Tiny Timeless Treasures

In the shop this week Mel and I were talking about fabric design. (Yes, we’re 100% geeks at Hometown and love to talk about fabrics when we’re not talking about quilts)! I was reminiscing with her about 2 research trips I went on, whilst working as a product developer for IKEA. We were developing new collections of country style products, Alvine and we were looking for design inspiration. With my colleagues, Carita and Annika, each time we visited the Musee de l’Impression sur Etoffes in Mulhouse, which has an incredible archive of fabric designs from manufacturers all over France.

Tiny swatches of loveliness

For a couple of days, we looked through leather-bound book after book of tiny swatches. We were searching for patterns that could be developed into a wide range of products - bedlinen, curtains, cushions and table linen. The pattern books that were selected for us by the archivist dated from the late 1700s - 1800s . Yet the timeless appeal of some designs and the colouring of the hand painted swatches, many smaller than a Post-it note, was astonishing. Some looked like Art Deco designs, or maybe it was that Art Deco designers had looked back for ideas. Others were definitely reminiscent of Regency and Victorian dress fabrics, but with a little reworking, could definitely work for a 21st century audience.

With every pattern, we were thinking about how they could work on the final products, in this case a burn-out (devoree) sheer curtain panel

Even the book plates were a work of art (plus I love the location Rue Poisonniere or ‘Fishmonger Road’)

Back in Sweden, once we’d made our final selection of designs, the chosen patterns were licensed by the Museum for IKEA to use. Products were further developed with a designer in Denmark and manufacturers far and wide, using these tiny treasures as inspiration. The designs were redrawn to fit with modern manufacturing methods (pattern repeats and numbers of print colours, for example). Others, incredibly were used practically unchanged. The resulting collections were sold globally, proving that we all like flowers and floral patterns whether we are in New England or old England, Stockholm or Seoul. I still have an embroidered cushion which was developed from an 18th century design and regularly use bedlinen from the collection.

View fullsize

My Alvine stitched cushion is still a favourite

Maybe this is why I’m drawn to quilt fabric collections designed by Laundry Basket Quilts, French General and Dutch Heritage. Their designs have a timeless quality, ideal for stitching into a quilt that will last. I’m sure some of the patterns will have been developed by the designers using similar truffle hunting techniques of ancient sample books and favourite fabric scraps that they have collected. So next time you look the latest quilt collection with a stunning floral, interesting geometric pattern or useful coordinating ditsy print, its origins may be older than you think!

Green Thumb by Laundry Basket Quilts proves the timeless appeal of large florals and ditsy coordinating prints

Watchya doing?

It’s Thursday and day 5 of the great British heatwave. Whilst my thoughts might be mentally conjuring up a waft of coconut sun cream, beach lounger, cocktail + paper umbrella, in reality I’m bashing away at a computer with a cappuccino and kit kat for company.

Yes, that’s what I do the days I’m not at the shop. Bashing away at a computer that is, not relaxing by the pool. As owner of Hometown, my current CV is wide ranging, covering everything from product selection and ordering (or in wafty speak, “curating the range”) to after hours cleaning (aka Henry the Hoover Operative). Speaking of the former, I always find it incredible (literally incroyable), when I read that a retailer only sells the products that they use, have in their home, wear themselves etc. If I was to only sell the fabrics that I’d use in a quilt, well folks, we’d have far fewer than the 1800 options that we do sell. Retailing is certainly challenging right now, but it’s even more important that we have a broad range of both products and prices, all presented with a Hometown flourish, to encourage you to sew.

With designs covering traditional to modern, plus quirky one offs, kids and coordinates, we hope to offer many quilting and dressmaking possibilities. My role is to sort wheat from chaff and offer you all a good selection of fantastic, good quality wheat, not just the wheat that I’d eat, if you get my drift. So when I’m not on the shopfloor, I can forage away for good fabrics. Think of me like a fabric truffle hound or the Miss Marple of materials if you prefer.

What else is on the to-do list? Well, I’ve also been Chief Accountant, paying invoices and nibbling away at inputting data for my quarterly VAT return (my office life is SUCH FUN in capital letters - now you know why I need a Kit Kat for sustenance)!

The other ongoing job, which never ends, is the website. I set up our online store in May 2020 (can you remember Lockdown 1.0 - seems like several lifetimes ago?).

As new products are ordered and arrive, many need adding online. So, there’s checking product references, writing copy and picture research. Or photos needs taking, once products have arrived instore and we’ve created all our lovely precuts. Finally proof reading and adjustments once I’ve made the page live. Plus updating the inventory is a daily task. Since we reopened the physical shop last April, the website sales may have taken a nose dive, but site searches increase month-on-month, so I know many of you use it for research. Fingers crossed that’s before you make a trip to see us in Rochester, or before pressing the shiny add-to-basket button. So today, I’ve been jumping between Christmas, autumn, Halloween and summer fabrics. I know you have liked being able to now book workshops online, so I’m pleased about that.

Back in 2020, Jason Marshall from the University of Kent helped me with creating the online addition to our website. It was done via a series of zoom calls. I was a guinea pig client, as he wanted to develop an online teaching programme. First I had to learn how to use zoom! I kid you not, but the computer I use at home isn’t in its first flush of youth (much like its operator) so it doesn’t have a camera. I could see Jason’s screen, but he couldn’t see me. Probably just as well as my desk doesn’t read the clear-desk-memo that I send it. Since we don’t have a IT department (oh how, I miss all the computer geeks at my last company), any site updates are up to me as webmistress. Is that a job title? I must check and add to my CV. To quote Liam Neeson, this haberdasher has a particular set of skills!

As I learn a new trick, I get to work tweaking, to make the site easier for you to use. Currently, I’m doing a check of links and URLs (yes, even more fun than my VAT return). I could say that’s as boring AF, but of course I don’t swear and I appreciate that all these corrections make it easier for you to use the site. So if you haven’t checked it out recently, here are 7 good reasons to have a gander.

1. we have a seriously good range.

2. we can post to you in the UK, or you can collect from our lovely shop and make a day of it in Rochester

3. we offer you loyalty stamps on all online product purchases, which you can redeem for free stuff.

4. we offer free postage on orders over £45 withe code FREE45.

5. if you’re a Quilters’ Guild member you also can nab a guild discount.

6. you can now also find all workshops dates and details online and book with a click.

7. I’ve spent all day tapping at the keyboard, so please make me think that it was worthwhile!

And now I’m off to put the kettle on again. Tara for now…