As you know one of the most inspiring and life-changing things I did this year was to attend a fabulous food photography workshop in Gulf Shores, Alabama with Helene Dujardin and Clare Barboza. It was probably the highlight of my year and certainly a turning point for me, and I wanted to celebrate/commemorate it if I could.
During that workshop I happened to share a room with weaver Marilyn Webster of Whimsy & Tea, and we went on several long walks along that perfect beach, chatting about fibre arts, colours, photography, creativity, her childhood in India, US politics, life, the universe and everything in between. So she seemed to be the perfect person to commission to weave a couple of commemorative tea towels, inspired by that exquisite beach beside an emerald ocean and fringed with macaron-coloured houses.
Marilyn is a joy to work with, is full of ideas and sends lots of pictures along the way. It was huge fun to collaborate with her on colour choices and design and to see the beach come to life in tea towel form.
Although they are expensive, the towels are handmade, of FABULOUS quality and will last a lifetime. Marilyn wants her towels to bring beauty to people’s every day lives, and not just tucked away in a drawer for a special occasion. There’s an important message in there somewhere.
And, as you can see, they go fabulously with a certain pistachio-coloured fridge and my crazy colourful kitchen shelves. They also provided the perfect backdrop for some pistachio shortbread cookies I just happened to have lying around. (Recipe on blog later this week)
If you’re looking for a special Christmas present for someone who would appreciate some real beauty in their kitchen, then look no further than the Whimsy & Tea online shop or else if you’re looking to commemorate a special vacation, trip or other occasion then Marilyn is happy to work on commissions, she just needs photos.
See more of the beach that inspired the towels here. And Marilyn has written a blog post where she explains all the work that goes into her towels here.
Ha! I’ve also noticed that they go superbly well with my new blog too…
Thanks for this lovely blog post, Paola. I’m so happy that I could do something to help you commemorate that important weekend. I’m also delighted to have been part of the workshop and weaving the towels brought back lots of wonderful memories for me.
I love seeing the towels in your new kitchen. They do look great with the fridge and your shelves.
I am SO glad you enjoyed working on the towels too. It makes me happy every time I use them.
beautiful, Marilyn!
Awww these towels are beautiful and they bring back lots of good memories of our time in Alabama! I swear you have the happiest kitchen ever Paola 🙂
Hey Tiffani! How are you doing? So nice to see you and Gale round here – we’ve got the band back together again 🙂
you totes need more props, where should I leave the key?