stocking spectacular

mele kalikimaka stockings

expecting to be on the nice list this year and waking up to find little bundles of holiday treats waiting for you on christmas morning? the tree may be the biggest thing on your decorating list but don't forget about xmas stockings pretty enough to receive non-coal goodies from a certain someone.

i decided it was time to go hunting for stockings with a little aloha spirit for those of us who appreciate good design. the ground rules? no raffia or surfing santas and i soon discovered this was no easy task. after many, many clicks, i was relieved to find these elegant hand quilted xmas stockings from kenui quilts that mix traditional hawaiian design with the festive colors of the holiday season.

hable construction hawaii holiday

a bit too traditional for you? my favorite is this playful hawaii holiday stocking from nyc's hable construction. yes, it's a tad pricey but the feel good factor is high once you consider the number of holiday uses it will endure and that the felt appliqué design is sewn by a woman's cooperative in hungary. act fast if you love it since this is a web exclusive design and quantities are limited (fyi - the other color in this pattern recently sold out and has a waitlist for 2007!).

textile dinner design

this vibrant silk table runner is a colorful and contemporary way to bring some island style to your home over the holiday season. vicky durand, the surfer turned textile artist, hand prints all the designs for her hawaiian wearable art collection and recently expanded her line to include accessories for the home (check out the washable silk shower curtains if you want to add a little tropical punch to your bath).

you can have your pick of colors and patterns when shopping online or stop by one of the many boutiques & museum shops that stock hawaiian wearable art around the islands.

kenui quilts

it's hard not to be impressed when you stand in front of a hawaiian quilt. master quilters earn their sewing stripes only after devoting years to their craft of transforming simple pieces of fabric into those familiar hawaiian designs.

kenui quilts has elevated the design of hawaiian quilting with their luxurious satin silk 'ulu quilt, a definite departure from the more colorful quilts we all grew up with (can't you imagine lying on your bed and tracing the wave-like pattern with your fingertip?).

contemporary quilts have really taken off over the past few years so this is a cool way to include the traditional hawaiian style in a home with more modern sensibilites. this is a hand crafted piece so if you love it start saving your pennies, however, since it is made to order, you can select the color (or send in your own fabric) so the quilt matches your bedroom decor.

sig zane is the man

backstage bags

. . . and that's a good thing because his company's mantra is to honor the land & native culture of the islands. the flowers and plants that are so integrated into the hawaiian way of life are beautifully represented on textiles that are the foundation of the crush worthy designs at sig zane. one look at all the gorgeous goods and i guarantee you will fall in love with more than a few things.

in addition to aloha wear, the accessories collection is ready for the wish list and ranges from leather goods to umbrellas printed with the signature bold graphics that have kept sz fans coming back for more than 20 years. guys will also want to check out the super limited edition hoodie, a cozy alternative on aloha fridays, before it sells out.

maile umbrella

remember that when you spot something in your favorite color, your best bet is to snap it up since designs are only printed on 50 yards of fabric. the colorway is then retired so a fresh perspective on the design via fresh ink can be introduced.

lucky you live on the big island or maui since sig zane shops can only be found in hilo & wailuku. the rest of us will have to be content to shop online until the next island hop.

notes from paradise

coming home

have you ever flipped through what seems like every single greeting card at hallmark searching in vain for the one that expresses just the right thing for the occasion? more often than not i leave the shop empty handed so these striking screen printed note cards from binth are just the thing to keep in the stationary stash.

the artists behind binth may call chicago home but they have definitely captured the feel of a day spent at the beach. if you can't bear to part with the coming home set, keep a few of the cards for yourself and frame them to add a graphic punch of modern surf style to your home.

{update | jan 2010: alas, the coming home note card set featured above seems to have been retired, however two of the designs are now available as 5x5 prints}