A Match Made In Heaven

Material Things and The Haberdashery

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, THE yin and the yang, A Tale of Two Citieshowever you want to phrase it-that’s what I think of when I think about Material Things and The Haberdashery.

This month I want to introduce you to the idea of mixing the art form of quilts and all forms of handwork into your liveswhether it be for decorative reasons, luxury fashion staples or simply what quilts are meant to be-a source of warmth!

There has been a huge resurgence of all forms of handwork the past few years and, truthfully it could be because of the forced nesting at home that we all had to endure during the pandemic. But, whatever the reason, I am embracing it again.

In a recent article, Marianne Fons was interviewed about rapper A$AP Rocky arriving at The Met Gala wrapped in a quilt. She said the quilting trend reemerges “every 30 years or so” adding “Adolfo did it in the late ‘60s, Ralph Lauren did it in the ‘80s, and then Calvin Klein and designers like Emily Bode started it up again around 2017.” You can literally find this fashion trend in all of the high end designer collections right down to off the rack in your local stores like Target and Walmart.

I know you all can remember back in the ‘60s and ‘70s when fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt was covering her home in quilts and I mean “covering.” The walls, the floors, the ceilings and everything in between were lacquered with pieces of Americana! She was quoted as saying “Isn’t it extraordinary how something as simple as quilts from America suddenly begin to relate to Russia and the

East to become exotic and mysterious when used in a certain way.” Look it up when you have a chance-there are numerous articles about the subject online. The pictures of her home, especially her bedroom are quite inspirational.

Kiva Motnyk was interviewed by The Zoe Report about this resurgence and believes that the quilt trend has been influenced by a movement towards more intentional buying. “I think there’s been a growing awareness of where and how we spend our money, and it tends to shift towards investing in pieces that are intentionally well-made and have longevity,” she explains. “People want to support small brands they believe in. Quilts inherently embody these values-they are created through traditional handwork, made from up cycled fabric scraps and meant to be passed down to future generations.”

And, we can get a little closer to home to talk about this resurgence as well-the grand prize winner at Monroe’s Masur Museum’s 60th Annual Juried Art Competition was a quilt. This quilt was a collaboration by Ruston artist Frank Hamrick along with LA Tech MFA students Emerald McIntyre, Jacob Moffett, Jennifer Robison and Paul Wolfe and it was quite an accomplishment considering the 1220+ entries from all over the country! I hope to get to see it in person! Well done!

All of that being said, come by the shop and take a look at all that my own “A Tale of Two Cities” has to offer. The Haberdashery side has just about anything you need to get you started in any of the handcraft categories-quilting, embroidery, needlepoint, appliqué and so much more. We are also a Husqvarna Viking sewing and embroidery machine dealer, as well as having our own in house service department for you after you purchase your machine. While on the Material Things side, which many of you are already familiar with, we have everything from gifts, lighting, a children’s area, furniture including sofas and chairs, our own “keeping” spot that has everything from barware to food items. So, please remember to come by and check us out for any and all of your needs whether they be for gifting, a little refresh in your home or learning a new craft.

I really just wanted to use this month’s article to talk about the importance of savoring our past and meshing it into today and into the future. The simple act of treasuring the things that you, your loved one or someone that you’ve never known have crafted by hand is an endearing and worthy quality to have. Now, mind you, I realize that not everyone is going to embrace this resurgence but, I hope that this article will help in understanding it and maybe encourage you to give it a chance even if it’s in a small way.