We’re starting a new series from today. We have asked each member of our design team to identify a current scrapbooking trend and create and find some fabulous examples illustrating their trend. Kathie Link kicks us off with the ‘homespun’ look.
An article in The Advertiser newspaper recently reported that young women are flocking to homespun crafts like sewing, cooking, knitting, gardening and even raising chooks in the family back yard. There is a trend towards the hand-made, towards home-grown, towards repurposing the old.
Kathie’s noticed this homespun trend in the scrapbooking industry too. Several manufacturers have lines that reflect the focus towards home grown, farm fresh, handmade, thrift shopping and wholesome cooking. Browsing through the galleries, it would seem that scrappers are welcoming the theme with open arms.
Soft floral papers and fabrics are being pleated and ruffled onto layouts, old coupons peek out from behind vintage toned photographs, images from old sewing pattern envelopes are being paired with machine stitching, pennant banners drift across the page, and pretty checks and ginghams abound.
In this first layout, Kathie’s used Jenni Bowlin’s Homespun range. The warm vivid colours of line really do say “homespun” in and of themselves. Then, to accentuate the homespun feel even further, Kathie’s added old coupons and newsprint, chipboard buttons (reminiscent of old bottle-tops), fresh gingham, ruffled fabric trim, a little pennant banner and loads of machine stitching.
In the next layout Kathie’s adopted an entirely different colour palette but still gave it a homespun feel.
October Afternoon’s Thrift Shop line contains imagery of pretty vintage florals, lace doilies, and old sewing patterns. Kathie’s combined the October Afternoon papers and accent stickers with a Hambly dress-form rub-on, some floral fabric from her grandma’s stash and Websters Pages ball trim to further the fashion theme of the page. A flower shaped from a sewing pattern graces a yellow lace doily for a pretty vintage feel.
There are several Australian scrapbookers who have a natural homespun feel to their work. Mardi Winen is one. Here we share her layout "Maybe", which features her adorable grandaughter. We love how Mardi's teamed pretty vintage florals with sewing patterns, old book print, ledger paper and crochet trim. Thanks for sharing Mardi.
Jodie Butler is another scrapbooker who always seems to add little pieces of homespun goodness to her pages. Her pages always incorporate fabric and crochet trim, adding texture and making you want to reach out and touch the page. We love how she's curled and distressed the edges of the layout, allowing a warm red background to peek through in places, adding to the warmth of the page.
