Collab: Marble Dye Collection with Mercedez Rex
We partnered with Austin-based marbling artist Mercedez Rex to collaborate on custom marbled fabric that our team of quilters used to create a limited edition capsule collection of one-of-a-kind pillows, wall quilts, and vests.
I became enamored with marble dying after spotting a marbled robe at Round Top last fall and not long after, I felt like I was seeing it everywhere — on Block Shop’s gift boxes, on the walls of Hotel Saint Vincent in New Orleans, on Lillian Farag’s leather goods.
Water marbling is a centuries old mono printing process that involves floating pigment on the surface of naturally treated water to create dynamic pattens which can then be transferred onto fabric, paper, leather or wood. While the marbling technique is not new, its recent resurgence has given the art a new life. Marbling feels fresh, bold, organic, dynamic and playful— which perfectly complements Vacilando’s modern geometric aesthetic.
The stars aligned when I discovered Mercedez Rex’s gorgeous marbled art through a holiday market in Austin. Her application of marbling on silk scarves inspired me to reach out and ask if she wanted to collaborate with us — her marble dyed fabric applied to our pillows, wall quilts, and brand new quilted vests. Her description of the marbling process really spoke to me as an artist and to the beauty in the skillful imperfection of craft:
“The marbler's hands intentionally position the floating ink yet, in the realm of the marbler's mind, there exists a sense of suspension, eagerly awaiting the moment of revelation. There is uncertainty regarding how the pigment will meander across the water's surface, morphing as it comes into contact with other drops of color; how the slightest shift of the tray might introduce delightful variations in the patterns, and how the colors themselves may shift in relation to other color on the marbled surface. The marbler must accept the mystery of the process and remain open to change and surprise. The art of marbling imparts lessons in patience and acceptance, with the marbler becoming both the master and the student of chance.”
We pulled together inspiration photos, color palettes, and favorite marbling styles, sent Mercedez a bolt of linen cotton, and gave her free reign to make something beautiful. A month later, we had twelve yards of unique marbled fabric to play with.
I really wanted the beauty of the marbling to shine as the focal point of this collection, so we made six whole cloth pillows and gave the vests the whole cloth treatment as well. The pillows are so chic and add a touch of organic psychedelia to a room. And the vests are so unique and wearable — they are a real statement-making garment.
With the leftover marbled scraps, our production quilter Mary had enough to apply Mercedez’ fabric to a handful of our quilted pillow and wall quilt designs. And I’m so glad she did — they are stunning and truly one of a kind!
Mercedez shared her perspective on the collaboration:
“This collaboration was a dream come true - I discovered Vacilando via Autocamp a few months before Laura reached out and was already a huge fan of their work. Home goods and clothing have been a long-time dream application of my marbled textiles but alas, sewing is not my strong suit... When Laura got in touch to suggest we join forces I was over-the-moon excited; 100% on board.
For this capsule collection we landed on two colorways: a cool blue toned and a more neutral palette that has a few pops of earthy color. Both design colorways are variations of a classic stone pattern- the Blue, features larger exaggerated stones and the Neutral has a few drawn stones- where a stylus was spontaneously dragged through existing stones in a freestyle way.
I love how Laura and the Vacilando team interspersed the marbled textiles in quilted cutouts on the wall quilts and throw pillows, there’s something about the tension of the organic marbled patterning being confined to precise shapes that is so aesthetically pleasing to my eye!”
It was such a treat working with Mercedez on this collaboration. In past artistic collaborations, we’ve gone back to the root of quilting and used leftover fabric scraps from other designers like Little Korboose and Quiet Town Home to create new designs. But to work with a fresh bolt of custom, hand dyed fabric from a talented artist like Mercedez is a true treat indeed. We can’t wait to share this collection with you all — enjoy!
