Has anyone else noticed recently that Ikea has really improved it's fabric collection. Long gone are the slightly bizarre, heavily abstract prints and in their place, Ikea has begun producing their new quilting weight cottons, with modern designs as well as their heavier weight fabrics that feature some really cool Japanese inspired patterns.
I really enjoy shopping for textiles in Ikea at the moment, although I have to admit that I think there's still a bit of snobbery about using the fabrics. I'm not completely sure why this is, especially when the other famous Scandinavian export, Marimekko is the complete opposite. Not that I'm saying that they are equal in products or designs, because they obviously aren't, it's just that there are many similarities with the large scale, ethnic prints that they both produce (sometimes slightly too much similarity!) and for those of us on a budget that doesn't quite stretch to the wonders of Merimekko design, Ikea really is a good option.
One thing that I've noticed, in both myself and others, is a slight embarrassment when a fabric that's been used is recognised as being an Ikea print. And I wonder why I feel this. I have no qualms about using recogniseable prints by Liberty or Marimeko and no one I know has any problem with buying items made from those fabrics. Which would imply that either it's based on its monetary value or on the quality of the fabric itself. From a purely financial view point, Ikea fabric is of course cheaper than those produced by big design houses, but if you take a world view, it's actually still above average in price, (although annoyingly enough, it is still cheaper in the US than here in the UK). Which I guess would mean that it's an issue with the perceived quality of the cottons and linens themselves. And whilst I have to say that their quilting cottons are a lighter weight than I would really like, they are still pretty sturdy and I've used them for both clothing and quilting without any real issues (although clothes do need to be lined if transparency is an issue!). As far as their upholstery fabrics go though, I really don't think you can knock them. They're a really good weight, they wash really well and can be used for most purposes.
Which leads me back to me original thought - why is there some snobbery about using Ikea fabrics? A question that that I think might change though as their collection continues to grow. Especially as unlike in the US, we are still sorely limited here in the UK, when it comes to affordable, modern fabrics.
The fabrics in these photo's are a mix of upholstery weight (the red dots, and it also comes in blue, green, yellow and black), bed linen (the very popular Rosali print has been re-issued), towelling (very Toast) and natural linen.
