Categories / Homeware

New Three Sheets 2 the Wind mid-century style fabric designs

Three_sheets_pillows_1

We're never short of retro-inspired cushions to feature on this site and here's some more to throw onto that overcrowded sofa with some new designs from Three Sheets 2 the Wind

If that name sounds familiar, it's because we've previously featured some of their naturally inspired wall art. These new fabric designs are along the same line. Clearly influenced by some of the skeletal plant forms that appeared in 50s fabric designs, choose from the Fugi design or Windflower and Prairie Grass which are both pictured above. Each pattern is printed onto Irish linen in subtle colour combinations in keeping with the mid-century look. 

You can buy the designs as a 18 x 18 inch piece of wall art for $80, or as a cushion of the same size for $90. 

See the range online

Categories / Design and Interiors, Women's Fashion

Horrockses Fashions exhibition opens at the Fashion and Textile Museum

Horrockses-exhibition

We mentioned this a while back when we were talking about the V&A's range of Horrockses-inspired products and now is your chance to see some of the originals as the Horrockses Fashions: Off the Peg style in the '40s and '50s opens at London's Fashion and Textile Museum.

Horrockses Fashions were best known for their full-skirted, bold and brightly printed cotton dresses. The exhibition gives you the opportunity to find out a bit more about the label and the people – including the Queen – who wore them, as well as ogle their unique and coveted designs. An accompanying book by the exhibition curator, Christine Boydell, is available for £17.49 from Amazon.

The exhibition opens on Friday, 9 July and runs until 24 October. 

Find out more online

Categories / Homeware

Jane Foster vintage cushions website

Jane foster cushions

We've featured many of Jane Foster's designs on this site before which all draw heavily on her love of vintage fabrics and retro patterns. It's now easier than ever to get a piece of her style, with her new dedicated vintage cushion website

The Jane Foster store has always sold cushions that she'd made from found fabric alongside her own designs. Re-using vintage material as cushion covers is certainly not a unique idea but Foster's great eye for a good pattern leads for a fantastic range to pick from, mostly dating from the 50s, 60s and 70s. If your sofa is looking a little dreary this colourful store will have something to liven it up instantly. She'll even take commissions. 

Prices for the cushions range roughly between £15 and £30, depending on the rarity of the fabric used. 

See the range online

Categories / Design and Interiors, Food and Drink

Retro butterfly teapot by Gone To Pot

Butterfly teapot

Proving that a good design will work on a variety of forms, this butterfly teapot is decorated with a pattern based on a 1950s textile design. 

Made by hand by Gone To Pot, a Texas-based maker, the pattern is reproduced using an underglaze pencil and stain drawing, the diamond and butterfly shapes of the design adapting well to the curve of the pot. And, although the shape is less traditional than the British teapots we featured on Tuesday, it successfully fulfils the task of holding enough tea for two cups. Time to put the kettle on…

This pot costs $60. 

Buy it from Etsy

Categories / Design and Interiors

The Captain’s Pattern: new St Jude’s fabric designed by Jonny Hannah

Captainspattern

Another interesting fabric design courtesy of St Jude's, The Captain's Pattern designed by Jonny Hannah

A while back we showed you Hannah's print for the Museum of British Folklore and this fabric design celebrates some of the folklore and customs of the sea. There's mermaids, deep-sea divers and vintage tattoo-style designs, all interspersed with images of anchors and executed in his trademark style. It's a two colour design (either red/blue or blue/blue) printed onto heavy weight cotton. 

The fabric costs £38 per metre or you can buy it as ready-made cushion covers for £32. 

Find out more online

Categories / Art and Photography, Design and Interiors

Cushion covers using 1940s Henry Moore designed textiles

Henry Moore cushion covers

A reissue being sold to accompany the current Henry Moore exhibition at Tate Modern, these cushion covers use textile designs Moore did in the 1940s. 

Although the artist is famous for his sculptural works he did also produce textile designs, first for Zika Ascher from 1943 onwards and then for David Whitehead Fabrics after the Festival of Britain. The two textiles available, Wings and Ovals or Half Figures, were both designs produced for Ascher in about 1947.

The patterns are printed onto 100% cotton cushion covers, which sell without their pads. They cost £15 each. 

Buy them from the Tate shop