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February 25, 2010

Suzani Heaven!!

blog-1-embroidery-editedThere’s a difference between Kelly and I, and maybe some of you have noticed… Kelly has a wonderful eye for decor, colour and interior style and it shows in the projects she completes and the posts she writes. Me? I like anything that has to do with home renovation and remodelling - particularly DIY - and all the mess, mayhem and dramatic success that results from the hard work. I can talk to you about walls that need to be removed/moved and finishes that can make a room sing… heck, I get excited about new doors and windows! (Note: Kelly’s super great at DIY projects too, but I’m trying to make a point here! HaHa!)

So is it any wonder that my knowledge of beautiful things is woefully limited?

Hey! I’m not saying I don’t see or can’t appreciate the beauty!! But what I am saying is that chances are high that you’ve heard and know all about a current style or trend while I’m sadly oblivious. By the time I take notice it’s probably not in style any more! Ha!!

7 Silk SuzaniThat’s my excuse. That’s why – until yesterday – until I watched Episode 14 of Canadian House & Home’s “Online TV” – until Linda Reeves told me all about them - I knew nothing about Suzanis.

How could I have NOT known about these stunning, traditional Uzbekistani textiles??!! I’m in absolute wonder at the beauty of their design and colour, their history and tradition.

And I can’t tell you how much I want one… or two… or more!!

House & Home

Above: The home of Emily Walker with suzani-inspired prints above her sofa (beautiful!!), showcased in Canadian House & Home Magazine – click on this beautiful room to be taken to H&H’s “On-Line TV: Episode 14” where Linda Reeves talks about the history and design impact of the Suzani.

suzani_textiles_f1600Let me tell you a wee bit about suzanis. A suzani is an Uzbekistani equivalent of your grandmother’s heirloom quilt. Usually a bridal gift for bed covers or wall hangings, it is elaborately hand embroidered on linen or silk. The intricate patterns are often made in vibrant colours from nature and are said to have mystical properties. The craft of creating suzanis is steeped in centuries of tradition with each artist interpreting a fresh new element to an earlier pattern. 

suzaniFrom what I’ve learned, talented needlewomen have produced this brilliant folk art for centuries. The oldest ones we know of are from the 18th century. Their designs, however — those meandering grapevines and tulips — suggest motifs from ancient Greece and the Ottoman empire. 

And these special, lovely, artful, dazzling and useful suzanis are more then a design trend… they’re a must have!!

Take a look at some of the beautiful suzanis I found…

bedroom 181_Standard

They make wonderful pillows… and bed coverings

ath

domino_suzani Elle DecorKathryn Ireland bedroom

Suzani textiles as upholstery make stunning, unique furniture…

Donghia's Suzani Jacquard fabric in Blue Bliss - Jeffery Bilhuber  House Beautiful 2 Ssuzanimakeover-coffee-table-overall(Lauren, web editor for Style at Home magazine online, shared a link in our comments [below] to this fantastic bench – made from a coffee table. I love it!!! Click on the photo to read all about it. Thanks Lauren!! It’s funny… I’ve seen this bench before [on the S@H site], loved it, but never realized it was a suzani. Now that I know what a suzani is, I’d know for sure. My “design savvy-ness” is growing!! HaHa!!)

Or how about a wonderful suzani throw…

Annette Tatuml'aviva-suzani-quilt img7l House Beautiful

Suzani’s make lovely table cloths

cotedetexas - wine tasting table 

suzani500x452

A wall hanging… love it!

suzani500x631

Or simply displayed as a beautiful part of honoured history

Museum

So tell me… are you more decor savvy them me; did YOU know about suzanis? Be kind to me and lie!! I’m teasing!!

Do you own a suzani or, like me, do you want one?

I’ll be searching for mine!!

February 23, 2010

The colours of the world

I’ve been glued to the TV the last couple of weeks watching the Olympics. I think ski cross might be my new favourite sport to watch — it’s totally crazy!!

ski-cross telegraph co uk

Everywhere you look at the Olympics, you see the five-ring Olympic symbol:

olympic rings

The founder of the modern day Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, designed this symbol of the Olympic games in 1912. The five rings represent the five inhabited continents of the world: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania (including Australia). And the ring colours on the white background represent the colours that appeared on all the national flags of the world at that time.

The Olympics bring the world together every two years. The colours of the Olympics bring the world together every day.

The blue roofs, water, and sky of Greece.

Blue in Greece letter 2 mom

A cute wrinkly black Shar Pei from China.

shar-pei-wrinkle esrati

The red sands of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

red sand picasa

The yellow wildflowers of the Simpson Desert National Park, Australia.

yellow-wildflowers- national geographic

The rolling green hills of Ireland.

Irish_green_hills our crazy adventure

And some beautiful rooms in the colours of the world. Like a perfect Olympic performance, no commentary required…

 sue-adams-blue-bedroom_hgtv

blue LR uktv

blue lr stylebeat

blue hotel design inc 2   blue-dining design hole online  black-trend-interior-momoy bw LR harmony interiors black kitchen lux-interior-design  marimekko-interior-design always mod Black-Room tiger lily edinburgh red lr rol vn

colinjustinbed07202009 red-living-room house to home red chairs plush home rexotic-red-kitchen-interior-design gaita interiors yellow bathroom alohomorra  yellow corner country living kelley_proxmire_yellow_black_dining_room simly heidis thoughts Yellow dining room classic interior yellow br wall country living green dr maison classique  dining-room-green-interior-pavilion-design arch inspire Classic Green Dining carolina panache Bright-Green-Kitchen-Design female ways

I hope you’re enjoying the colours of the Olympics wherever in the world you are :-)

bike fisherwy

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