handmade in the cottage

I grew up in a family where everyone made “stuff”. Sometimes it was out of necessity, sometimes to prove it could be done, mostly I think it was just a better way to get exactly what we were looking for.

I studied history and art with the plan of becoming a decorative arts curator but I met a boy and plans changed. mybricole was founded in 2008. My original intent was a food blog, but my first post was on crocheted shawl I had just finished . That probably should have been my first hint that food wasn’t going to be my main focus. As for the name mybricole, bricole is a French word meaning a small gift or token. I love sharing handmade gifts and little tokens of friendship, so mybricole sounded just right.

I find inspiration for my projects in all sorts of places. Often, I find a spark looking at fabrics or searching through old books. I love fabric. Floral, geometric, modern, traditional, reproduction, don’t care, I love it all. Many of my projects begin with me walking into a shop and having a bolt of fabric catch my eye. Then I ask myself, what have I always wanted to make? How can I put my skills to the test? When I’m feeling stuck, I love to look through old books on quilting or art for block and color inspiration. It’s a great way to connect to the tradition of quilting while still putting your own twist on a project to make it your own.

thanks for visiting,

Deedrie