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These patterned cushions had me at hello. Too bad they don’t quite mesh with my current living area color scheme. Maybe they’ll match yours?

I’m more than a little taken with these alphabet cushions by Elsie Dodds. Each cushion is decorated with all sorts of imagery attached to a particular letter which is printed on the reverse. It’s up to you whether you find it appropriate for your living room or for someone learning their ABCs, and maybe for some of you it’ll be both.
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If you’re lucky enough to not bat an eyelid at the price of this Nap Sleeping Bag, good for you. For the rest of us, we’ll take note of the wonderful idea of having a sleeping bag specifically for taking naps or picnicking on, especially one with stripes and plaids such as this one, and file it away for a future DIY project.

If you’re looking to add some new textiles to your home, FunQuilts has a nice selection of modern designs to choose from. Whether you’re wanting a smaller wall hanging (38″ x 46″) or a quilt big enough for a bed, know that they’ve got several sizes to fit and even a custom order option should you need it. Also, be sure to note their smaller reversible 30″ x 40″ Many Hands Blankies ($75.00, shown below) made by developmentally disabled adults.

Shown: Sparkler Quilt, $1,900.00 – $5,600.00
More quilts below.

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I remember seeing these on Cool Hunting a while ago, and now that they’ve popped up at another retailer it’s worth showcasing them here. Made entirely of eco-friendly materials, the appliqued pillows feature subjects of Geology (a volcano), Botany (a flower), and Anatomy (a person). Black wool felt and bright sensuede applique’s (made of recycled polyester) make for an altogether strong graphic design.

Designer: Heather Lins
Material – Pillow 100% wool felt, Insert down feather
17″ x 17″

Also available from Heather Lins’ Supermarket store ($220).

Check out Ross Menuez’s new-ish pillow range. If you like them as much as I do, you’ll have to be patient because they won’t ship until mid to late June. There’s also totes ($50) and pouches ($24) available in the same range of fabrics.

Designer: Ross Menuez
Material: Organic Cotton and Down

Shown clockwise: Dot Kuma Pillow, Cedar Kuma Pillow, Fingerprint Kuma Pillow, Zig Kuma Pillow

Now you can pretend to be eagle soaring around your home while you keep warm. There’s still a few chilly nights before summer sets in, right? This blanket is by the same company that makes the funny/wonderful Sealpelts.

Designed by Vík Prjónsdóttir.
100% Icelandic wool.
250 x 135cm
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Do you remember seeing the Dan Golden Rugs we featured a while ago? Well, as luck would have it, there’s now a pillow featuring the same graphic as the Morphine Cartoon Rug, and it costs a mere $100 (compared to the rug prices, that’s practically giving it away).

Available for pre-order, pillows ship June 1, 2010,

Hand silk-screened
100% Organic Cotton
18″ x 18″

You can help fund scholarships for the American Indian College Fund by buying this blanket. As if we needed extra reasons. Some of the other blankets are pretty eye-catching as well, and have me wondering where I might fit one into my home.

Legendary Southwest ceramic artist Maria Martinez 1887-1980) is renowned for her black-on-black pottery, re-creating an ancient art form until then seen only in museums. In the Tewa pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico, she was known for making the thinnest pots in the fastest amount of time. She shared her traditional techniques and skills with her family, her Pueblo and the world, in keeping with her belief that an individual could not succeed without supporting the group.

64″ x 80″

Thanks to Jason for the link.

I might be late on the bandwagon to see Emily Fischer’s Soft-Maps, but it’s better late than never. Her to-scale maps quilted onto blankets are pretty wonderful. Custom orders are available and word on the street is that the quilts make excellent gifts for big life events (weddings, etc.). Readymade has an HDYGTFAJ interview with her, I recommend it.

Shown above: Map area: WIlliamsburg Bridge to McCarren Park, BQE to East River
Map details: handstitched waterfront, parks and bridge
Queen (88″ x 96″): $3,600.00
Twin (50″ x 70″): $2,400.00

Mini-quilts are also available at a more affordable price: 18 x 24″ or 24 x 36″.

(This item’s link and price was updated 05/05/10.)

Pillows are always an inexpensive way to make a room feel new and/or different, and these circus-ish ones (it’s the fringe + animals) will add a tiny touch of middle-eastern flavor to a seating area.

The Thomaspaul Bazaar Pillow Collection, made of 100% linen and cotton fringe, features a hand screened image, with an overall design echoing the designs and patterns of the middle-east.

18 x 18 (inches)

Bazaar Ostrich Pillow, $100.00
Bazaar Elephant Pillow, $120.00

Fairytales and folklore? Yes, please. These wool quasi-throws/wraps will remind you to improve your storytelling skills.

BIRD PLAIDS are three plaids inspired by Chinese kites that have a recorded history of over 2500 years. Chinese kites have unique, outstanding and manifold motives and forms. They can be animals like birds, turtles, butterflies, fireflies, frogs, fishes and other kinds of marine life, all based on spirits, ghosts, fairytale and folklore. BIRD PLAIDS wrap people up in their large, cosy wings, bringing the spirit of storytelling night in the home, adding value to the comfort of wool.

Dimensions: 200 x 140 cm
Email designer to order, fyi.

Watch out, because these two items are kind of adorable. A grizzly bear bean bag? Log pillows with a baby propped out as a little beaver? How can anyone resist such tactics? If you look at the close-up pics on these items (not shown), you can see that the graphics are knitted instead of printed, which ratchets the quality up a notch (in my opinion).

Big Sleeping Grizzly Bear Bean Bag, $135.00, Buy it here.
Log Pillows, $40.00-$69.00, Buy it here.

[via outblush]

Did you know that ‘björk’ is the Swedish word for birch, and that a birch tree that is found all over Sweden? These pillows and rugs by Lena Bengström were, of course, inspired by the birch tree with its graphical white and black trunk structure. The leather handles and edging refers to the inside of the bark.

The Björk rugs and their patterned structure, are definitely city-dwellers with a modern and enriched textile quality, as well as stylish and protective leather edging. Lena’s conviction is that a rug’s flat textile surface is just as natural in the home as stone and wood. “To me, the rugs are poetry, like a quiet whisper within the room”. The color tones create a marbled effect through a warp of cotton intertwined with a weft in wool, known not only for its sofness, but also for its built-in resistance to dirt.

Björk Pillow Cushions, Bright Grey or Dark Grey, 37″x37″, $350.00, Buy it here.

Björk Rugs, Bright Grey or Dark Grey, $250.00-$750.00, Buy it here.
Rug available sizes: 31″x98″ ($250.00), 66″x94″ ($500.00), 78″x 117″ ($750.00)

Yes, please, times ten thousand. Check out these strong stripes in rich bold colors that has my heart going thumpety-thump-thump. No one could accuse you of wallflower color schemes with one of these babies thrown into a room.

Kaleidostripe Pillow – Multi (left)
Modern Maze Pillow – Multi (middle)
Right Angle Pillow – Multi (right)

$295.00 each, Buy it here.