What I Am Wearing
As much as we may enjoy the elegant ease of dressing in a quiet, uniform style there are clothes which speak to the heart and must be indulged.
02/25/2023
Leigh's Posts
Using Vintage Fabrics in Interior Design
Searching for vintage fabrics, ribbon, and passementerie to use in interior design takes patience and a willingness to lift stacks of fabric and sift through baskets filled with carded sequins and beads to get to the treasure at the bottom. It is a special pleasure to give new life to old fabrics.
02/17/2023
Using Vintage Fabrics in Fashion
Vintage fabric, lace, ribbon, buttons, handkerchiefs, and tablecloths are sorted in trays, stacked in baskets, and exploding from a burgeoning wardrobe cabinet in our studio. Beginning in my teens when an old pair of snap front bell bottom jeans became a work of art embellished with appliques of birds cut from old fabric and studded with tiny beads, vintage fabrics and passementerie have enchanted me.
02/07/2023
Reflecting on Scent: Creating a Solid Fragrance
It’s been several months since I began reading the works of Mandy Aftel, Jean-Claude Ellena and others on the subject of scent, perfume, fragrance, or simply smells! The readings have included the natural and cultural history of perfumery, the botany of perfumes, and using natural ingredients to concoct scents.
02/04/2023
What I Am Wearing
As a young person working in the neighborhood library I spent all my breaks in the back room stacks looking at fashion magazines, then sewing my own clothes, often inspired by something from the glossy pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, or Elle.
01/30/2023
Painted Furniture in Interior Design
Painted furniture provides a focal point and lifts the look of a space. As far back as the 1700’s people in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries began using pale grays and softened whites to paint and refresh furniture handed down through the years, to bring light into rooms during the dark of winter, or even to coordinate furniture made of different woods.
01/08/2023
Hill Country Potpourri: Hand-made Gift for the Holidays
I am a firm believer in the hostess gift to express my appreciation. It is such a pleasure to be invited to someone’s home on any occasion. I enjoy seeing how others live and entertain and always go away with new ideas!
12/30/2022
Reflecting on Scent: Creating a Scent Lab
Recently I have been collecting and reading books about the history of perfume and making perfume. As a result I have set up a lab in my home to experiment with scent making.
12/23/2022
Decorative Panels and Screens
I created my first wood panel as a folding screen when we moved to a loft in a historical bank building. The loft was one continuous space with brick walls on both sides. We believe it was once office space for those who worked in accounting or bank records. The screens were made to provide slight visual definition of areas or rooms within the larger space.
12/03/2022
Fashion Sketches
I recently gave my niece two India ink fashion sketches I made and framed for her birthday. She is in the business and has a passion for all things related to fashion. How did I come to make fashion sketches?
12/01/2022