Timorous Beasties

Indulge me. I know that this is at least the third time I've addressed the topic of toile (and insects for that matter) but I promise this will be different.

In this morning's Financial Times there is a wonderful how to spend it Special Interiors Section that had a sidebar on the Glasgow design firm Timorous Beasties. Founded in 1990 by Alistair McCauley and Paul Simmons who studied textile design at Glasgow School of Art, Timorous Beasties was once described as, "William Morris on acid." The name TB comes from the Robert Burns poem, "To a Mouse" (pronounced 'moose") and edgy in their creations. From their website:

At first glance it looks like one of the magnificent vistas portrayed on early 1800s Toile de Jouy wallpaper, but closer inspection reveals a nightmarish vision of contemporary Glasgow where crack addicts, prostitutes and the homeless are depicted against a forbidding backdrop of dilapidated tower blocks and scavenging seagulls.

The Glasgow Toile above and the London Toile below.


Which brings me to their insects. Insects have long been used in traditional design. Here are two from the TB line of fabrics: the Napoleon Bee and The Moth.



Check out Nice Legs, below. Wouldn't you love to have a duvet covered in this pattern? Maybe not a table cloth.



And finally Stripey Legs.



The image at top is Leaf.

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Gleena -- Wedding Season is Upon Us . . . .

Recently I stumbled upon this delicate looking line of hand-made porcelain called Gleena.

Gleena (which means clay in Russian) is the work of Asya Palatova a graphic designer turned ceramicist with an MFA from RISD. The graphic designer is present in certain types of pieces such as the wedding bowls below. You can also ask for similar set as baby gifts. There are also objects with great calligraphy. You can see more on her Etsy shop here. Palatova works out of her studio in Pawtucket, RI.



It's her nature motifs that I am most drawn to. I would love to see more insects.


While the porcelain looks and feels delicate, it's actually extremely durable. I love her palette. These are colors I could look at every day. Actually, I already do.

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"The King's Speech" -- via The New Victorian Ruralist

One blog I check at least once a week is The New Victorian Ruralist written by James Snowden of Lexington, KY.

He recently wrote about a post about the movie "The King's Speech" and it expresses my feelings exactly. Do check it out and tell him what you think. I will see it again just to savor the colors and textures.

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