trendey

This season is a whole lot about innovation, personality, creativity, colours and love. Every day is Valentine’s day, right? I have told you about her before, but here we go again: Wendinskan, one of my favourite pillow-makers. She uses recycled fabrics and stylized patterns of old embroidery books and makes the lovliest pillows/cushions. She has just released a new collection of colourful, romantic and lovely (!) love pillows. You will find them here, updated with new lovely pillows every week this spring.

To celebrate her new collection, she’s currectly holdning an auction on a very special pillow, Sweet Love Of Mine (below). It’s a pillow made of the finest old linen, lace curtains and other stuff from the 40 -, 50 – and 60’s. Embroidery of gold-coloured rayon. Zipper at bottom hem and inner pillow of down. 40 × 40 cm. Email your bid to info@wendinskan.se and watch the bidding here. The money from the love-pillow auction will go to MSF’s fund for relief operations. Now I told you, perhaps you will outbid me…..as with the fast-selling bracelets and pillows of Uttran, it’s a shame!! Self-destructive! Can’t help sharing my treasures though :)

Some time ago, I told you about the lovely collection Bracelets of Uttran by Swedish designer and blogger Ida Överby. Since then, she has expended the range in her web-shop Creme de la creme with lovely leveled cake dishes of old china, nice bibs, rag rug-pillows and – what took my breath away – a new collection of ‘aunt fur’-pillows. I bought the prime edition, it’s called Naijma.

The style is the very definition of trendy today: structures and surfaces in new combinations, unexpected colour matches and old classics that meet the very latest. ‘Aunt fur’ (Sw. tantpäls) refers to the old fur your aunt (or aunt’s aunt) used to wear, extremely soft and cozy but hopelessly outdated. Secluded at the back corner of the attic – it may be a controversial piece of fabric – but once there, it’s an asset to use and reuse.

In Naijma, the softest mink is intermingled with white cotton velvet. Piping and corner flaps are of lime-coloured Chinese silk and the fur-area is lined with a nice flowery patterned fabric. The opening is fastened with Velcro and at the back of the cushion sits a brass eyelet, which holds an old Sami leather cord. The present meets the traditional in an utterly (Uttran-ly! :)) well-composed and well-sewn cushion.

Slightly forked – I want them myself! – I urge you to look out for upcoming pillows in this collection. They are made from time to time, and sold through Creme de la creme. (Don’t look! ;))

Maybe this is the most beautiful pillow I have ever owned.

The creator is Cecilia Wendin a.k.a Wendinskan. She makes the most wonderful pillows from old fabrics and scraps that she has passionately accumulated through the years. Many of the patterns she uses are from her great grandmother’s embroidery books. Wendinskan weaves in music, culture and everything else inspiring into the old motifs and thereby continues a fine old crafts tradition by renewing its expression. Her work can be purchased through her blog, where also special requests on colours, text, etc can be made, and at this coming site, where you can see current dealers.

Lay your head on my pillow. Can you imagine a more beautiful and appropraiate pillow to keep in the guest bed? This lovely mix of fabrics, beneath an ocean-blue wall? I can’t..! It’s so right it can ever be. My new pillow makes me happy. :)

The patriotic trend in interior decorating is still going strong and many furniture and design stores are stocking lots of trendey items with Union Jack motifs at the moment (at least in the UK they are, not sure whether this trend has reached beyond the British borders! =)). Anyway, check out these lovely cushions and throw from Graham and Green, the stylish cake tins from John Lewis, the rather special chair from Jane Hornby and the pretty cushion from Cox and Cox. Aren’t they great!

My favourite Union Jack item is this rug below designed by Vivienne Westwood though (visit the Rug Company for details). However, since I’m not rich as a troll (as the Swedish saying goes) and since the Westwood rug costs around £2,000, I wonder if I could make the rug on the right from Cox and Cox (@ £135, kid not included) look like Westwood’s with a bit of abuse?