Pacific Northwest Style

I once lived in Seattle and learned a lot about Pacific Northwest style.  An influence of Japanese design can be seen in the often minimalist architecture, interiors, and clothing.  The art and design community in Seattle reflects the cloudy skies, and lush forests and rugged coastline.  The town of Mukilteo, Washington, is one of the towns that lines the Puget Sound. Our friend Lynda makes her home here, and her choice of Modern Robe fabrics reflects her Northwest lifestyle.

Lynda chose the long version of the Modern Robe, a good choice for cool and misty mornings.  This elegant salt-and-pepper print, in 100% cotton, has been described as "abundant white circles, as drawn on a chalkboard". The graphic print shows beautifully in this robe.  The surprising but delightful combination of the sash, in "Rhode Island Red", adds a dash of energy that we love.

The "Third In Line" design is by one of our favorite fabric designers: Marcia Derse.  The fabric combination worked out beautifully... and Lynda tells us that she loves her robe.

Above, Left: Circle swirls, Potpourri Collection,  Q1402-26062-991 at South Seas Imports.  Right: Rhode Island Red Basket Weave, TRO-1204/3, Third in Line by Marcia Derse for Troy Corporation

Modern Robe in modern textures: Marcia Derse Designs

Marcia Derse is one of the stars of modern fabric design. About her work, she says:  "Each piece of fabric is a new exploration of color, form, and texture. They are paintings in themselves and when I bring them together on a giant white wall in my studio space each piece becomes a landmark or road in the map of the idea I am translating."  We came across several of her painterly collections at a local quilt store, and we knew that her fabrics would be perfect for our Modern Robe.

 

This fabric is called Indigo Script and it is from the Stream Line collection for Troy Corporation (TRO-1157/1). Since we purchased this fabric we have learned about Marcia's love of typography, which may well have influenced this spontaneous-looking "script" design.

 
For the sash we chose Marcia Derse's Modern Texture in Slate (TRO-1210/11, below). We used the reverse (unprinted) side of the slate fabric as it was a good match for the lighter tones in Indigo Script.  We quilted the sash with five free-form wavy lines, in keeping with the Stream Line theme.  With the five quilted lines, this sash stands up well to washing and wearing while remaining supple enough to be tied in a knot, bow or loop.

Recently, Marcia's fifth collection for Troy has been released,  and you can preview it here.  If you are interested in her design process and inspiration, check out Marcia Derse's website and this 2-minute interview from Spring 2011: