dolls, for them to create their own fantasy world.

I bought a cache of smaller sized chromos at a flea market next to Versailles, figurines, flowers & animals, and most seemed to be from the late 19th century. This small collection has been a constant source of inspiration for me, and incorporating them into my greeting card designs was one outlet. As can be seen here, I am currently working on reproducing images from my collection and placing them on backdrops of either real settings for a slightly surreal effect, and placing them on a fabric background. I plan to make them in limited numbers, and they will be available for purchase at Sparkle Studio.

Halloween 2009 in 3-D

2009-11-12T01:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a month, and I must apologize to all the followers, present and future, for being absent for a month. We are pressing to get Sparkle Studio up and live online! Hang in there everyone, and keep the creative juices flowing! After watching a pumpkin carving contest on the Food Network, I decided to take a stab at a 3-D pumpkin design to help Keith and myself get into a festive Halloween spirit. We picked out a great white pumpkin, and because of it's exterior color I thought that a great design to start off my adventure would be a skull design. I got a bit of inspiration online, and dove right in. However, I realized that I would need one thing to do this right - a set of clay/sculpting tools! This first attempt at 3-D carving ended up fairly successful, enough so that kids that came by the house to trick or treat were too scared to come to the door for candy! Awww...

Fresh Off The Runway - Viktor & Rolf, Paris Spring 2010 RTW

2009-10-04T01:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you V & R! As an artist i can fully appreciate the depths of creativity, and having the courage to drag it up to the surface and express it. Without fear of criticism, without worry of marketability, without concern for those that will shrug their shoulders and say "I don't get it." My jaw dropped at the site of layers and layers and yards and yards of tulle sheared and shaved into bold, angular, completely over the top shapes. This does not even include the shock of a full length tulle ballgown with huge holes drilled all the way through from the front to the back. To have been in that audience would truly have been an uplifting and inspirational experience, heightened by the runway's live musical performer, Roisin (pronounced ro-SHEEN) Murphy. Bravo!!

Roisin's great video for "You Know Me Better"

The Best Glitter!

2009-10-01T04:18:00.001-07:00

The Perfect inspiration for Sparkle Studio! Because I am in the midst of creating greeting cards for our site, I must briefly mention the Ultra Fine glitter from Stampendous. I discovered it once at our nearby art store several years back, and I have to say that I have not found anything else that even comes close to this brand. I cannot, at least for the projects that I have worked on, make use of glitter where you can make out the small square shapes of the glitter itself. I once tried the type of glitter made for soaps and candles, but this type is way too fine, almost to the consistency of eye shadow. The Stampendous brand has been perfect for embellishing the types of cards I have created over the years such as these holiday cards for 2009. They also carry many pastel colors and different types of iridescent glitter. I have been such a happy customer for quite some time, I had to just spread the word!

Fresh Off The Runway - Milan Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear

2009-09-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

This week I'm following Milan's fashion week for Spring 2010, and for me there are a few highlights. I liked the graphic prints presented by both Versace and by Prada. Donatella's swirling geometric circles mixed with stylized feather and flower patterns were bold, while Miuccia Prada combined photographic prints of clouds and beach scenes to a serene yet borderline ghostly effect.
For myself, I'm more tuned in to accessories, jewelry & handbags, and it's always inspirational to see what's swinging around the models' necks and from their hands, since often it is each major label's handbags that are the long term bread and butter items. The standout handbag collection for me accessorized the Fendi collection, which offered customers lucite boxes to needlepoint (yes!) satchels to smaller carryalls with changeable outer layers of lace.

Because I often lean towards funky, edgy & offbeat designs, I particularly enjoyed seeing a great mix of denim as part of the Trussardi collection. there was also a lot of black painted denim, leather and suede fringed pieces that had just a little bit of retro without letting you forget about what's going on today.

Learning Leathercraft Techniques

2009-09-27T13:14:00.001-07:00

I truly believe that I am ready to own a set of leather craft tools! I already work quite a bit with leather, creating floral corsage pins out of leather remnants and various other fabrics. I also have made an array of handbags, many of which I try to incorporate leather elements wherever possible. It will be a great benefit to learn additional techniques of working with leather such as riveting and tooling. Below is a short video from Leather Craft Studio which beautifully illustrates how to use various tools (swivel knife, beveler, shader & veiner) that, when combined with a steady hand, produce wonderful results.

Then I happened to stumble on Tiger Torre, who created the wonderful Monarch butterfly mask below and even posted a tutorial on how to make one just like it. What I will follow from Tiger are techniques on shaping cased (wet) leather, techniques she successfully interprets for us when custom fitting one of her creations to the face.

Gorgeous & Goth - Jewelry Collection for Vera Wang Spring 2010 RTW Runway

2009-09-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

The Spring collection that Vera Wang showed in her Mercer Street store in NYC was beautiful, and for me I especially appreciated the somber and austere feeling of the clothes. This was contrasted by the amazing high drama of the jewelry pieces paired with the dresses. Gorgeous crystal spiderwebs hanging from satin ribbons, large black satin ribbon roses encrusted with rhinestones as a bracelet or brooch combined with strands and strands of more crystals. Now I want to make all of the exact same things! But different, of course...

19th c. Shell Frame

2009-09-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is celebrating its 100th year in 2009. To commemorate this, the museum's curators have chosen 100 pieces from its collections, which serve to highlight the different areas of the Museum.

As a huge fan of vintage shellwork pieces, I love to study the tedious placement of smaller shells as shown in this beautiful frame. Made in the second half of the 1800s at the same time that sailors to the West Indies were bringing back shellwork souvenirs for their loved ones, what impresses me most about this piece is its dramatic effect achieved by a miniature photo in the center of a much larger shield frame, allowing a proportionately large amount of open space to create a beautifully intricate design with so many tiny shells.

Thanks to Steven, who blogs for the Museum, for his ongoing coverage of each selection throughout the rest of the year.

Grace Jones, the Hurricane Tour & Eiko Ishioka

2009-08-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

Talk about the most brilliant and creative collaboration one could ever imagine: Grace Jones and Eiko Ishioka. Grace caused a huge uproar for her brilliant performance at the Hollywood Bowl on July 26, 2009. We were there to witness and worship all that is Grace: her stage presence, her voice, her close relationship to her fans, her longevity, and to celebrate the great new album "Hurricane."

When the reviews came out in the paper, I discovered that Grace has had a very close relationship with the brilliant Eiko Ishioka, and it suddenly all made sense. Academy Award winner Ishioka is the genius costume designer and artist behind the costumes for such films as "The Cell," "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "The Fall," as well as costumes for operas and even Cirque du Soleil's "Varekai."

Sparkle Studio Cone Incense Burner

2009-08-02T17:43:00.001-07:00

Another item that will be available in very limited quantities on the upcoming DavidandKeith.com site will be these cone incense burners as part of the Sparkle Studio brand of products. Each has been handmade entirely of shells, incorporating scallops, umboniums, clams and cockles, and embellished with glittered sand, gilding, ceramic tile and vintage rhinestones. Each burner stands between 5 and 6 inches, and holds one 1" incense cone which sits on the tile square. The first series will include: The Virgin of Guadalupe, The Red Buddha, Jesus, and Botticelli's Venus, and will come with a mix/match selection of 12 cones, which are just as easy to find as the incense sticks.

Sparkle Studio Hair Sticks

2009-07-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

I have made a small collection of hairsticks for the upcoming Sparkle Studio site. In Hawai'i, the use of hairsticks is very popular, a veritable staple for anyone with hair long enough to wrap in a bun. The heat and high humidity necessitates getting one's hair off the neck.

Both Chinese and Japanese cultures incorporated the use of hairsticks as ceremonial and costume decoration, and their use of dangling embellishments influenced me as i strung beads, rhinestones and sequins from the ends of mine to create fun and colorful combinations for any time of the day or night. I combined various Japanese lacquered chopsticks with glass pearls and beads, handcut leather flowers, interlocking elements strung on wires and secured them so that they can be used as just a single or crisscrossed to secure a bun to the back of the head and adding a bit of sparkle!

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda

2009-07-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

I realized I had not made mention in any of my blog posts the Pearl Carpet of Baroda, which sold in a Sotheby's auction in March of 2009, and which I must say is one of the most incredible handmade objects I have ever seen. This carpet was made in 1865 for the Maharajah of the Indian province of Baroda, and measures 5' 8" by 8' 8". From afar and at first glance, one would think that it looks like an elaborately woven carpet with an intricately designed floral motif. But upon closer inspection it slowly becomes very apparent that the designs are comprised not of multicolored yarns, but in fact this carpet is completely covered in precious and semi-precious stones.

According to the Sotheby's listing for the carpet, a mind boggling estimate of 1.5 million natural pearls were strung and incorporated into its design. Accenting the pearls are diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires & multicolored glass beads.

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda is truly a masterpiece of design and craftsmanship, and extravagant beyond belief. It is on the surface modest in size, but this decadent display of a Maharajah's wealth could very well be hard to match. In March of 2009 it surpassed the estimated price and sold at auction for 5.5 million dollars. wow.

Sparkle Studio Flower Pins Made With Antique Fabrics

2009-07-12T22:44:00.001-07:00

This is a small selection from the first phase of flower "corsage" pins made from vintage textiles that will be available on Sparkle Studio very soon. Each measures approximately 5 inches in diameter and has a pin and clasp backing so that it can be fixed to accessorize a jacket or handbag. Pieces are cut from remnants of silk, cotton or leather and include elements of costume jewelry, rhinestones, buttons, etc. Also available will be care instructions on how to keep their shape over time so that they can be enjoyed over and over again. First is an evening flower made from gold metallic leather, with a vintage earring set into its center.

I leave the petal edges of the silk flowers frayed on purpose, trimming them down should any get too long. The full shape of the fabric flowers that we will have for sale can easily be kept up. Simply have on hand a can of store bought fabric starch, lightly misting the petals until they are damp. I then gather up the petals as if the flower is still closed, and wrap a rubber band around the damp petals to sit overnight. The next day simply remove the rubber band and shape the flower in a full shape while the petals are stiff yet possibly still damp.

Here I used antique velvet pieces to construct this rose, and I beaded the center with pink seed beads.

Below are two pins that are both made with vintage Fortuny fabrics, and both incorporate vintage jewelry elements in their centers.

Bjork at the 2001 Golden Globes...

2009-06-28T03:27:00.000-07:00

William Morris Fabrics - "Garden Tulip"

2009-06-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

William Morris (1834 - 1896) was not only a designer, but also a writer and scholar. He created many of the most recognizable fabric and wallpaper designs of the Arts & Crafts movement. Under his direction, Morris & Co. was a hugely successful company that still produces many of the original designs today. In my years working with vintage and antique fabrics we only came across one original set of curtain panels that had the hand sewn "Morris & Co." labels on them. Most of the draperies which were of a linen and cotton mix, were incorporated into pillows, however I managed to save for myself and my meager collection of "special" pieces two long strips (badly faded, shown below) of "Garden Tulip," which was originally designed by William Morris in 1885. Please read more about Mr. Morris and see more designs here. It seems as though the reproduction of "Garden Tulip" now sells for roughly $152.00/yard. Also below is a photo from the company site showing "Garden Tulip" in use as upholstery and drapes.

June Valentine by Sparkle Studio

2009-06-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, the timing's a bit off, a Valentine in June? Perusing my small collection of vintage postcards and French chromos which I'll cover in a future post, I happened upon one of the few Valentines that I kept for myself all these years. It's a heart-shaped card, probably from the late 1930s, that's a bit tattered yet has retained its appeal to me. I scanned it and touched it up on the computer, and printed some out on photo paper. I ended up over the course of yesterday made a first edition series of 15 of these, adding red grosgrain ribbon, sequins & superfine glitter to blank cards made primarily from recycled cardstock. I was going to lay down a ground of thinner solid fabric but I'll surely be making more cards incorporating vintage textiles. Keep in mind that the wording which says "I'll tell the world you're my Valentine" is much clearer in person; each card is blank inside and will come with an envelope and in its own cello sleeve.

Fortuny, Part 2: Identifying Designs

2009-06-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, I don't know if I would call it "closure" but it just feels like the things I have made with Fortuny fabric have all that more meaning, now that I am able to clearly identify each pattern I worked with. I have seen on several different sites and read in various articles that Fortuny now runs approximately $500 per yard, although I have not yet determined if this is the standard price range, or on the higher end of the pricing. I would imagine that there are patterns that are more common, or designs printed on cotton as opposed to silk would obviously be less expensive. I will look further into this and get back to you!

Above are pillows I made with a deep burgundy & silver fragment that I have not identified yet. I have a few fragments remaining that are very fragile, and it measures approximately 24" from selvage to selvage, with no visible Fortuny stamp. Below is one of several lampshades I recovered using fragments of what I can now identify as the Farnese Frieze design in Majolica Green & Silvery Gold, as listed by the Olde World Pillows site. This design seems to still be in production, although the pieces we acquired seemed to have some age to them, they were originally cushion covers.

Below are two pillows in yellow and white of the Delfino pattern. The Fortuny pattern book lists this particular pattern as having design elements from the 17th century, from the time of King Louis XIII.

Fortuny Upholstery Project

2009-06-11T00:56:00.001-07:00

Anyone with some knowledge of antique fabrics would agree that coming across vintage Fortuny fabric of any kind is an exciting event. Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) was a Spanish artist that truly embodied the idea of "Renaissance" artist, which culminated in the design and production of some of the most gorgeous fabrics. Fortuny etched, painted, sculpted, photographed and designed.

We knew from photos basically what various Fortuny patterns looked like, but none of them were ever marked with a name so we were never sure. One year, however, we purchased a set of six very large drapery panels from a reputable dealer who confirmed that they were indeed Fortuny. At the time it was an incredible find, and we had every intention to resell the panels as a full set, since it seemed to us to be a crime to break them up. As it turned out, the client that purchased the set actually brought them back a month later and asked us to use the fabric to RECOVER an overstuffed set of furniture including a sofa, armchair & ottoman. The thought of cutting into the fabric pained me, but this is what the client was paying us to do (and as it turned out I still have lots of smaller pieces and scraps!). Below is a pic of the armchair "in progress," unfortunately I have not found the photos of the sofa yet. As shown in the photo above, I made piping from the same fabric as well for all the pieces, which along with the constant pinning unpinning and repinning made for a length project, one which also resulted in a gorgeous custom upholstered set of furniture.

Recently I came across a site that sold pillows made with very expensive antique fabrics and trims, and to my surprise I noticed that they catalogued and had photos of all the Fortuny fabric patterns. I was thrilled to see the design of the panels that we sold several years back, and discovered that this particular pattern is called Pergolesi, and that the colorway of the panels we sold has been out of production since the 1940s.

Les Souvenirs de Mer & Memories of Childhood Shell Collecting

2009-06-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Inkwell Souvenir, French ca. 1900

Souvenirs de Mer were very popular travel mementos in the early 1900s, especially in France. When visiting a coastal town one would be able to purchase these small handmade items which would have the name of the town inscribed somewhere on it. These could be purchased reasonably and took the shape of inkwells, salt and pepper holders, napkin rings and small jewelry boxes.

It seems to me in the sense of travelling souvenirs somewhat of a continuation of the Victorian Sailor Valentine (pictured below) that were purchased on long sea trips and brought back to their loved ones. The octagonal shape is representational of the Valentines of the time, this one is from Barbados ca. 1865 which would have been made by a local artist. These of course were much more intricate, but would have certainly brought something "exotic" back from abroad.

I know that my deep connection with shells started when I was very young. Growing up in Hawaii my sister and I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents on Maui. Their house a stone's throw away from the ocean, and my grandfather being a fisherman, I developed an almost focused obsession with combing the beaches for shells, broken glass and driftwood. My grandfather collected shells as well as glass balls in rope nets used as fishing flotation by the Japanese boats. My grandmother also picked shells with my sister and I, and my mom's younger brother had an affinity for driftwood and unusually shaped rocks. As you can imagine this created quite the collection of objects at their house! My collection is still there and probably needs a bit of sorting through after years of storage.

I am currently very busy working on shell projects so I am still amongst them, and I have my own collection of shell mirrors and boxes too. I also have a very charming example of Souvenir de Mer: a wonderful pair of small handpainted conch shell lamps from the Italian Coastal town of Rivazzurra, ca. 1940...love them!

Draperies By David For A Home In Rancho Palos Verdes Estates

2009-06-05T01:22:00.001-07:00

Pictured above and below are just some of the 24 drapery panels I made for two very good friends of mine in Rancho Palos Verdes Estates, California. As you can see, they have an incredible view, especially with the cliffs situated right across the street from them! This was an enormous undertaking, from the planning and measuring and waiting for fabrics and trims to arrive. I basically hauled my sewing gear and stayed with them for several days at a time until the project was finished. With my own guest room, a huge kitchen, a pool & a hot tub, it was rough.

Each panel included an inside stripe in poly that faced out to the sun, a white cotton liner, and a front facing stripe in silk. I then had to sew a 2" flange in solid faille on the inside of each panel, followed by a wood tassel trim down the inside and a fringe along the bottom of each panel. I then pleated each and every panel, and fitted each pleat with a drapery hook to hang from the rods.

I often look back at some of my larger projects and shake my head in disbelief at the amount of time and energy I've spent and was still able to complete/survive each one. Looking at these photos takes me right back to the literally hundreds of yards of fabrics and trims that I had to measure, cut & sew. Like my big shell project, all I find myself saying to myself is "
yikes!" and "wow!"

Musical Interjection - "The Carnival is Over" by Dead Can Dance

2009-05-30T01:58:00.001-07:00

I discovered recently that someone had posted this video, to perhaps one of my most favorite songs ever by one of my most favorite groups ever. Dead Can Dance is made up of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard. I discovered them in the mid-80s when I heard their vocals in the musical collective known as This Mortal Coil, with which Cocteau Twins were also involved. Haunting music, it hits me in that introverted soul-searching sort of way.

Helpful Hint: Using Square Tiles on a Round Table Mosaic

2009-05-30T01:13:00.000-07:00

In doing mosaic tables over the years, whether they be small side tables or a kitchen dining table for two or three, my main objective was to maintain as much of the integrity of the vintage tiles I was using. Of course color coordination and pattern were important, and I made sure the design I came up with 'felt right,' but i wanted to keep as many of the old tiles whole as possible, even when the table base was round.

These are all tables that I have made in the past. In each case working with these antique wrought iron bases, the top of the frame would have a lip that I cut plywood for, enough to sit just inside that lip, inserting screws from below which where drilled into either the metal lip or the crisscross metal supports.

On the plywood I drew in pencil crisscrossing diameter lines and mark the center where they crossed; this is my starting point. I then worked my way outward until I could no longer fit a whole tile into the remaining space, and either cut that tile down to have as close to a whole tile as possible, or just take a hammer (and protective eye wear) and break up the tiles into smaller pieces in order to arrange them into the remaining spaces.

When the finished design is grouted (I'll do a tutorial on tiling down the road), what I always enjoy seeing is that when you are able to join the corners of four tiles, what you immediately notice is that the intended design extends way beyond the four sides of each tile -- the design continues beyond, and I find that fascinating.

Inspiration: 19th Century Garden Statuary

2009-05-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

Since I was first exposed to architectural decoration of the 19th century in Art History classes way back when, and especially work done in France, I always find myself fascinated in researching such things as gargoyles and elaborate ironwork, stone carving, bronze furniture fittings, drapery hardware, representations made in everything from buildings to antique French fabrics. My most recent source of "oohs and ahhs" has been selections from a garden statuary auction being held by Sotheby's in June. I love planters, finials, scroll designs, Bacchus heads, and this auction seems to bring all these images together. Enjoy: most of the pieces here are indeed French 19th century, and all primarily made of limestone.

Linocut: My First Attempt, Part 1

2009-05-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

I have been interested in trying my hand at linocuts for a while now. This is the technique of making an image by first drawing it in reverse on a linoleum block such as the one below. I purchased at the art store a few blocks to experiment with, in the same size as the cards I will be printing on for the upcoming website, 5 X 7 inches. I also picked up a set of linoleum/woodblock cutting tools, although after watching the videos at the end of this post in addition to others on YouTube, the one that seems to work the best to cut fine lines was not in my set of tools.

The idea for a greeting card that i have been tossing around for a while now was to have a cherry tree with cherry blossoms, and have a golden birdcage hanging from the tree. Sitting on the branch above would be an origami folded crane. I reversed the sketch I had come up with and drew it in pencil directly onto the linoleum block. I then carefully dug out all the spaces in between my drawing. I found that a steady hand comes in handy. I was, however, having to try all the tools to find which dug out larger areas better, and which ones enabled me to get into very narrow areas, or areas that came to a point.

So this is how my first linocut block came out. I thought to myself that printing would surely show the several times my hand slipped, or that I was struggling to cut out fine lines. When it came to printing I realized a couple of things: first, that I did not have pink paint for the flowers, nor did I have brown for the tree. And how was I going to have several different colors in one print? Then i realized that the pros had one separate block for each color. For the tree, everything but the tree would have to be cut out, then everything but the cage would be cut out, and so on. So I printed out a few using black and gold, trying to apply paint with my fingers, but also using a Brayer. So that's why this is Part 1, I have to get the right colors and perhaps clean up more off my design, etc... I'll be back!

Below is a great depiction of the process of making a linocut. Chris Ridenour is an artist that has put several videos of his linocut work on YouTube. I browsed YouTube mostly to find any tips that might make the cutting process shorter, but other than using the right tools and having a steady hand I did not experience any sort of divine enlightenment. It is, however, very helpful to see these videos and be able to watch other artists in action.

Peter Callesen: Paper Genius

2009-05-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

Peter Callesen, Fall, 2008

After giving kudos to one artist working wonders with paper, I just wanted to also mention Peter Callesen. Peter is a 41 year-old Danish artist/paper cutting wizard who creates mind-boggling large scale installations. He cuts an image or a series of images out of paper, and then a three dimensional piece is created out of the cut out pieces. Some of the installations take up an entire room, and the effect of viewing his pieces must be very impressive. I suppose in a small way I feel a sort of kinship to an artist like Peter or Katsuya Kamo in the previous post in that they take something almost nondescript - such as white paper - and envision something so creative that it takes the particular object above and way beyond its original purpose. Making a bold statement. Thinking outside the box.

Peter Callesen, Big Paper Castle, 2004

Please see more of Peter's work on his site.

Peter Callesen, White Diary, 2008

Peter Callesen, White Diary, detail

Paper as Couture: Katsuya Kamo

2009-05-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about paper the past few days: folding origami cranes from colorful Japanese paper for a greeting card idea that's stuck in my head. This is followed by my search on YouTube for more intricate and impressive paperfolding. This then reminds me of Katsuya Kamo, a brilliant artist & paper wizard recruited by Karl Lagerfeld to turn the Spring 2009 Chanel Couture show into a spectacle in white. What Kamo and his assistants created for this show was nothing short of breathtaking - all white flower hair and head pieces for a couture collection itself almost completely white. These intricate assemblages of flowers are made out of PAPER, paper. Incredible.

The Paisley Shawl, Part 2

2009-05-19T01:37:00.000-07:00

Throughout my years of experience I gained an appreciation for not only these shawls but for all antique fabrics in general. There were only two reasons for me to even consider cutting into one of these shawls: if a client purchased one we had in the shop and asked me to design and make something with it, or if one was damaged in sections but there was enough in good condition to make pillows or a lampshade or perhaps even recover an ottoman.

Pictured above and below are some of the actual pieces i custom made for clients using pieces of paisley shawls.

The Paisley Shawl, Part 1

2009-05-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is a 19th century handwoven shawl from the North India region of Kashmir. In my 16 years working with antique fabrics we bought and sold many of these shawls. Because they were woven with wool, many unfortunately had moth holes. These, however, I was able to put to great use as will be described more in the next post. Many incorporated the design element of what was called the "boteh" which was a teardrop shaped design that itself had ancient origins. Because the original shawls were originally intricately handwoven, they were worn by people of very high ranks.

The story goes that Napoleon brought back one for his Empress Josephine, and they became highly regarded possessions for women of high status. Below is an oil painting of a woman wearing a shawl.

Because of increased trade between Kashmir and Europe in the 19th century, these shawls had also found their way to England where they were highly regarded as well. An inventor in the Scottish town of Paisley devised a loom that could effectively weave different colors at the same time, thus allowing the manufacture of a machine version of the handwoven shawl.

*Sources: J.H. Terry Gallery,

Yasue Gold Leaf Museum Kanazawa, Japan

2009-05-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is very interesting! I'm a big fan of gold leafing...

La Maison Picassiette, A True Inspiration

2009-05-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

I will be mentioning this house repeatedly in the future, because La Maison Picassiette is an incredible example of creative expression reaching and surpassing the point of obsession. Located in Chartres (yes, the cathedral), about 50 miles southwest of Paris, this very quaint house was owned by built in the 1930s by Raymond Isadore for himself and his new wife Adrienne who happened to be a widow 10 years older than him and with 3 children. In the later part of the decade he began decorating the house with mosaics of broken pottery, glass & china. Over the next 20 years he would leave not one spot of the house uncovered with his art: tables, chairs, beds, the stove, the walls, everything. For me it seems clear that this was some extremely strong religious calling, since there are crosses and religious imagery everywhere, and the garden includes an amazing depiction of the town of Chartres, complete with the cathedral at the top of the hill. Amazing.
*Source: The Joy of Shards site.

Handmade Nation

2009-05-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

I was just rewatching the preview of Handmade Nation and decided to investigate when it will be screening in Los Angeles. I went to the official website for the film and discovered that it will be showing at a Felt Club event August 15th and 16th, but no further information was given so I'll have to keep up to date and hopefully see the film, which looks very entertaining. It will be great to see how people connect with each other across the country, across the world in fact, all because of things made by hand. It should offer an illuminating insight how creative people everywhere turn their passions and talents into a business, how they might have to reinvent themselves as a result of financial hardship, and how they might find the creative voice to fully express themselves. Please follow their blog too, and see you at the movie!

David's Ideas For A Nursery

2009-05-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

These photos show a nursery I designed, and is an example of how great a few coordinated elements can come together to create a clean yet fun atmosphere for the family's new addition. The clients expressed that they liked blue and white, and wanted a fabric that had some sort of animal theme depicted. I searched new fabric houses and this animal print jumped out at me, and I thought the fact that the names of the animals written underneath would eventually become a learning tool.

Here I had a very small budget to work with, and when this is the case the most important thing to remember is to do as much of the prep work yourself. I took an existing chest of drawers, repainted it white and found some simple ball finials, and recovered an antique rocking chair from the mom-to-be's mom and recovered it in a solid royal blue canvas. There were two windows on opposite walls from each other, and we decided to have 2 different types of window treatments. For one I had two roller shades made with blackout liner, and on the opposite window I painted a wood dowel, finials, brackets and rings all white, and pleated the curtain panels which were also lined with blackout.

Measuring the inside of the crib, I created a quilted bumper with cotton filling and ties for the corners. As accents to bring everything together I made a set of six pillows, each with a different animal, framed in the same solid blue canvas as the chair. The couple was very happy with the results, and I was pleased another 'little one' would grow up sleeping amongst and learning the names of such cute creatures!

Perfect Pairing: Altar Cloth & Gothic Revival Chair

2009-05-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

I saw it and knew we had to have it in our shop: the French silk, hand embroidered altar cloth pictured below was not something my uncle was at all interested in purchasing. He, like myself, had gone to the same Catholic school on Maui, and was quite familiar with the symbolic imagery embroidered on all the altar cloths and priest's robes etc. This one was not too old, probably from the 1950s, definitely from France, as it was in the midst of a larger shipment of antique textiles that had just gotten in from there. I convinced him of the novelty of and interest in religious textiles, and in no time I found a client and use for it.

It was at this same that another one of my favorite clients came in with a Gothic Revival chair on which the upholstery had shredded and exposed the inner fillings. The arch and trefoils on the back of the chair whisked me back to my Gothic Architecture class at UC Santa Barbara, and after trying to he predictable combinations of red velvets, it suddenly dawned on me to suggest to her with sincere enthusiasm none other than the altar cloth. She completely agreed that it would make quite a statement, and she liked that. All I had to do on my end was to remove the embroidered appliques as well as all of the trim. That left me with a good sized piece of embossed silk, lots of trim, and 4 good-sized hand embroidered appliques.

I restuffed the chair back and seat, upholstered the chair using the cream silk (centering the design, of course), hot glued the trim, and hand sewed 3 of the 4 appliques to the chair. The fourth applique I centered on a pillow i made with the same fabric and trims (not pictured). The client was overcome with excitement and extremely pleased with the results!

Fabric Can Drastically Change A Window, And A Room...

2009-05-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! Looking through my portfolio again, and looking through my collection of antique fabrics coordinating various pieces for my upcoming collection of purses and totebags, I came upon some photos I took at the residence of Sandy, one of my favorite clients from over the years. Helping her rework some of the draperies I had made out of various French fabrics from the time of Napoleon III, I created this window treatment for her bedroom. I consider her bold in her love for those French fabrics that incorporated both reds and blacks, very typical of this time period. I would say that there are a total of five different fabrics in this treatment, and the combination is a sophisticated statement which I love. All I really did here to make the drapes and swags from her previous house work here was to lengthen the side panels and add on to the swag fabrics. I installed 3 French curtain brackets above the window and set on it a faux tortoise bamboo pole, the antique finials on which ended up the only elements visible. I worked my swagging magic to create as much of a sense of symmetry as possible, using hidden saftey pins to hold my arrangement in place. Using antique French corded tassles that had previously been used as tiebacks, I hung them from the bamboo pole as decorative accents that altogether resulted in a richly colorful window treatment the client was extremely happy with.

"Networking"

2009-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Since it takes weeks for us to receive a letter by horse and carriage, we have developed a number of other ways to communicate with one another. These are currently the modes in which I am making my presence known to the world, so please stop by and say hello:

My Blog - You are Here!
@Twitter @dkahauolopua - connecting with lots of creative folks!
Our site, launching soon...DavidandKeith.com
My YouTube channel - I follow everything inspirational & delicious, & will be posting too!
On CraftStylish
On Craftster also, although I have not posted anything as of today, but soon!

A Shell-Encrusted Set of 2 Entry Tables & 2 Wall Sconces For A Home In Palm Beach

2009-05-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

I just joined a site called CraftStylish
which seems to be a site resembling Crafster. My first posting on CraftStylish was about a borderline overwhelming and dream job project, involving covering a pair of antique Chinoiserie tables and a pair of French 1940s sconces entirely in shells. Follow the link to find a bit more about the projects, and here are a few photos. In the future it will be great to post a tutorial on creating on a much smaller scale a shellwork project of some sort, and I'll also post down the line some before and after pictures of this particular job.

Tropical Mosaic Table

2009-05-02T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is a mosaic table in which I was allowed to create the design myself. I have a fondness for those clients in the past that have such a faith in one's talents that they just say "create something, anything..." All the information I was given was that she loved tropical flowers, and the colors red and yellow. No blue, no birds, and basically that was it. We found the extremely heavy antique iron base from an antique dealer, the top of which was four feet across, the perfect size for the breakfast nook in her house. With her color suggestions in mind, I chose four well known flowers - hibiscus, bird of paradise, plumeria, and anthurium - and arranged them 'in the round' so that no matter where one sat at the table, he or she would still have a flower pointing in their direction. Combined with various greeneries, I thought it came out quite well, don't you? I'll cover various aspects of my mosaic process as well as techniques I learned along the way in future posts.

Lightbox Construction

2009-04-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

I venture into photographers' territory in this post to discuss the topic of the lightbox, which is a necessary and much used tool. These days anyone who posts multiple auction listings online or works on website construction in which good clear quality images are important knows the lightbox well. Most online tutorials on building one at home involve PVC pipe, white fabric, clip on lamps, and various colored solid fabrics for backdrops. The light is filtered by the white fabric and results in no shadow being cast.
I have been making adjustments to the lightbox that I put together this week, and realized that I did good in buying all the right pieces and just enough PVC pipe...waste not, want not. To give proper credit where credit is due I must direct readers to Bill Huber's site (http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent)which had, after browsing several different construction layouts on other sites, the most "user-friendly." My only adjustments to these instructions were that I did not install any screws or use any glue. The pipe lengths fit snugly enough into the joint parts, and I will be able to collapse and fold my lightbox frame so that I can hang it from the ceiling when it's not in use.

Pictured below is one of a line of cone incense burners that will be sold on our site, measuring approximately 4 inches in height and 5 inches across. I had to make an adjustment to the backkdrop, but the photo comes out quite well with the three clip-on lamps on the outside of the frame and no flash on the camera.

Connect with me...

2009-04-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick announcement just to put the word out to please connect with me on Twitter @dkahauolopua, full website coming soon, more info as we get closer to launch date. I definitely would love to connect and network with other likeminded creative types of people that love to put their hands to use! One of my mottos is "...Making Something Out Of Nothing." If you agree with this perspective, let me know!

The Crane...

2009-04-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

As I continue on this bumpy journey, I realize that i must push myself a bit harder to be consistent with blog posts. I made a verbal commitment to strive to reach my goal of one post a day, setting a small block of time to share a few thoughts. It has been two days since I caved in and FINALLY joined the facebook bandwagon, and I am wondering what I have unleashed. The bottom line is though that I am interested in reconnecting with old friends as well as making new ones, and as well as putting the talents I have out there for others to respond and react to. As I browsed my portfolio photos as well as those others that served to inspire, I came across this photo of a hat/headpiece someone created for a runway show. I loved the boldness of the design and color, but it also reminded me so much of life growing up in Hawai'i and learning how to fold the origami crane. As a young man I was asked to create a centerpiece for a family friend's wedding. I found a quite large piece of a tree that had unusually formed branches I just knew would work for what I had in mind, and I stuck the dried up tree in a large bucket of beach rocks and to it attached 1,001 red cranes that I had folded myself...somewhere there is a pic. Then, in 2004, between my sister and myself we designed a centerpiece for our annual Thanksgiving weekend party. She folded 2,004 gold origami cranes, sent them to me, and I created the dragon below. I mounted 2,000 cranes on red velvet in the shape of a dragon and the star is made with the final 4. WOW.

Beef Wellington...

2009-04-05T03:21:00.000-07:00

I must first admit that to date I have attempted Beef Wellington ONCE so far. My friends Marshall and Dany had been dropping those two very words, as if it were some sort of forbidden fruit, an alluring yet unattainable creation. Then two New Years ago, my partner Keith and myself visited Marshall where he was living in Palm Springs at the time, and I had planted in my mind in advance that this was to be the weekend that I tackle the elusive Wellington. In a nutshell, buying the filet mignon for 6 people does not make for a cheap date! Not until I was almost out of time did I realize that the pastry dough needed to be re-chilled for a bit after wrapping the filet. It still turned out tasty, I incorporated a country style pate from Trader Joe's instead of the foie gras suggested to me by the Two Fat Ladies, but because I did not chill the dough before baking the crust it ballooned rather than staying compact. Oh well, first attempt over. Then, a revelation: a true and authentic approach to Beef Wellington presented to the world by chef Gordon Ramsay, incorporating English mustard, and an almost paste made from mushrooms. So easy you will not believe, and as soon as I make it myself I will most certainly report back with the results!

For the love of French homespun linen, part 3

2009-03-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

After shopping trips to France during which we were able to acquire as much homespun linen as possible, we often wondered with the grain sacks why there was such variation in the stripe or stripes down the center of the bag. During one particular trip to a small flea market in a quickstop drive through the South of France, one dealer who spoke no English told my uncle's wife that the color and pattern of the stripes referred to a specific place or weaver, sort of an abstract coat of arms if you will that signaled exactly where and who the particular sack(s) came from belonged to.

For the love of French homespun linen, part 2

2009-03-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

Long time since last posting, getting myself accustomed to the commitment it will take to create a successful blog. I am apologizing to myself at this point (ha ha!), seeing as how i have no followers yet. That will change...

Pictured above is a pair of pillows I custom made for a client. This particular heavier weight woven flax/hemp was made into grain and feed sacks, used primarily in the 19th century. This was an ideal fabric, because the heavy weave allowed whatever was inside to breathe, and the fibers so incredibly strong that they could withstand being filled with grains or livestock feed. We got many of these sacks over the years to sell in our shop, and because of the looms they were woven on, were no longer than approximately 45 inches in length and about 19 inches wide, with one side and the bottom of the sacks sewn together extremely well. If a customer had in mind to recover cushions with this incredibly durable fabric, I would ofter encourage them to use the grain sacks above all other fabrics we carried. I recovered dining chairs, made seat cushions for many different types of chairs, in addition to the many pillows I made with this.

For the love of French homespun linen, part 1...

2009-02-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

This may very well be the first of several posts on my feelings towards homespun linen over the course of this blog. My experience with it over the years of having a shop where we specialized in French textiles, and being exposed to the weight, weave and texture of this fabric, has made it my very favorite textile. I was first introduced to it by my uncle's then wife who is French and is responsible for exposing me to the world of antique textiles in the first place. We bought and sold the large sheets, some of which had monograms in red. There would be a small hand embroidered monogram in one of the corners, not more than a square inch or so, or there would be a large monogram/double monogram in the lower center of the sheet with one letter on each side of the seam. Most of these sheets would only be about 76" wide, comprised of two approximately 36-38" wide lengths hand sewn together. This hem that ran down the sheet (which varied from 76 - 116" in length), was sewn in such a way that it would be nearly impossible for the two lengths to become separated. The hemp 'threads' as you will were more like jute string, and the stitches so close and tight together, that even with a seam ripper the task, should one want to separate the panels to put the fabric to some other use, is extremely tedious. The strength of the stitching is very much successful in keeping the sheet in tact for a very long time...

Shown here is one of the ways we put this incredible fabric to use, as custom draperies for a client's pool house. The challenge of this job was not the actual sewing - just some hemming at the bottom to accommodate the height of the rod - but having enough sheets in a similar enough color to use together, side by side. We needed a total of 8 sheets, and with working with such an organic, natural fabric, color tones of the sheets varied from a subtle off-white/sand to an almost camel/tan/wheat color. Here the beauty of using homespun linen as drapes can be seen in the way this fabric hangs, the texture of the weave filtering the sunlight, the contrast to the Spanish style wrought iron rods/brackets/finials, all working together to produce a wonderful effect and ambiance.

project spotlight - suite of pillows for a streamline deco masterpiece

2009-01-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

i was fortunate to meet a wonderful client who asked if i would make some pillows for the house she owned at the time. i heard mumblings that the house was fabulous, but i was left with a dropped jaw when i went to visit it for the first time. located in the santa monica mountains, this particular moderne masterpiece is commonly known as the gibbons house or the dolores del rio house, built just before 1930. it is documented in tim street-porter's wonderful book "the los angeles house." i wish i had taken more photos of the interior and exterior, although there may be some that surface at some point. it became such a wonderful commission, and larger than i had originally thought. the client handed me a few bolts of the most luxurious j. robert scott metallic silks i had seen up to that point. she needed me to do roughly 30 individual pillows of various size (pictured above) for the living room and library area, but i did go on to do pillows and cushions for other areas of this gorgeous house. being a big fan of art deco and moderne architecture, interior elements, furnishings & textiles, i was fortunate to spend time in such an awe-inspiring landmark of california architecture.

musical interjection - goldfrapp "clowns"

2009-01-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

this past year i have been soaking in a lot of goldfrapp, taking in the previous albums i missed when i was not clued in to their music. even though the words to "clowns" are not totally clear, the ethereal vibe takes me back a bit to cocteau twins. thought i'd share.

making something out of nothing sells too...

2009-01-07T03:07:00.000-08:00

early on working in the antique business and starting to design things on my own, i learned the payoff of sticking with your instincts. from our buying trips to france we had at our disposal draperies, linens, brocades, tapestries, trims, tassels, definitely enough to stir up my dust allergies from time to time! i began combining things in different ways, and somehow i think i was trying to make some of these things which were often over a hundred years old, look fresh. i was not juxtaposing colors and patterns a la christian lacroix by no means, but combining french 19th century tapestry fragments with a fabric from the 1940s just gave it a cleaner look, and i thought, i hoped, that our customers would see it the same way. with the pillow above, i just knew that there was no other way to sell a tapestry fragment that must not have been bigger than 6 by 8 inches, than to border it and make it larger.

we had just opened our shop in 1992 in the then design area of melrose avenue, and my pillowmaking was going ahead full speed. i had to learn thru trial and error the tricks of the trade. in between the custom orders we were getting we were also making things to sell in the shop. when the small tapestry fragment somehow joined the salmon sanderson solid, something just clicked. i found a piece of wide flat french trim with salmon and green and the combination to me just felt right. my aunt thought the combination was weird, and that the direction of the pillow was more a vertical than a horizontal rectangle, i could tell she thought i was wasting my time. when the pillow sold for $500 i just laughed to myself, that was the best revenge, the best "ha!" follow your instincts, go ahead with something that just feels right.

i've made a lot of pillows...whew!

2009-01-06T02:46:00.000-08:00

above: pillow made with a 19th century european paisley shawl
fragment, framed with black velvet; piping made from border of shawl

see some of the other pillows i have made over the years - just a sampling!

i found myself in a very interesting place, learning about restoring antique furniture and more importantly learning about fabrics. because my uncle's wife was french (they have been divorced for about 12 years now), the focus of the business was french antiques and textiles. buying trips to france were very educational, traveling across the countryside and going to smaller flea markets and shops off the beaten path. in all of this i gained an education in many kinds of fabrics--silks, embroideries, linens, brocades, trims--mostly from the 19th century. there were smaller pieces and fragments of larger damaged pieces, and these i incorporated in my early pillows for the business. i taught myself how to frame a smaller piece with a solid or a stripe to make a larger pillow front, how to back a piece that had the potential to tear or unravel. because a growing number of clients were custom ordering pillows, i had to learn much more in a short amount of time, simply because i had to. the pressure was on, and often it's amidst the pressure that moments of creative force appear. it was during this time i also learned something very valuable, something i would have to learn to better myself at: making a buttonhole.

david k.'s background in brief...

2009-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

we'll go further back later...i'm from hawaii, love my family. after graduating kamehameha in 1986, i went to uc santa barbara and studied art and art history, from early on felt a lot of creative juices flowing through me. great art history program there, i learned a lot about art from many different times and places, and i'm thankful to have gotten that educational foundation. after graduating i lived in santa barbara and had a great time. nothing too wild and crazy, only just starting to think about who i was as a person. i had visited l.a. several times, my uncle and his wife lived here, and in 1991 they invited me to move and work with them in the beginnings of their antique business. there are certain element i'd rather not spend too much time reflecting on, such as waking up super early to work the weekend flea markets; that combined with clients coming to their house to look at items was how we did it in the beginning. at least i can say with a chuckle that i did it, waking up in the pitch of night to head to the rose bowl is no picnic.

it was at this time that i discovered sewing. the unusual element to my aunt & uncle's business was that she was from france and not only knew a lot about french/european antiques, but also about antique textiles and fabrics. little did i know then but it would open up a whole new world to me. i had mentioned somehow to my grandmother back on maui that i would be interested in learning how to sew, and it was at this same time that she bought me my first singer machine. i had no idea at the time how i was going to learn other than jumping right into it. that i was learning about and being exposed to antique fabrics at the same time created the perfect opportunity to learn how to sew. it started with very simple pillows working with scraps of 1950s fabrics (which i love!), and led to, well, you'll see... we're talking 1991, so wow this will be all sorts of crazy "flashbacking" over the last 17 years. this will i think, also be a good starting point to 'put myself out there.' as we are building our business i'm thinking that doing a blog at the same time will share what i have designed and made over the years. i hope for it to gain attention across the web and connect other creative minded people to us, and to what we have to offer.

my next several posts will revolve around my picasa portfolio of my designs. these are separated into six major categories:

1. pillows & bedding
2. window treatments
3. upholstery
4. mosaic & tilework
5. lampshades
6. bags

you can preview the portfolio here by clicking each category, and i will also go over each one in the following posts. keep in mind that this is a major sampling of what i have both designed and made, from all the sewing and tiling and upholstering etc. lovers of antique textiles will hopefully find some of this interesting, and i'll talk about several other very special projects as well, including an amazing shellwork commission!

the beginning:

2009-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

i have been staring at the screen on and off for hours now - doesn't make a swell first impression. i guess it's because there's so much waiting to be unleashed, and i've been holding back, not only on starting a blog, but also SERIOUSLY going after all that's available out there to become a success. or even more of a success i should say. so here goes...

i hope that this blog will help me, by "putting it out there," to make clear exactly how i see the future from this point on going. after 16 years co-owning a business and shop with my uncle, it's finally time to, as mentioned before, unleash. my partner of 10 years, keith webb, and i have an opportunity now to take full advantage of what we have and the chance that we have been given to create our niche. we have a very small circle of supporters (u know who you are!) i will, however lead into it by talking about the things that i have designed and made for the shop i had in los angeles as well as custom-made items for clients. i realize that in the beginning i will primarily be talking to myself until people start tuning in!