Suzani

Here at Sage Garden Style, I always look for ways to bring nature inside and ways to take it outside so that the home and garden are always connected .  Plantings from the garden are a constant source of inspiration for my design work on soft furnishings and furniture which is all about flowers, vines, and other things found in the garden.

So it is not surprising that Suzani textiles are one of my very favorite categories to explore when looking for a quick way to add punch to a neutral décor. There are many things I love about Suzani fabrics but first a little bit about what they are and their rich history.

Photo Source: Guide To Suzani by Barry O’Connell

The definition of Suzani is embroidery on cloth. These artisan pieces usually have a cotton fabric base but can also be done on silk. The thread is also cotton or silk. Motifs of flowers and foliage are the basis of the designs, sometimes mixed with other elements of nature such as the sun, the moon, and the stars.  In practice the variations are endless and each piece represents a unique representation of time honored designs as the embroiderer will move off path and create slight variations to her liking. The design is stitched using chain stitch, satin stitch, and buttonhole stitches.  The frequent use of couching, a method of layering decorative thread designs stitched in place as a raised design, gives them surface dimension that is unique. There are many Suzani prints on cotton that mimic designs of the handwork and even a number of fabric designs that seem to produce Suzani like patterns that are woven and are somewhere in between true Suzani’s and prints.

A great analogy might be to that of the oriental rugs.  There are machine made rugs that are reproductions of hand knotted Persian rugs.  While they are getting better and better, they still do not have the dimension found in a true hand-knotted rug.  The process is different and there is something magical about any art piece wrought by the hand of an artist. I own both machine made and hand knotted rugs in my own home and think they each play an important role in the story of the décor of the room but it is important to know the difference.

Printed Suzani’s are fun and can work great in a modern, transitional, or traditional décor. Embroidered Suzani’s are statement pieces that are great if you love a rich Tribal or Moroccan eclectic décor. Woven Suzani type designs are even available in Sunbrella Fabrics for use in your outdoor décor through such well-respected manufacturers as Duralee and many others .  The colors are vibrantNo matter what your decorating preferences are, there is a Suzani for you!

In the immortal words of Shelley from Ode To The West Wind

“If winter comes can spring be far behind?”

Here are a few of my favorite ways to bring a little life back into your decor and what better way than with hearts?

Source

Don’t forget if you need a great container for your topiary, make sure to take a look at my wonderful collection of  Guy Wolff Pottery , great indoors or out!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

As you sort through the photos you took of your garden in full bloom, there may be a few that are really spectacular.  A great way to personalize your home is to create your own artwork using those photographs. This is one great way to create your own personal garden style and bring it inside year round.

Here are a few of my favorites from around the web…

Vince Alongi

This would be great paired with this…

                                                                                           Badalucco Design Studio

Vince Alongi

This would be great for Arizona or any desert climate garden…

Vince Alongi

I think of California when I see this but it was actually taken

in Ontario, Canada-I love this…

Vince Alongi

I have a butterfly bush that attracts many butterflies but have never captured one like this-beautiful!

Vince Alongi

and if your taste runs contemporary who wouldn’t want to see this everyday-so happy.

Vince Alongi

This is a great one for any decor and  would be perfect on canvas….

Vince Alongi

Click here for how to info for this project

A Traditional Family Christmas-Everyone has their favorite classic-Here are ours!

1.  Silent Night-This is our favorite version by Josh Groban- This CD has many great classics-click below to hear more…

2. White Christmas- It has to be Bing Crosby!

3.The Christmas Song-Nat King Cole This CD has been a family favorite of ours for as long as I can remember. His soulful smooth voice just sets the tone for a perfect Christmas Eve.

4. O Little Town of Bethlehem-From the Wintersong CD. Really, to be honest, we love anything by Sarah McLachlan

5. O Holy Night-This one, we never get tired of. The emotion and drama this song evokes is everything a Christmas song should be.Celine Dion’s version on this CD does it justice.

Festive Open House-Our Picks:

1.Christmas by Michael Buble-Perfect!

2. The Christmas AlbumVolume I and II- Glee Cast-So much talent, everything they do is great.

3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas-Judy Garland-Ahhh!

4. Baby It’s Cold Outside-Dean Martin and Martina McBride-A Duet Made in Heaven.

5.Frank Sinatra-Jingle Bells Old Blue Eyes just sets a festive tone that is hard to top.

6. And if you want the whole Rat Pack -this CD is great for background music

7. All I want for Christmas-Mariah Carey

I have a whole other list of great background picks but will have to wait for another post-This should get you started!

Each year as I haul the decorations up from the basement to begin the ritual of tree decorating,  I am reminded of many things. Good times, bad times, but mostly the acquired knowledge (wisdom) and a gentle reminder that all things pass. The large blue ornament with “It’s a baby boy” stamped across the front which my mother gave me to mark the birth of my son brings me back to that fall day when we brought him home from the hospital with a warm fire, the smell of a newborn baby, and dreams for his future.

The small straw Santa, a hand-me-down given to us as part of a collection by my mother-in-law for a virgin tree as we started out as a couple with more imagination that money hangs next to the glittering Jester which spoke to me  in a posh department store many years later. I love them both.

Collections are a whole other subject. I went through my Wizard of Oz period and have the tin man, wicked witch, good witch, ruby slippers, and on an on. I have my Christmas movie collection ornaments which include Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life,  Scrooge, which spins off into every piece of the Dickens Village and characters, Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchet, Tiny Tim… Anyway-you get the idea. I love Christmas.

These ornaments, collected over many years, represent memories of times gone by. Time spent with my friends and family, some of whom are no longer with us. They are a reminder to enjoy the journey  and if you are blessed with good fortune, savor it. They show the promise that even in the worst of times “this too shall pass”.  As the words echo in my head from the carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, “…The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight”. Amen.

Did I tell you I love Christmas?

For the gardener…

Gift basket with great items. click photo for more…

                                             Tools! What gardener ever has enough?

I love these shoes-anything with floral motifs always gets my vote

For the cook…

One of my favorites, this cookbook, Great Feasts Without Fuss, was recommended to me and has one of the most spectacular pork loin recipes wrapped in swiss chard that the author describes as “straight from Gauguin’s table”-and it is! A beautiful presentation…

For me this book titled simply “Herbs” is where my obsession started-it’s a great book with page after page of ideas for gardens, a reference of most common herbs, recipes, how to decorating with herbs, etc. -a great book for the herb lover…

and another one…

and a few that just inspire me….

…and of course all of the wonderful pillows, pots, and pottery in our own online store!

Mercury Glass is one of my new favorite passions and I decided this year to incorporate some of it into my tabletop decor.

This photo shows a mercury glass bowl I had along with some candles I found at Tuesday Morning in Brookside for those of you who are familiar with the Kansas City area.  I placed the bowl in the center of the table and filled it with pinecones to start.  The candles fit inside of some glass oversized stemed glass votive holders and, taking a lucky guess when I purchased the mercury glass candles, they fit perfectly within the votive holders.

I had spray painted the pumpkins last year with a metallic paint purchased at Home Depot which was a great mix of silver and gold that created a platinum color that was perfect with the mercury glass accents as well as the fall color scheme.

The Hydrangea garland mixed with wheat sprigs, twigs and bits of greenery can be used as easily in a spring or summer table setting with accents around it to change the look to suit the current season.

The silver kissing birds and the individual metallic birds in various shades were an unexpected way to add a touch of whimsey to the table.

I finished off the look with a combination of gold and green napkins, gold pie crust edged dinnerware, lots of pinecones, and smaller votive candles sprinkled at the base of the tall votives.
….and now onto the rest of the season. Wishing you all great memories with your friends and family!

Resources:

Growing things in the garden can be enjoyed long after the growing season ends. One of my favorite ways to bring it all inside is decorating for the holidays. It takes a while to get the maturity of growth to use in some of these projects but there are many sources, some you will find here, where you can buy what you don’t have but still get the look. I planted several winterberry bushes in my back yard after being star struck by an urn filled with bunches of winterberry with a backdrop of fresh snow at a New England farmhouse. It took my breath away. So number one on the list is

1. Urns filled with birch branches, winterberry, pine cones, or any other plant in the garden or yard that yields an interesting texture to your container can be a great way to add to your holiday look. The photo below shows birch branches held upright in florists foam cut to fit tightly into the urn base surrounded by a base of moss and topped with lights and pine cones. Easy.

Holiday Urns filled with Birch Branches

2. Topiaries are another way to bring the green inside. In a clay pot with twinkle lights wrapped around them, they are a quick way to get the Sage Garden Style look. They can be placed behind a grouping of family pictures or moved to the buffet table for a great centerpiece accent. Another trick is to place a cone style topiary of berries with lights inside flanking the mantel of garland as shown in the picture below from one of my mantel decorations.

Holiday Berry Topiaries on the Mantel at Christmas

3. Swags and Garlands are widely available with simple greenery to use as a starting point. A great way to embellish them is with accents from nature. Glittery sugared fruit and flowers, faux feathers, twisted grapevine twigs, nuts, and pinecones are all great ways to add color, sparkle, and personal touches to this traditional method of decorating mantles, mirrors, and more. A little imagination goes a long way. Use a collection of antique snowmen, or anything whimsical to make it yours.

Garlands with Glitter Fruit and Pinecones

4. Pinecones. Probably the one element that is the easiest way to infuse any decor with a natural feeling. Put them in the bowl of your taste-anything from mirror glass to murano glass-it just works. Add a little potporri to give it some interest or just leave them sitting there in all their glory. I love pinecones.

5. Natural Wreaths are the one symbolic holiday decoration that is the very essence of Sage Garden Style. It is the circle of life, celebrating the seasons, and all that they have to offer. Each unique and beautiful in its own way.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Here are just a few of the pillows from our outdoor collection.  To see more visit the product page pillow section.

All of our pillows are made here in the U.S.A by our skilled artisans using the finest fabrics from Sunbrella, Duralee, and Perennials.  Given proper care, they are designed to last for many years.