coasters

How Cotton & Flax coasters are made

July 15, 2013

When I sell my work in person, the felt coasters are always the most fondled item of the whole collection. Everyone seems to want to pick them up and touch them! I can’t say that I blame my customers for being curious, the thick wool felt I use really is appealing. Today, I thought it would be fun to take a peek into how Cotton & Flax coasters are made.

Cotton & Flax coasters begin their lives as raw wool, which is milled in Germany. The photo above shows the mill which processes the felt I use. Kind of picturesque, wouldn’t you say?

Wool felt is one of the oldest man-made textiles. To produce felt, raw wool undergoes a wet “felting” process, which involves matting, condensing and pressing the fibers. You can see a little of the milling process below, I find those giant machines fascinating.

The felt I use for Cotton & Flax coasters is high quality, eco-friendly, comes in highly saturated colors which are a perfect canvas for my bold patterns. The high standards for fabric dyeing in Germany make this felt safe for everyday use in your home, and safe for the Earth! I order several yards of this luxuriously thick felt at a time, and then hand silkscreen print my patterns onto the felt before cutting it down to size.

So there you have it, a glimpse into how Cotton & Flax coasters are made. You can find lots of fun patterned coasters in the shop, grab a couple sets for your next cocktail party!

New additions to the shop

May 28, 2013

Added a few new items to the shop this week, like this mint brushstrokes pillow above.

confetti postcards from Cotton & Flax I re-listed many of the patterned postcard sets that had sold out. These grey confetti cards were a big hit at the in-person holiday markets I did last year, so I am glad to have them back in the shop.

The new latte coasters are back in stock as well! I love this color, it has such great subtle color variations when you see it in person. That’s the beauty of using natural materials – each one is a little bit different and unique.

Shades of Grey

May 20, 2013

I’m currently marveling at all the shades of grey in the Cotton & Flax shop. Just restocked a bunch of items (not just grey things, I promise), so take a look!

In other news: I started a quilt from Cotton & Flax scraps this weekend, hope to share my progress with you soon. If it’s like my other quilt projects, I’ll be working on this one for a while.

Spring/Summer collection from Cotton & Flax

April 22, 2013

The Spring/Summer collection from Cotton & Flax is here! Shop the collection, and scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more.

Cotton & Flax pillows

Cotton & Flax DNA Pillow from the S/S Collection

So excited to finally share the Spring/Summer Collection for Cotton & Flax! Many of the most popular colors and designs are sticking around, and the lovely mint green fabric, which was retired for many months, has returned to the collection (on pillows both large and small). I love all the color that has been packed into this collection, it really is just the thing to ring in this late-coming spring.

By popular request, coasters are back in the shop, including a lovely new latte color. I am still so in love with that wool felt material, it’s really a perfect blend of casual class for easy entertaining.

As I mentioned, I worked extensively with Hollin Brodeur to photograph the new and continuing products for this season. Photos 1, 3, 6, and 14 were taken by Hollin, the rest are my own. Thanks for scrolling though this photo heavy post, I hope you’re as excited about the new look as I am!

Cotton & Flax Coaster Giveaway!

December 18, 2012

The coasters I debuted this year turned out to be a huge hit! In fact, I only have one set left, the adorably festive red wool coasters with the white plus pattern. In the spirit of the holidays, I’d like to give this coaster set to one of you lovely readers!

TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment on this post, telling me your favorite holiday beverage. Make sure to leave a way for me to contact you (email, twitter, etc.)

2. For an additional entry, follow Cotton & Flax on Twitter or Facebook, and let me know that you did in the comments here on the blog! If you’re already following, just let me know as well.

The giveaway is now closed, congrats to Kaitlyn Miller who won the coaster set! Thanks to everyone for playing, hope to do another giveaway sometime in the coming months.

New coasters, and an Autumn cocktail recipe.

December 6, 2012

Do you want to know Cotton & Flax’s top selling item this season, hands down? My new 100% wool felt coasters, hand silkscreened with my original patterns. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a few snippets of the felt when I was whittling down the color choices, and when it finally arrived at my door. The wool felt is a luxurious material to work with. It’s beautifully thick, and the colors are a great match to the fabrics I’m using for the rest of the Cotton & Flax collection.

I did a few different photo shoots for these coasters, one of which was styled with a delicious seasonal cocktail I found on Pinterest (via The Tampopo Post) not too long ago. It’s 2 parts fresh apple cider, two parts ginger beer, and one part Kentucky bourbon…yum. I love this cocktail because it’s perfect for LA winters… when it stays above 60˚ most days, it’s hard to justify making a Hot Toddy. The new coasters will keep your wooden tables safe as you enjoy hot and cold beverages all winter long.

Shop for Cotton & Flax coasters here.