Les Toiles Du Soleil and a "Beachy" giveaway

I visited a wonderful shop in NYC that I want to share with you.  The name  is Les Toiles du Soleil.  It is a happy and colorful fabric store that was founded 150 years ago in a small town in the Catalan part of France called Saint Laurent de Cerdans. 

The shopkeepers, Sandrine Guibert and Jean Luc Carrucciu are a delightful husband and wife duo from the Catalan region that brought Les Toiles du Soleil to New York City in 2008.  The shop is located at 261 West 19th Street. There is also a website that you can order the items from.  To view, go here.

                                                         

Above is the collection of subrella fabrics.  They are perfect to brighten any outdoor space!

They also have 100% cottons that are great for upholstery, curtains, roman shades,  etc.

The fabrics are still made on the traditional looms to keep their ancestral quality.

Here some samples of items that are made from the fabric:

Aprons

Deck chairs

Espadrilles in many colors!  Les Toiles Du Soleil is well known in Europe for their Espadrilles.

I could not resist these red, green and orange ones!  Had to buy to go with:

This red jacket!  (The colors are off in the pictures, but they are a perfect match.)

I am going to wear the shoes and jacket with jeans rolled up to show the shoes and white t-shirt.

Tori Burch is showing a very similar shoe in her 2010 summer collection for double the price!

Les Toiles also make the fabric into great napkins, tote bags, and beach bags.

There are stuffed bears and bunnies, too!

Here is a little designer hint- if you want to order samples from the Les Toiles Du Soleil website.  Because each fabric is 72" wide with a large repeat, a swatch is not going to be large enough so order a 9" piece.  It will cost a little but will be worth it.

Sandrine told me that many people come in to buy just enough for a pillow because they are afraid to use so much color BUT they seemed to always come back for more.  The fabrics are so bright that they enliven the mood of your room.  Especially, she says, when it is gray and cloudy outside.

 I can totally see these fabrics in a beach house,  a kid's playroom or bedroom.  If you have white slipcovered furniture, add mitered striped pillows in the bright colors for the summer season. To die for!

NOW, for the giveaway!  I am going to give a Les Toiles Du Soleil beach bag to one lucky reader.  Here is all you need to do:

Either...

1. Leave me a comment.
2. Become a follower.
3. Add me to your blog list and let me know that you added me.

It is that simple!  A winner will be chosen randomly.  I will put all the names in a bowl and have one of my kids draw the winner. (I know too many of you to choose myself!)   Please, make sure to leave an email so I can email the winner.  I will name a winner on Wednesday, 4/14.

Here is the bag!!  Sorry for the "not so great" picture, it was getting dark outside when I took the photo.  I promise the bag is yummy!  

Au Revoir for now!