Laced In
Kim McCormick, 48, lets the fabric call to her when contemplating a new design; apparently lace has a big, loud crush on the Columbia City–based designer. Stacked with intricate laces, McCormick’s Kimmi Designs line combines Miss Havisham’s dusted elegance with an ethereal fairy vibe, layers of draped, body-conscious silhouettes, and embellished lace clusters at neck and hemlines. “Lace is by far my favorite fabric, but the most challenging,” McCormick says. “I love to just let go and see how the lace wants to flow and work with it, not against it.” The former clothing rep, who also designs custom and ready-to-wear wedding gowns ($300–$1,500) in addition to slimming lace-overlay day dresses ($98–$250) and frilly cotton skirts with lace trim ($48–$68), scours estate sales and thrift shops for fabric and antique tablecloths to create her more whimsical offerings. Quirky, short, lace-trimmed chicken-print skirts ($58) are now in stock at the Frock Shop in Phinney Ridge. Available at etsy.com/shop/kimmi.

Check-in Time
If friends’ spare quarters were anything like new Madrona home décor shop Guesthouse (1135 34th Ave.; 206.462.1351; guesthouseseattle.com), we’d instantly become those pesky houseguests who refuse to leave. Affianced co-owners Kate Sehulster and David Link each apply their design talents to the welcoming studio, filled with serene Frank Milner landscape paintings, one-of-a-kind salvage décor and piles of fabric. The back of the shop is interior decorator Sehulster’s domain, the watermelon-colored walls covered with a full textile library of bold florals, paisleys and striped fabrics for her custom pillows ($75–$300) and upholstery services. Layered under Sehulster’s eclectic finds, which can include seashells, rustic antlers and vintage French country-inspired candlesticks, are Link’s hand-planed, raw-edged furniture pieces ($600–$2,500). Drafting tables and butcher blocks (Link uses felled trees sourced from the Olympic Peninsula) are juxtaposed atop industrial metal bases in woodsy, industrial-chic style.

Liber–tees for All
T-shirt weather has returned! (Finally! Hopefully? Possibly?) Boldly proclaim your pet cause in tees from two local companies. Whether you’re hopping on the peace bandwagon in Michael Fiacco’s West Seattle–based Liber-tee with a “Live It” screen-printed cotton shirt, or declaring your Rock ’n’ Roll marathon finish in a “Born and Raced in WA” top from chic Green Lake running-apparel line Oiselle, you can saucily sport those pasty bare arms to catch the first rays of summer sun. $15–$28 at libertees.co, and $30 at oiselle.com.