If you are wondering why I haven’t been doing a post every day for the last bit, it is only because we are busy with great design projects at Kathryn Greeley Designs! And nothing makes me happier than “summertime blue” projects. While working in my design library, I have so enjoyed working with some great blue and white fabrics from F. Schumacher! Their classic styles appeal to my design taste and I wanted to share with you some of my favorite blue fabrics from their collection.
A favorite is Chiang Mai Dragon in China Blue
Chiang Mai Dragon is one of Schumacher’s best-loved designs–since its introduction in 2006, the fabric has become iconic among their patterns. The modern Chinoiserie motif, which is screened onto rich linen and is also available as a wallcovering, originally came from an exuberant Art Deco block print that was created in the 1920s.
This is such a classic print in blue and white!
I also love Huntington Gardens in Bleu Marine, designed by Timothy Corrigan.
Riffing on the classic tree of life pattern, Huntington Gardens does its famed Southern California namesake justice with blooming camellias and handsome plumed birds trailing over a tactile linen. The floral has a graphic edge, but is still romantic–pretty on curtains, lovely on an upholstered headboard, sublime on an entire settee.
And Hedgerow Trellis in Midnight is actually a 100% Sunbrella fabric!
It’s actually an outdoor fabric with a wonderful hand that will stand up magnificently to the wear and tear of family life. It’s stylish, practical, and eminently usable as kid-friendly upholstery in the living room or a plein air showstopper by the pool.
Schumacher always offers so many lovely wovens also, like these “summertime blues”.
Zenyatha- Azure
An exuberant and vibrant update of a traditional flame stitch, Zenyatta Mondatta is a textured chevron pattern that alternates stripes of boucle, chenille, and tightly woven cotton ground yarns–a winning combination of texture and color in one graphic geometric. A bold palette gets an update with two new offerings: Azure, which combines blue shades with soft grays, and Grenadine, which matches pinks and reds to creamy beiges.
Betwixt- Indigo/Ivory
One of our most popular cotton wovens, Betwixt is an endlessly versatile small scale pattern with a modern geometric look that feels right at home in traditional or contemporary spaces. Betwixt is a great fabric to layer into rooms, for use as seating, pillows, curtains, and wall upholstery.
Ming Fret- Navy
A perennial bestseller, Ming Fret is based on a traditional Chinese architectural motif. The mazelike pattern is rendered in a raised, textured weave of cotton yarns that contrast with a linen and cotton ground–it has a soft, tumbled finish and a heavy, rich weight. A shoe-in for upholstery applications, it’s an ideal complement to statement prints or works wonderfully as a patterned accent when layered with plains.
Imperial Trellis II – Ivory/Navy
One of Schumacher’s most famous patterns, this geometric design reimagines Asian fretwork in bold and graphic scale. The classic linen print, which is also available as a wallpaper, goes with a range of styles!
Don’t you love this cut velvet…Madeleine Velvet in Midnight!
When he created Madeleine Velvet, named for leopard-pattern aficionado Madeleine Castaing, Timothy Corrigan wanted to produce a coordinate with character. The small-scale fabric is an enduring motif in a pragmatic material that will work nearly anywhere. The animal pattern has a soft hand with a pile that beautifully catches the light.
What about this fun Pickfair Paisley in Pacific!
Balancing a yin-yang blend of masculine and feminine elements, Pickfair Paisley marries the strong traditional shapes of the East to a lush floral, giving it wide appeal in a variety of spaces. Made from linen, it’s ideal in bedrooms and living rooms, where it introduces a note of worldly refinement with an exotic dose of pattern.
Oh but my favorite is…Schumacher’s Pyne Hollyhock Print in Indigo.
This glorious hollyhock chintz has origins as an English block printed cotton. It was first used by preeminent American designer Albert Hadley in 1962 for his client Mrs. Nancy Pyne, a close friend of both Mr. Hadley’s and associate Sister Parrish. The original chintz fabric can be found in the book “Influential Interiors” and the July 2009 issue of “House Beautiful”. Mrs. Pyne has graciously lent her faded vintage fabric to Schumacher to interpret anew as a table print. Reproduced with the original scale and detail on a lightly calendared fine cotton ground, this classic design is available in its original beautiful colorway.
This beautiful chintz just makes my heart sing. I can see this in some many design styles and in so many applications!
I want a skirt made of Pyne Hollyhock Print in Indigo!! franki
Great idea Franki!