Zibbet Tuesday- Miles of Textiles

I really must tell you that I adore the pillows sold at Miles of Textiles. They are gorgeous!  Let me introduce you to the owner.

Meet Catheline.

 

 

Tell me a bit about you.
  I'm retired from the foreign service & now living in Las Vegas. I focus full-time on creating home decor pieces from my collection of textiles I've gathered during my years spent in the Middle East & Southeast Asia.
  I have a 20-yr old daughter who has just gotten her certification to become a veterinary assistant. She has a menagerie of cats & dogs that are all cuter than cute. I love hearing from her about their antics and what they're all up to.
  My hobbies include reading and in-depth research into the history and cultures of those foreign countries in which I have lived and traveled. To me it is a fascinating study and and I do spend countless hours at it.

Catheline's favorite pieces:

 Burgundy Velvet Pillow

 

Tangerine Silk & Green Velvet Pillow

  

Burgundy & Navy Tissue Holder w/Tassels

Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from the colors and "hand" of the fabrics themselves. I like to make one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Each one takes lots of time. If it is not "just right" it is not beyond me to tear it out and start over....often 4 or 5 times. I'm so grateful to whoever invented "retirement" so I now have the time to devote to this sort of thing. I'm also inspired by my textile library. Although I do not make couture clothing (good grief, the thought of it!) I have read lots of biographies of those who do. I'm inspired by how they are all masters of their crafts. Many of them learned to sew when they were young children at their mothers' knee. When I lived in Paris I had the opportunity to visit many of their fashion houses. Of course, being aghast at the prices I now know why they are so expensive: all are hand-sewn by a select few who possess great skill with just a needle and thread. In their work the sewing machine is used rarely. To me that is fascinating. One of my favorite books is about the House of Lesage, the French embroidery firm. Although they now outsource most of their work to India to reduce labor costs, the photos of their works are stunning. My first reaction when seeing examples was "how could human hands possibly make something so beautiful?" If you're not familiar with Lesage, and are interested, I would highly recommend researching the type of work they do.

Any words of inspiration for other Zibbet sellers?
I would say to not give up and let people know you exist! If you love what you do and have the time to devote to your craft that is what is important. Your passion will come through in the final product. Don't be too focused on the financial returns. It will take all the joy out of your art. At least for me it does.