The Royals



The largely anticipated royal wedding is just weeks away.  The whole world will be watching as Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange their vows.  Girls of all ages will daydream of what it must be like to be in Kate's shoes...marrying a prince and becoming part of the royal family.  Sigh.  Kate must be on cloud nine... practicing her new signature, trying to wrap her mind around the title "Princess." And if it were me, I would be excited about my new royal monogram--thoughts of what I could put it on would fill my head.

Monograms have been around for centuries and the origins traced back to royalty and the wealthy.  The earliest forms of monograms were found to be used used as a form of currency, and also helped to identify valuable property of royalty.  Thus evolving into a means of recognition for personal goods, such as armor and weaponry, ladies handkerchiefs, and table linens. 

In past centuries, young girls used to spend hours stitching their monograms onto napkins and other treasures to put in their hope chests for them to pull out once they got married.  But instead of stitching the now traditional three-letter monogram, they would only stitch two letters since they did not know their future husband's name yet.  Now we are starting to see the antique two-letter monograms reappear in the monogramming world. 

Monograms and embroidery, whether they be for the royal couple or just for us normal folks, are a wonderful way to put a personal touch on everyday items.  An easy way to dress up bed linens is with a striking monogram in the center of a duvet or an embroidered greek key along the flange of soft sheets.  A set of monogrammed towels makes for a divine wedding gift.  Even snugly spa robes are just the much more inviting to get into with a monogram on them.

So as we get our fill of the royal nuptials, treat yourself to a little bit of queenly indulgence with a monogrammed bit of bliss.  We are fortunate enough to have two monogram stores at Cotswold Marketplace, Letter Perfect Monogram and The Art of Stitch.  Letter Perfect Monogram offers the traditional monograms, while The Art of Stitch offers a more custom take on monograms.  You are sure to find a bit of luxury to take home with you or give as a gift.
 

 

 

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution took place during the 18th and 19th centuries, starting within the textiles industry.  The utilization of powered machinery and production lines emerged as prominent pieces of manufacturing.  Functionality became king and forever changed the face of industry and society. 

Now, we have seen a type of Industrial Revolution take place within the design world.  It started in Europe more than 10 years ago, with sprinklings of the industrial influence emerging in urban areas.  The limited space in Eurpean city flats meant that furniture needed to be purposeful, useful.  Sure enough, though the trend started as a necessity for the practical, the trend caught on and is now a clearly defined segment in design. 

After our monstrous change in the economic climate of our world, I believe, our way of thinking has changed.  This factor alone has had an influence on our current design state and has caused a renewed interest in the industrial elements.  The utilitarianism of this movement has also struck a cord with many designers and can be seen in many homes.  We want our pieces of furniture to be practical, as well as serving a purpose from an aesthetic stand point.  And in that sense, we our facing our own sort of industrial revolution.

I will leave you with this final thought... The English architect William Morris wrote that you shouldn’t have anything in your home that is not functional or beautiful.



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