Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.
Hitomi Kimura is the designer and screen printer of kalla Design, textile and surface design studio based in Ibaraki, Japan.
In 2007, after studying graphic design and working for a publisher in London, England, Hitomi started her own small business in Japan, selling her screen printed matters.
All the printed products are hand screen printed with water-based eco-friendly inks and then some of them are carefully machine sewed by the designer herself.
Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design
“Today’s crafters are no longer interested in simply cross-stitching samplers or painting floral scrolls on china. Instead, the contemporary craft movement embraces emerging artists, crafters, and designers working in traditional and nontraditional media. Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching has revolutionized the embroidery industry. Each year Nikki McClure sells thousands of her cut-paper wall calendars. Emily Kircher recycles vintage materials into purses. Stephanie Syjuco manufactures clothing under the tag line “Because Sweatshops Suck.” These are just some of the fascinating makers united in the new wave of craft capturing the attention of the nation, the Handmade Nation.
Faythe Levine traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. For Handmade Nation (along with the documentary film of the same name, coming in 2009) she and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community. Participants in this community share ideas and encouragement through websites, blogs, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking. Twenty-four artists from Olympia, Washington, to Providence, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between show their work and discuss their lives. Texts by Andrew Wagner of American Craft Magazine, Garth Johnson of Extremecraft.com, Callie Janoff of the Church of Craft, Betsy Greer of Craftivism.com, and Susan Beal, author of Super Crafty, supply a critical view of the tight-knit community where ethics can overlap with creativity and art with community. Handmade Nation features photographs of the makers, their work environment, their process, their work, and discussions of how they got their start and what motivates them. Handmade Nation is a fascinating book for those who are a part of the emerging movement or just interested in sampling its wares.” → more info
Plus 1 Design is all about beautiful and practical bags, purses, homewares and accessories made by a girl who is just a little bit pedantic about making sure things are top-stitched, sewn straight, reinforced, centered, spaced evenly, and as perfect as she can get them!
Little Birds: 26 Handmade Projects to Sew, Stitch, Quilt & Love
“This adorable book is all about birds. From budgies to owls to peacocks, these projects will pique your curiosity and make your heart sing. Many talented designers bring you soft sculptures, quilts, ornaments, and more.” → more info
Look what I just discovered in the Gallery.
I am Audra Zilinskiene (Audra Zili) – a textile designer located in Vilnius, Lithuania. I’ve been working with textile fifteen years. All the time I was interested in the source of textile, traditional weaving and dyeing techniques, ethnic design of different cultures.
I feel proud of my little discovery – textile mosaic. I have spent two years to find the best way of combining and constructing the colorful yet simple circles to something unique, eye-catching, comfortable to wear and of firm construction.
Aren’t they gorgeous?
