Katy Elliott: Sarah Elizabeth Block Printers

Sarah Elizabeth Block Printers studio in Rockport, Massachusetts, is a living museum honoring the work of Folly Cove artist Sarah Elizabeth. Established in Gloucester in 1938, the Folly Cove designers were a guild of designer-craftsmen that grew out of a design course taught by Virginia Lee Burton Demetrio. (Read more about the history of the Folly Cove designers here.) After the designers disbanded in 1969, Sarah Elizabeth continued block printing and in 1974 opened her own shop.

Today her apprentice, Isabel Natti, runs the shop. Isabel started block printing as a weekend job and now, after thirty years, continues to print the linoleum blocks she has designed and carved. The prints include scenes of nature and marine life on the coast of Cape Ann. The prints are available as placemats, runners, cards and wall hangings. My favorite, Oceanside, is a multi-block wall hanging depicting a fish company in Gloucester.

–Katy Elliott
Katy Elliott is the editor of the lifestyle and home renovation blog Katy Elliott, based in the historic coastal town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. She chronicles the renovation of her 1750 home, from removing layers of paint to reveal molding detail to researching historically accurate interior shutters. The blog also includes trips to flea markets, studio tours, decorating sources and recipes using local ingredients.