Introducing My Primitive Side

When, in my last post, I hinted that my next fabric collection was something kinda new for me, did you think primitive?

Yes!!  Primitive Threads is my next collection for Marcus Fabrics!!  

Actually, primitive is not out of character for me at all when you know from where the inspiration for the collection came.

Antiquing is one of my passions with emphasis toward nineteenth century antiques.  I have several antique shows I attend where all items for sale are from the eighteenth and nineteenth century.   I thoroughly enjoy admiring the hand-crafted workmanship of the antiques as most of them are handmade.  Our early American ancestors were big time "Makers".

The book above is a favorite of mine.  American Country is a series of books published in the 1990's by Time-Life publications.  (I've found the books at antique shows and shops, and on eBay.)  This one is all about American folk art and I just love browsing the pages.  The cover is a lovely collection of hand made and hand painted items of true Folk Art.  The colors are dark but soft and warm.  I'm smitten!

Among the many items showcased in the book are hooked rugs. The designs and the colors speak to me.  Oh....to own one of these beauties!!  I'll have to admire and not acquire!!

Of course quilts are a huge part of folk art....as is the color black.  Black seems to be the perfect neutral to show off all other colors.  Even if you're not as fond of black as I am, a little black in a room really sets things off.  

Like the book's cover photo, this photo of shelves of folk art sums the look perfectly.  

I am fortunate to own a few true handmade pieces of American folk art....treasures to be sure.  I am smitten with the makers desire to create beautiful things from ordinary everyday items.  They dipped brushes in paint, carved wood, cut paper and put needle and thread to work to make a truly unique class of art, although I don't believe they thought of it as art the same we do now. 

Items such as nineteenth century game boards, whirlygigs, Tole and Fraktur painting, wood carved and painted toys and banks, Sgraffito pottery, painted furniture, samplers, homemade dolls and pieced and pictorial quilts all serve as inspiration for this new primitive collection.

In my next post, I'll show you the fabrics in the collection and some of the original nineteenth century antique fabric prints that I chose to replicate.  I'll also share the quilt I designed featuring the entire collection.  I'm so jazzed for you to see it!!

In the mean time, you can click here to visit the Marcus Fabrics website for a sneak peek at the fabrics!!  

I am very happy to honor our American Folk Art heritage with the Primitive Threads collection!