The Liberty Revival

Something else that I found shopping around and reading fashion magazines during my holidays in France was that, this Spring, there was a real Liberty Revival in Europe!... to be more precise, when I say "Liberty", I am not talking about "Freedom" but about the classic "Liberty of London Cotton Lawns" fabrics that usually feature multitudes of little flowers and that are an old-time favorite for mums and grandmas when sewing pretty dresses to their well-mannered daughters and grand-daughters ... (I'm sure I have a picture of myself somewhere wearing a Liberty dress when I was 6 or 7 years old!)

Shopping for supplies at Aniline, I couldn't leave the shop without a few meters of Liberty ribbons, they were so fresh and colorful... I still haven't decided what I am going to do with my ribbons but so far, I can tell you that there will be some Liberty bows in my Olala design Fall 2009 collection : )

Mmm, can't wait for the Fall!...

Absolutely Fabulous!

I could not go to France and not go hunting for ideas and supplies... Impossible when you have designer clothes and jewelry in every shop and magazine, and delicious little boutiques just dedicated to crafts!



One of my favorite shops for supplies (buttons, beads, ribbons...) and ideas is a cute shop in the city where my mum lives, Clermont-Ferrand. The shop used to be called "La Droguerie" but it changed its name to "Aniline" a few years ago. The ladies who work there are very nice and helpful, and the shelves of the shop are covered with jars full of the most gorgeous and original beads you can dream of.... My kind of heaven!
http://www.aniline.fr/

Even though I was tempted to buy the whole shop, I had to restrain myself a little and mostly focused on beads... but oh my, I am soooo fond of these beads : they are Italian resin beads, they come in the most amazing colors, some have sparkles, others have a magical glow (I swear, they glow even more when they are worn!) and they are just a concentrate of sheer Happiness!!!

"Carnaval bleu" listed in my Etsy shop - one of a kind

I have made a few bracelets mixing these beads with some other funky beads I had, I added a few ribbons and women around me have been unanimous : FA-BU-LOUS!!!! That's what I thought too : )

A beautiful mix of colors for my coming Fall 2009 collection...

If you ever go to Clermont-Ferrand, you can visit Aniline :
15 rue Terrasse
63000 Clermont-Ferrand (France)