Cara B. Design Studio

I've been mostly absent from social media the past few weeks. Life has been busy with the holidays, and then sadly, on Christmas Eve we lost my grandmother, just 3 weeks before her 99th birthday. 😢

I took it pretty hard, as I'm sure all of my cousins and aunts and uncles did. It's extremely difficult to lose someone you love. 🙁

This painting that you're looking at was painted by her when I was 6 years old. 😍 My grandmother was an extremely talented painter and her muse? Roses. 🌹 She painted the most beautiful roses and we were all gifted these beautiful paintings throughout our lives. I love that this one was painted on silk. It makes it so unique.

Every time I looked at this painting when I was little, I always imagined that it was all 4 of my grandparents perched on those branches, just having a chat, rather than birds. I don't know why, and I can't explain it, but that is still what I picture when I see this painting. I was extremely fortunate to have all 4 grandparents as a kid. 👵👴👵👴

On the bottom right, she wrote, "for my sweet little Cara, with so much Love, Grandmom Hertha. Winter 1986." 😭 That part is mostly faded now.

Yesterday we said goodbye to Grandmom, though due to Covid restrictions, only my parents and aunts and uncles were allowed to attend. The rest of us watched a live stream from home.

I'll be heading into the new year missing someone I loved more than I can put into words. But, I will always have her beautiful roses and this very special painting. ❤️️❤️️❤️️

These 4 textiles were matched together based on color, pattern, and texture. 👍

The 2 fabrics on the left are from one long piece of antique upholstery fabric. 🛋. The teal fabric is similar to velour, and the floral one is embroidered.

The middle, teal and gold fabric came from an amazing fabric store in Doylestown, PA that no longer exists. It’s a beautiful, mid weight fabric, lighter than but similar to, canvas. It’s a style of fabric called echino which is a line of fabrics from Japanese designer, Etsuko Furuya. 🗾

The right is a gold silk vintage fabric with scattered rectangles creating an interesting pattern. 🤩

These pieces were not initially intended to go together, but when I get into fabric matching mode... unexpected matches emerge! 😍

Oh how I love textiles!!! 🤗

One of my favorites. 😍

This beauty was made a few years ago when I was recovering from a traumatic shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. I was trying to sew, but it was REALLY tricky. 🙎

I had seriously injured my right, and dominant, shoulder after a freak accident, and was so bored since I couldn't do my full-time job as a licensed massage therapist with a private practice. I got back into sewing, but instead of the hobby it had been previously, it became an all-day, everyday venture to pass the time. ⏳

The fabric I used in this wallet is a combination of antique upholstery fabric and hand-printed fabric, of which I have none left, though I wish I did. 😕

I love this wallet and I'll be sad to see it go, but so excited for the person who gets to fall in love with it! 🤗