Recently I received the updated edition of eat.shop Philadelphia, a small book filled with funky places to check out in this city I love. I thought I had been everywhere until I saw that the Fabric Workshop and Museum has an amazing museum store.
Okay, so let me interrupt this post with some information I think you already know but I have to reiterate. I LOVE textiles, I love fabric with bright colors and bold patterns. In another life I was indeed a textile or surface designer. But also the influence definitely came from me growing up in a sewing studio where I was surrounded by clothing and bolts of fabric in every color and print you can imagine. This all explains why I was salivating when I walked into this store.
I made an appointment to check out the space and was literally blown away. It was by far the best museum shop I had ever stepped foot in. The Fabric Workshop and Museum opens it's doors to well-known and up-and-coming artists to come in and explore their creative skills using, or sometimes not, the medium of fabric. They exhibit their final pieces in the gallery space but sometimes also produce functional items that can be sold in the shop. So what I saw was screen-printed totes, hand-dyed scarves, handmade fabric dolls and jewelry, experimental fabric swatches, and bolts of hand-painted fabric. Even the walls were covered in material designed by visiting artists. It felt wonderful to be in such an inspiring space.
Then I was given a tour of the museum and studio space. It was awesome to see what the artists produce often times without any previous knowledge of working with textiles or fabrics. THEN we went upstairs to check out this incredible piece, a 52 foot felt whale created by Tristin Lowe.
I must say I left the Fabric Workshop and Museum ecstatic with creative energy. It's a beautiful space, and the museum shop is really an extra special treat to buy one-of-a-kind gifts or goods for the home. Here in Philly we are so lucky to have this wonderful artistic entity. If you live here or are visiting I hope you'll make time to check it out.
