The Holidays are coming!

Southern Living features my holiday linens this November issue! Twinkle pattern in gold on ivory linen is a great look for your holiday table!

High Point: Summer's End

Oxford & Co is proud to have been a part of the High Point Market. We're looking forward to a great partnership with CR Laine. Thanks, Chad Martin, Whitewall and Co for the beautiful stencils and designs!

An Evening to Remember

Each year, I'm so pleased to deck the halls with holiday decor for extraordinary homes. This year, in party preparation, I added my new holiday table runners and napkins for a most special dinner party. The 'twinkle' pattern surely adds even more glamor to this already exquisite table setting. The table and an abundance of white amaryllis, tulips and peonies throughout the house created the ultimate holiday soirée.

A warm glow.

A commodious buffet.

Exquisite.

Twinkle.

. . . tidings of comfort and joy. 

Happy Holidays, friends! 

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Birmingham Home & Gardens Holiday edition is on newsstands now. It's a thing of beauty and features an article on Oxford & Company, my Christmas-themed table runners, napkins. . .and me in my updated Studio with new Roman shades and a stenciled fabric covered bulletin board. I have a few bonus shots to share. They didn't make the cut, but they sure are pretty. 

A sense of satisfaction.

At work in my Studio.

More satisfaction.

Christmas trees, of course.

A lovely 'Twinkle' table runner, anyone?

This runner creates an elegant 'Sparkle.' 

 A bit of blue.

My own personal table.

If you'd like to begin an heirloom collection, please contact me for your own custom table runners and napkins. This is the season for ritual and tradition. One day, my children will be serving their holiday feasts to their children on these linens.

Happy Holidays, Everyone! 

Photos: Jean Allsopp

Not So Basic Black & White

For two years now, I've needed to replace some rickety cabinet doors on my vanity.  I printed the Turkish Rose pattern on ivory linen with a faint black stencil and made these cafe curtains with black iron hardware.  I think they're beautiful!  What a pop of pattern compared to my old, boring white doors.

Now, how to keep them dry at bath time....

Oxford & Co's New Website

Come visit OxfordandCompany.com!

It's out! 2011 Southern Living Idea House

It is a privilege to showcase my hand-stenciled pillows throughout the 2011 Southern Living Idea House outside of Austin in Horseshoe Bay, Texas! 

In the living room, I created a signature pillow for Mohon-Imber Interiors, Idea House interior designer, using the firm's logo.  This pillow, natural linen with alabaster paint, is the perfect accent for this hill country room.

The Vintner pattern was used throughout the master suite and for sofa pillows.  The king shams on the bed were created with a coordinating border.  All pillows in this tranquil bedroom are bamboo linen stenciled in ivory paint.

The living room's custom pillows were specially created using the architects’ logo in slate linen and ivory paint.

Michael G. Imber is the architect for this spectacular 2011 Southern Living Idea House.

 Art Appreciation 101: Enjoying the fruits of my labor.

*

 I would enjoy creating a signature logo hand-stenciled fabric for you, too. Contact me.

STUDIO: A Place for Tomatoes

If you want something done, ask a busy person. —Lucille Ball

While I stencil fabrics and sew pillows in my oh-so-luxurious Studio, I really do run a small family as well. Two perpetual motion kids, one oft' traveling husband, a big ol' Rhodesian Ridgeback and a multi-ethnic Saint Bernard mix, squiggly, mutating chauffeur duties, loads of orchids and a dozen prolific tomato plants: these are the maze through which I wend any irregular day. Consolidation is the trick. Keep a Studio nearby. Like in the backyard. What would you give for a husband who relinquished and expanded his brand new tool shed and turned it into the Palace of Print for you? A kajillion bucks? Yeah, me, too. But never mind. I'm keeping him, and I love my Studio. It's where I transform linens and fabric paints into patterns and prints that become custom, handmade pillows and bolsters and shams and draperies for showcase homes and businesses and for you, too, if you want some. Catch me quick. I do take breaks. I'm about to enjoy share a tomato + basil + balsamico + olive oil + crusty bread sandwich and a glass of Chardonnay.

 The Chardonnay is all mine.

All Covered in Pillows

Or: Pillow Delivery Team of Two

What to do? Tracery to the rescue.

My chief helper and I gathered up a suitable representation of colors and patterns and toted them off to tracery Interiors for their very Grand Opening.

 

We delivered piles of my pillows to tracery Interiors (It does rock!) in Mountain Brook, Alabama.

The pillows are living comfortably now all over the shop. Go take a look. You'll probably love them. Check out their blog for locations.

[I have the best helper ever. Thanks, kiddo.]

Piles of Pillows

I chose the most serene and tasteful, classy and classic linen and paint colors.

I stenciled yard upon yard of the fabrics by hand in Turkish Rose and Morris Stevens patterns, encased the down-feather pillows, hid all the zippers away neatly in the seams, turned the flanges out precisely. The pillows multiplied and accumulated and piled up. They really piled up.

I had piles and piles of pillows. A plethora of pillows.

 

Lots of piles of pillows. More than these by far.

 What to do?

Hand-stenciled Linen Pillows | Tailored

 

Click. You know you want to.

 Dress me up. Dress me casual.

You'll be pleased with me. 

Ina Garten has a perfect Omelet for Two recipe. I suggest Bellinis to tag along.

Process | Linen Stenciling

If you want to make an omelet, you've got to crack some eggs. —Unknown

Or: How the process of hand-stenciling on linen is messy, but the result is quite pretty

But wait!

• Pour stiff mug of coffee
• Put on bib overalls
• Lay out the tarp
• Assemble materials

Beginning to crack the eggs...  
Black hand-stenciled on natural linen...

Two eggs, over easy. 

Lengths of linen, hand-stenciled in black and in white on natural...

This is going to become a beautiful natural linen pillow. 

Welcome!

Solitude and company may be allowed to take their turns:
the one creates in us the love of mankind, the other that
of ourselves; solitude relieves us when we are sick of
company, and conversation when we are weary of being alone.

— Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The ornaments of your house will be the guests who frequent it. [And the pillows, shams, duvets, shades, curtains...]

— Unknown