Celebrate Independence Your Way {Très Americaine!}

yes, you can make this double-layered American Flag Quilt yourself!

I have been (irrationally) in love with Alabama Chanin for years (irrational because the clothing is un peu trop ingenue for moi, and I'm not a needle and thread type!). Natalie Chanin originally hooked me with her one-off chandeliers crafted from found wood, wire, feathers, stones, bones; and her charming chair seat covers, tablecloths, for the elegant, rustic handmade touch for the home. Uniquely designed and handmade at her atelier in Florence, Alabama from natural cottons, linens, dyes and materials, her things are definitely in the "you won't see this anywhere else" category!

I'm thinking these DIY flowers could be perfect for the

fall farm dinner I am designing

fabric you ink yourself then make into a little summer dress!

(pickles not included!)

Now she has created a series of DIY projects of the most unique, touchingly hand made, sweet and rustic-chic kind. I'm not one for mail-order kits, but these are quite another story!

Celebrate your independence from buying readymade, and get over to Alabama Chanin DIY for these fabulous sewing, stenciling and beading projects...many are perfect for the home, some are great for simple skirts and scarves, and all will help you spend some old fashioned productive time as the summer days lengthen long into evening. You won't have to do these by candlelight!

Then brag to us here...or put your creations on etsy! I can guarantee a visit to Alabama Chanin will leave you inspired, and maybe even inspire a daughter or son to put down the iPad/iPhone/iPod for a few precious minutes and take that first handmade stitch towards creating something with their own two hands! La route d'independence!

medallion boudoir pillow with backstitch reverse applique

spiral applique and beaded camisole dress

bandana kit comes painted, stenciled and ready to sew;

do you know someone going through chemo who might adore this?

sampler quilt comes stenciled and ready to sew

I love this rooster and rose tablecloth...would someone just make

that one for me, please?

***

Alabama Chanin

BOOKS

just above are some fabulous books you can find at

Alabama Chanin's online store, or Amazon

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Whiling the Summer Away, Elegantly

For a little Provencal magic in your garden this summer, look no further! Celebrations take on new importance with these sheltering canopies and tents defining your space and creating an undeniably chic and festive air. You can almost hear les cigales chirping and the warm gentle breezes ruffling the fabric as you and your guests relax with un aperitif under these magnificent structures and while the glorious summer hours away.

the Baldachino canopy in lemon yellow

framed with bamboo

the Giostra tent in the festive red and white stripes

of summer

I love this intimate little spot created

by "Umbrello Rettangulare"

this gauze linen and iron structure with chandelier

create luxurious elegance by the sea

the ultimate elegance for a special occasion is this

wooden and bamboo structured tenting

Your collection of miniature orange and lemon trees, topiary boxwoods and lavender plants will attain that je ne sais quoi ease and elegance when potted in these authentic Provencal containers. From the elegant and stately square box planter derived from the orangeries of Versailles, to the modern, minimalist zinc containers that complement the natural elements so beloved in Provencal gardens and homes, you will evoke la cote mediteranee.

your boxwoods never looked so chic!

the Vase d'Anduze first appeared in Provence

in the 16th C. under Henry IV

simple and chic terra cotta pot

in brilliant red enamel adds such

elegance to this entryway

zinc pots work with modern, sleek gardens

and architecture and look fabulous

with textural plantings

the square box "caisse de Versailles" is

a classic for smaller citrus trees; originally designed

by Lenotre to open for storing trees indoors

in the wintertime

small limestone benches with fleur de lys and lions

***

pavilions, tents, planters and bench all available at

{Authentic Provence}

the unforgettable Abbye de Senanque with lavender fields

in full bloom, near Gordes, in Provence

Midsummer in the Forest

She had always wanted a home of her own, a sweet sanctuary she could furnish with lovingly chosen things that didn't cost the earth. She wanted to create a small visual feast just for herself and to have things exactly how she wanted. So she found an old hunting cabin deep in the forest and transformed it into her little haven:

once a neglected old hunting hut, now

transformed with Victoriana and white paint

she made every square inch count, from the

bookshelves under the eaves to the

wire-front cupboards

a downy sleeping loft under the rafters

the simplest of arrangements: foliage from the

forest tucked into clear glass containers of all kinds

those raspberry colored mud boots could not be

more charming on the little front porch

see the enchanting story of how she used salvaged, found

things to create her tiny Victorian cottage in the Catskills on

a shoestring..it's a fascinating story!

The New York Times

perhaps a midsummer's celebration

in the forest? what shall we

choose for dessert?

apricot ice cream with

nut crust?

violette cassis ice cream?

petits choux?

berry meringue tarts with mint?

rhubarb sables with strawberries

and orange?

recipes here at Marie Claire Maison

(in French, you'll have to get

Bardot in Blue to translate them, she just finished school

in Paris last month!!)