I’ll TakeThis… Satchel

I am a total bag-hag! I love all sorts of bags, from tote bags to lovely leather handbags. I recently started carrying a great field bag from Filson, which I can sling cross-wise and carry my camera, phone, wallet, Moleskine diary, lippy and more.
When I saw these Harris Tweed field bags today on India Knight’s Posterous, I just fell in lust! The bags come in a range of sizes, shapes, tweeds and tartans.

Each has the famous Orb Mark, denoting it as authentic Harris Tweed. At £70.00 for the tweed field bag, it’s not too much!

Call for Photos!

First, thank you to everyone who has introduced themselves to me at DeBois Textiles. I am truly flattered and humbled that you take time from your busy life to read Pigtown*Design. It amazes me.

I would love to see which fabrics you’ve chosen, so if you will send me a picture via e-mail, I will do a little post at the beginning of next week. I think it will be fun to share what treasures we’ve found!

An Old “Royal” Residence

My friend, David, has arrived rather unexpectedly due to a mix up in communications, but he’s now here for a week or so…

I was invited to an opening of a hotel in Baltimore that was once home to the Duchess of Windsor.  Not too interesting you say?  Well, this building had sat empty for more than 20 years, right in the midst of a very cultural neighbourhood. It was just waiting for the right person to come along and transform it. The building, which is full of turrets and towers, opened in 1891 as a residential hotel with 60 rooms. Wallis Warfield Simpson lived there for a while when she was a child, long before she became the Duchess of Windsor. But the years took their toll and the hotel closed. It was stripped of all of its claw-foot tubs, radiators and mantles. Water came in and peeled the paint, and trees grew from its roof. 

One of the featured that remained was the hotel’s six-story spiral staircase, with its original wood handrail. It is located on the rounded turret on the right side of the building. 

Now, The Hotel Brexton has been renovated and is scheduled to open in early February. It’s walking distance to art galleries, the symphony and the art college. Although the original architectural features are long gone, there are still enough remaining to make the place interesting. It’s great to see an old and beautiful building restored and reused.

But perhaps some of the old spirits remain…

Some Things

I want to thank “High-Heeled Foot in the Door” for mentioning me in her great post today about the folks a DeBois Textiles. I hope that they’re not too overwhelmed by all of the bloggers who are arriving en masse at their doors to find the great fabrics!  If you’re not reading High Heeled, you should be! She’s a great designer and very talented.  Plus, she’s got the funniest header by the talented PVE Designs, Patricia von Essche!

Completely random, but I saw this image of Prince William on his first trip representing his grandmother, HM Queen Elizabeth, II at the opening of the new supreme court building in Wellington, Australia. He met with some of the Maori natives of the country and participated in this traditional greeting.  I think this is the sweetest image, and his willingness to do things like this is the best memorial to his mother, Diana.More randomness… For the first time since 1949, the “Poe Toaster” failed to appear at Edgar Allan Poe’s grave in the early hours of today, Poe’s 201st birthday. The Poe Toaster traditionally leaves a bottle of cognac and three roses on the grave. The identity of the Toaster has been a closely kept secret and people are kept away from the grave until the Toaster has come and gone. The Toaster is one of the traditions that makes Baltimore a special place. I am scrambling to get ready for my visitor from Wales later this week, so have lots to do before he arrives. Posts may be a bit brief this week!

EEE! It’s Emily’s Shower

The lovely Mrs. Blandings asked a few of us to participate in a virtual shower for Emily Evans Eerdmans, in honour of her recent marriage. I thought that the best thing any newly married couple could wish for is many years of joy and happiness together. But joy and happiness are hard to give to someone, so I had to think of something else! Hmmm… should I give the couple something practical, that they would use every day? I thought about a set of vintage linen sheets, like these from Fleur d’Andeol. Or should I give them something extravagant, like this beautiful stemware from my personal favourite, William Yeoward?  These Betty & Sybil champagne flutes are based on a Georgian pattern and are simply elegant! Should I give them something that reflects their spirit and style? How about a vintage Morgan Motor Car? I can just see Emily and Mr. EEE motoring through a country road in this beauty, scarf trailing in the wind. Or how about a custom portrait? I could get Rembrandt, Warhol, Wyeth or Monet to paint a portrait! Oh wait, they’re all dead. But still…

Most of all, what I want for Emily is many, many years of happiness and joy with her new husband! Congratulations!

I am a Material Girl!

Oh, it’s just so sad. In the week since I discovered DeBois Textiles, I’ve been over there five times! Every time I visit, I find more and more new and spectacular textiles. I’ve always loved fabrics, but now I’ve tipped over the edge into a full-fledged Material Girl. I got a message from one of my best friends this afternoon freaking out because one of the women working at DeBois was actually holding the fabric that she’s been searching for ever since she bought some in North Carolina a few years ago. She begged and pleaded with me to go back over to the warehouse and see if I could find the bolt of fabric and buy it all for her. Which I did… because I love her and she’s a great friend!

Of course, while I was looking for her fabric, I had to take more pictures to show you. This is a gorgeous black chintz with blousy tulips under license from the Botanic Gardens at Kew.

This is Trina Turk’s “Sunglasses” print. They have this in a few different colourways.

I am very drawn to some of the geometrics.

Lest you think that I just go and gawk at these gorgeous fabrics and textiles, I actually bought a few yards of the Trina Turk and whipped up a duvet cover. A friend from Wales is coming to stay at the end of the week, and I thought it would be nice to spruce up the guest room for him… Not that he’ll notice!Believe me, Connor’s not too happy by his mum’s newest addiction, especially since it’s less than a mile from the house and I can just pop over to check out the goodies!If you’ve made the trip to DeBois – and I know that some of you have – leave a comment or send me an e-mail! I’d love to know what you got!

****** Several people have asked whether DeBois has an on-line presence for the fabrics. When I asked about this, they told me that they can't sell the fabrics on-line because of their agreements with the fabric houses. Other people have asked me to buy for them, but I just can't get in to that. It's just too fraught with issues. Sorry.******

Groundhog Day Party!

Every year, the Baltimore Architecture Foundation has the most amazingly fun party for Groundhog Day. I know that most people don’t think that it is a holiday worth celebrating, but the gang at BAF, lead by my friend who runs Housewerks, knows how to host a great throw-down!

This year’s party is moving out of the unfinished and extreme industrial architectural spaces into perhaps the most posh private club in the area, The Maryland Club. This bastion of old men and even older money is an architectural gem. This place is so exclusive, it doesn’t even have a website! But things being what they are, they’re opening the club to guests of the Baltimore Architectural Foundation for the Groundhog Day party on Saturday, January 30.

From the Baltimore Architecture Foundation’s website:

The Maryland Club was designed by the prominent Baltimore firm of Baldwin and Pennington in the Romanesque Revival style in 1891. The Maryland Club features Beaver Dam marble on the exterior while the interiors are a rich interplay of oak, marble, ornate plaster, and faux finishes characteristic of high Victorian tastes of the time. The building today, after its 1995 fire, has been restored to its original grandeur and is an architectural time capsule of 19th century Baltimore. This is a wonderful opportunity to see this excellent example of late Victorian architecture while supporting the cause of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation in the process.

This party is an excellent opportunity for architectural buffs to explore the interior of a space that few get to experience. For more information and tickets, please click here.

More Revealing!

I could not resist another trip to DeBois Textiles yesterday, just to see what I could find without getting in the way of the workers there. Reanna, who runs the company with her father, told me that there were people waiting when DeBois opened, and that they went right for the fabrics, not the vintage clothing. In fact, when I was there, I met one of my DC readers, who was kind enough to say hello to me. Thanks!

I was alone in the back of the huge space, given free run to poke through the stacks of fabulous fabrics, taking pictures, and oohing and aahing over each new discovery.  

I can’t believe I forgot to get the name of this fabric. Any ideas?

I think this is called “Scribbles”.

This is called “Belgravia” and it’s from the Royal Oak Foundation, which is the American arm of the UK’s National Trust. I just adore this one!

Orbit, by Groundworks Design.   This has a great retro vibe to it and would look great covering a mid-century modern sofa.

Bazaar, by Diamond Baratta

Lots of fun, this one! New York, New York, by Decorators Walk from Schumacher.  It reminds me of the wallpaper in an old loo in our house!

Wonderful, very detailed linen by Ralph Lauren Home.

A nice Kelly Wearstler stripe.

I saw this detail of a fabric that had guns, and labrador retrievers and this field bag… with my own Filson bag!

I saw four different fabrics, all very similar, which were a gold painted print. They really caught the light beautifully!

Here’s the hilarious dog-bone printed velvet. Perfect for a huge cushion for Connor!

I had been admiring and lusting over the gorgeous Trina Turk fabric both on Friday and again Saturday. As I was leaving, Reanna was kind enough to give me two yards of it. I am not sure what I will do with it yet, but I just adore this!Let me know if you’ve stopped byDeBois and what you bought!