Studio View -- Vertical Storage

I am working on new ways to display my nature-inspired pillows and thought I would group them in the studio today as step number one. The display idea that has kept me awake since 4am is to use a clear acrylic shelf-like box that attaches to the wall like a picture frame. I could place the pillow inside the clear box for easy viewing, and the pillows would not be able to shift or fall over. Don't you love the idea of vertical storage? This idea would allow me to display dozens of pillows in minimal space! This is a great project for this snowy day in Colorado....Georgianne

Western Tanager Needle Felt Pillow

Aspen Grove Needle Felt Pillow

Red Bird Tree Needle Felt Pillow

Studio Scene at Nestle and Soar

This week in the studio has been all about tree pillows. I love needle felting trees! This week I made multiples of a fan favorite design, my Spring Tree pillow. Trees will start looking like this, with tiny green buds and a bird visit or two, just any time now!

I also finished my new favorite, the Red Bird tree pillow. I think this tree looks like a lovely lady, but I didn't notice that until I started taking photos...what do you think? I'm really fond of trees that have taken on unusual shapes because of the wind: I have to admit though, I'm not a big fan of wind. Anyone who lives in Colorado this week can sympathize with me regarding heavy wind!

Well, I'm back to the studio for sewing pillows and inserting pillow forms! The windy week has now turned into a snowy day, and that's a good day to stay warm in my studio.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

What it the Perfect Decorator Pillow?

Folk Art Flowers Pillow from Nestle and Soar

Decorative pillows may not be the first decision you make when decorating your home, but perhaps it should be! Finding a handmade pillow, throw pillow, or cushion that contains your favorite colors or style is a wonderful starting focus for a decorative plan! Or perhaps you prefer to wait until all the painting, rearranging, and furniture choices have been made before you select any embroidered pillows, tree pillows, or flower pillows to provide the “icing on the cake”, as it were. Either way, as a focusing tool or a final touch, choosing the perfect decorative pillow for your home is a lot of fun!

What do you need to think about before you put on your shopping shoes?

•  Take some quick notes about the space you will be decorating. As you observe your space, would you like a contemporary/modern decorative pillow? Have you always admired handmade bird pillows, and as you walk around your space, you see that this bird pillow would be a perfect fit? Your notes are a good place to write down words that describe your style aesthetic: traditional, modern, vintage, cabin, eco-chic…you get the idea. Knowing the direction of the space will save you lots of time and ease the shopping experience. Also, knowing the direction you are headed based on your personal style may help you find a great pillow that stands-out from, instead of blending-into, your developing plans. A pop of interest can be the perfect touch!

What is the size and color of your sofa?

•  Somewhere in your notes, jot down the dimensions of your furniture. Finding the perfect pillow for your home may come down to a matter of scale – if your sofa is tiny, your pillows probably won’t be huge! At this time, also note how you use your furniture. Is the room you are decorating always kept perfectly ordered, or do you lounge around in the space and truly make yourself comfortable? These are important questions because if your pillows are “for show” vs. for napping, it is good to keep that in mind at the beginning. I like to have a napping pillow near every sofa, but I also like to decorate with artistic pillows that are truly conversation starters!

• Quality craftsmanship matters: unless you plan to place the pillow out of reach, know that it will be handled. I think of my pillows as soft art for the home. When you decorate with embroidered items in particular, the stitches should be meticulously made. In fact, a well-made decorative pillow can become a family heirloom.

Fantastical Tree Pillow

• Know how to clean the pillow: when you decorate using fibers like wool, throwing the pillow in the washing machine may spoil the fun. If the maker of the pillow does not state care instructions, make sure you ask. If there is no one to ask, say, if you are shopping vintage, I would recommend you choose professional dry cleaning to be safe.

• Colorfast materials are important, especially if your decorative pillow will be in direct sunlight. Light has the ability to fade out fabrics quickly, so rotate the placement of decorative pillows in sunny rooms.

•  Some designers sell the pillow cover only without a pillow insert. This has pros and cons. If you order your decorative pillow online, a pillow cover alone is less expensive to mail. If you don’t already have a pillow of the correct size to use as the new pillow’s insert, you’ll have to make a trip to the fabric store. The retail price of pillow inserts varies depending on size and what they use to fill the insert. It’s great to buy a down pillow insert, if you want to spend a little more!

Decorative pillows for your home are like jewelry or designer hand bags. As your mood changes or as the seasons change, you can change your living space to reflect how you are feeling. I love having a wardrobe of decorative pillows on hand, and it is always fun to collect pillows with personality. Your home can be uniquely beautiful, just like you!

Green Luxury Items created by Fiber Artist, Georgianne Holland

Near Boulder, Colorado, at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in her Nestle and Soar Studio, fiber folk artist Georgianne Holland helps birds and trees come to life from a deep pile of soft merino wool. Fuzzy piles of wool roving cover every horizontal surface, and are the material used by this folk artist to depict the natural beauty of birds and trees. In this color-saturated fiber arts studio, she creates original handmade home décor items, green luxury items, for sale on her newly launched website, www.nestleandsoar.com.

Nestle and Soar appeals to consumers because the energy of nesting at home and gliding above the fray is a long-held dream for many. Folk art has always been an avenue for self-taught creative types to make useful objects that are decorative, and Nestle and Soar is certainly part of that long tradition. If you speak to Georgianne for any length of time, you will hear her say that everyone deserves the chance to nestle and soar. That has certainly happened for this passionate entrepreneur.

The fiber art created by Holland is also rooted in thousands of years of tradition: creating useful items from the fleece of animals has helped humankind survive harsh weather as well as make home more special. Georgianne said, “I have always felt the energy of homemakers and other creative women. I truly believe that the needle arts are a valuable skill that should still be celebrated in American culture. I believe there is great power in the home arts. As with this art form, the work of women’s hands will always be important. However, needle arts like the craft of needle felting have never been just for women.” These historic needle art skills are newly popular with many, and fiber artists around the world celebrate the decorative nature of this heritage fine craft.

The Nestle and Soar website features the designer pillows and folk art for the wall created by Georgianne Holland, and also features bird and tree-themed green luxury items by other folk artists and fine craftspeople. “I am proud to make this website a venue for bird- and tree-themed fine crafts.” Hand-thrown pottery, hand-pulled woodblock prints, and hand-embroidered winter-weight scarves, are among some of the treasured items featured on this new website.

Georgianne has also joined forces with the Arbor Day Foundation so that she and her customers can have a tree planted in a National Forest in honor of their purchase. “This joint effort celebrates the many friends I have made through my work as a fiber artist—friends who also adore the beauty of the natural world and help create the loving energy that is part of every transaction from Nestle and Soar.”

Georgianne Holland, fiber folk artist and writer, began her career as a family member in the profoundly popular Leman Publications, the kitchen-table creation of her parents, George and Bonnie Leman. Beginning in 1969, the Lemans published the world-renowned Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Perhaps one of this family’s greatest contributions in their 30+ years in the quilt industry was their mentoring of female entrepreneurs who went on to breathe new life into what became a thriving industry and economic opportunity for thousands around the world. Georgianne believes in the personal connection between herself and her Nestle and Soar customers, a lesson she learned from her parent’s example. This creation of community fuels her work with featured artists as well as her support of the Arbor Day Foundation today. 

Handmade Folk Art Pillows and Inventory Control

Pillows ready to ship, wrapped in muslin cases.

When I made the decision to reconfigure my Nestle and Soar Studio space, it was important to keep in mind that I create soft goods...pillows and wool wall hangings. These fluffy items do not stack neatly or have enough stability to stand on their own. My fiber folk art is very textural and while it is strong and stable, I want to keep it in pristine condition as it awaits its new calling in a new place.

The inventory methods I've devised with these elements in mind are working like a charm! My first studio photo shows finished designer pillows ready for shipment. I sew a muslin pillow case to house each wool pillow I create, and that keeps it fresh for my clients. It also protects the pillow during shipment inside of a heavy cardboard box. I have pinned an inventory number with a photo of each pillow to the outside of the muslin case, and when each item is purchased, I tie a pretty ribbon around it; I like to think it feels like my clients are unwrapping a gift! I place my pillows on their backs for storage, which keeps them from wrinkling, as many of my designs involve linen.

Design wall with pillow fronts ready for embellishment

Some of my clients, especially those living far away, choose to have their pillow shipped without a pillow insert. It saves on postage expenses, and it also gives the opportunity to put their new Nestle and Soar folk art pillow cover onto a pillow they already own. This dresses up their home without adding to their "stuff", no pun intended! One wall of my studio has been draped with flannel and it is there that I display pillow fronts that are in process. My second image shows this wall with pillow fronts awaiting a few more seed beads, some hand embroidered details, or a final pass at the needle-felting station. I will not sew these pillows together until they are purchased, as this way, my client can tell me "Insert" or "No Insert". It is easier to store pillow inventory that does not already include the pillow insert, as I could conceivable stack 100 pillow fronts in the space it would take to stack 3 finished pillows!

I really enjoy walking into my studio and seeing the inventory. I can easily pluck a pillow-front from my design wall and dive into the final embellishment. Or, I can stand in front of my wall of finished pillows, wrapped and ready, and feel a rush of accomplishment. I sometimes daydream about who will next hold and love these pillows, and sometimes, I wonder if I really want to see any of them go! Umm, yes, I do! Do you hear any of them calling your name?

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Soft Sunflower Folk Art Pillow

It is sunflower time in Colorado, or so I am told by my handsome husband, who grew up in Kansas and knows his sunflowers. As we drove yesterday to Greeley, Colorado, we saw our highways lined with sunflowers ready to burst with yellow light! I'm also told that a patch of sunflowers is difficult to walk around and through. Their stalks are thick, prickly, and densely packed together. I'd love to have my picture taken surrounded by sunflowers though.

Did you watch any of the Tour de France? The Sunflower fields in France are sooo lovely. I'd like to say that someday I will see them in person...in the meantime...I've made this soft sunflower folk art pillow!

There are eleven shades of yellow and gold in this needle felt pillow. It is great fun blending, twisting, and playing with the wool roving that I use in my dry felting! I added some tiny seed beads for sparkle, because in my sunflower fantasy, sparkling happens! If you'd like to see more photos of this playful pillow, you can check it out at Soft Sunflower Pillow.

I hope that as you enjoy the last week of July, you come across some lovely sunflowers and perhaps even taking a stroll amonst them. Please let me know how it goes!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne