Fabric Madness

I have always thought I loved this fabric.

Parish, from Ballard.  I say "thought I loved" instead of just "loved" because really, who can tell from a thumbnail swatch online?


I recently ordered a couple of swatches from Ballard for the x-benches in the New Jersey living room, and since there's a 10-swatch allowance, I threw in one or two for myself.  They came the other day and guess what?

I.  LOVE.  IT.

Which may seem silly, because it is not glorious or dramatic.  It is not a statement fabric.  The scale is quiet.  But I love it.  (The brown is richer than it appears on my screen, the contrast to the black and white is crisper.)  Looking at it, I realize that in one thing at least, I am consistent.

Remember the guest room headboard fabric?

Oh, and then I got some of that in green, which will likely go in the girls room.

And then when I was digging around in the fabric bin, I found this cotton sateen from a million unfinished projects ago.

Are we sensing a theme here?  The Parish is more of a quatrefoil to the leaf/artichoke design of the others, but still.

Do you do this?  Are you drawn to the same things over and over without even realizing it?  Who knew I was so predictable?  Now the question is: does it go on the cocktail table turned ottoman that I'm working on for the living room?  Or just a couple of throw pillows for the loveseat? Truth be told, I was reading Ashley Hicks' book about his father yesterday, and it made me want to layer on the pattern even more than usual, and take this fabric to the ceiling for drapes.  Plus throw pillows.

Meanwhile.  While I was at Ballard, I saw some nice, small scale buffalo check in indigo on sale for $4/yard, and somehow I ordered up a yard to accompany my swatches on their journey.

Weird how that happens.  I love a good classic check, and kept buying my husband shirts from J Crew in this pattern last spring.  Makes me think of this amazing "Gustavian Fantasy" from Ines de la Fressange.

[Domino, natch]

And those awesomely expensive mattresses.

I figured this would work in the guest room on those lampshades that I wanted to cover in ticking, if only the most common fabric on earth was not eluding me so.  Like ticking, the check has a traditional, classic, and linear feeling that is a nice counterpoint to the block print headboard, the silk draperies, and the Turkish rug.

Loving these developments.  Better get the sewing machine tuned up!

What about you: what projects await?  Also, while I'm asking questions, would you like me to be slightly more focused in my posts?  You know, a little less process-y?  Fewer words, more pictures?  Let me know: I can take it.