Robert usually likes to frame right after he finishes a painting but….he has been having so much fun just painting that he got behind with framing.  That means that the last few days he has been putting in 12 hour days of framing. He is meticulous with his work.  If it isn’t just right, he does it over.  I’m not much help.  Robert jokes that I was born without the folding gene.  Which means I fold, but not neat and tidy enough for him (Mr. Perfectionist).  Do you see where I’m going with this?  I just get in the way!  But you can be assured that when you buy a Robert D. McFarland watercolor, you are getting a top quality painting and frame.

linen dress decorated with hawaiian flowers.
mod/copy/no transfer / 249 L$

comes with both a system skirt and prim skirt w/belt option, short and long glitch pants, short jacket, gloves, neck scarf with flower and belt.

pieces are made to mix and match. you can even wear the glitch pants without the skirt if you should want to. the belt can also be worn with the system skirt option.

in short – not only a dress – but endless variations.

currently not in my in world store, but miiiiiiight possibly be added. perhaps. could be. maybe. could happen.

hair shown is my “oh, beehive!” that i sold for a very short time. it is not for sale at the moment. it’s gone. i ate it. no. i burned it. no. i deleted it! no, i didn’t, but it is buried deep in my inventory.

go to this item on xstreetsl.com

visit justB in world

One of this year’s colour themes, “blush”, gives a chic twist to ‘pretty’, with underwear becoming outerwear, glamourous and sensual. Chiffon, lace, satin ribbon, pearls, crystals, mother-of-pearl and feathers in soft natural tones of pink, rosewood, skin, cloud and cyclamen are strong features in this look, so I’ve created a limited range of accessories to work with that look:

The first piece is an antique lace doily (yes, I know), dyed beige and then stiffened and folded to create the fan-structure … and attached to a hair-comb:

With bows, loops, feathers and alice-bands still very much of the moment, I created this one using a piece of stiffened cotton salvaged from a girl’s dress, with a pink feather accent and finished with a gold-and-pearl piece of jewellery – taken from a pair of vintage costume-jewellery earrings. The whole thing is set on a solid-silver alice-band, which started life as a necklet – I reshaped it and finished the ends so it would fit and stay on a head effectively. The loop itself can be moved around the alice band to the wearer’s preference.

The final piece is a little fabric corsage … again, it’s a vintage piece of old table linen, linen with lace edging. I put a gather into it and manipulated the folds to give a floral effect, and attached a vintage pearl earring in the centre. The flower is attached to a pin …

All these pieces are available for sale at the Flora Lou gallery in Chobham, Surrey – tel 01276 856966

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way–things I had no words for.”
 -Georgia O’Keeffe

Color, glorious color. Look around… What would life be without the gift of color? Every color says something different to each of us. Colors evoke emotions, feelings, memories. Living in harmony means surrounding yourself with colors that make you feel good. My favorite colors is blue. I am very particular about the shade of blue, although in nature I adore anything blue; the sky, the ocean, butterflies and bluebirds. In my home, I am crazy about gray-blues and robin-egg blues. These two tones sing harmony to me. This month House Beautiful devoted an entire issue on my favorite color. I find it absoultely inspiring and fabulous.

The layers of color on this piece tell a beautiful story. It’s perfect.

Again, the layers. I can’t help myself..

The beauty of the contrast of the browns and the blues are shown in this fabulous room.

What can I say? Beauty abounds from the alabaster walls, the delicious vanilla linens and the layered blues of this fantastic panel.

This room evokes a seaside feeling from me and I love the seaside.

xxj

Contrast Trin Linen Skirt, Forever 21

Currently, I’m looking for more skirts to add to my closet – and maybe some dresses. And lately, I’ve just been coveting skirts in red. And how cute is this one? It’s perfect – the perfect shape for spring, the right weight of fabric. I’d wear it with my brown sandals or military green flats, a white v-neck top, and a my gray polka dotted cardigan. This is definitely on my wishlist for spring.

♥ Michelle

I did manage this week to finish a wee pillow (12×12).  I left it in the hands of my wonderful coworker as a possible gift for a birthday party she’s attending.  The owls are from the Pottery Barn bedding called Brooke.  I was gifted a FQ and am always tempted to buy some.

Like all my pillows, it’s lined in muslin and the seams are serged.  I have some of the bits left so I am sure there will be some more in the making.  I LOVE the Alexander Henry Arvika and am always looking for it online.  If you run across the black and white let me know!

I did an invisible zip and the back is this sweet flannel that is almost gone.

Some other projects have been on the front burner.  In a shocking display of my perfectionist personality, I took the seam ripper to the quilt back I had completed AND basted to Roan’s quilt front.  I’m so happy I did, it wasn’t sitting right with me.

I’ve had the Alexander Henry fabric forever.  This won’t date me at all, but it reminds me of the Ah-Ha video, “Take On Me.”  Remember when you actually watched videos on MTV?

The dots are a flannel old school Amy Butler score on Ebay.  I have some of the blue left that I’ll stick up on Etsy when I get my act together.

Many other sticks in the fire of course, including a simple tied quilt like this.  Run out and buy yourself some of that Country Fair that’s at crazy discount all over!

Lenore Tawney collages, In Chaco and The Loftiest Word and sculpture, Boy with Duck, at AIFAF

From February 3rd to the 8th. browngrotta arts will join more than 80 international galleries exhibiting at the American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF) in Palm Beach, Florida. AIFAF is recognized as the “crown jewel” of American art fairs and is the only American art and antiques fair rated 5 stars by The Art Newspaper. AIFAF is a fully vetted fair, featuring prestigious international dealers presenting a mix of paintings, sculpture, jewelry, antiques, contemporary design and decorative arts. In cooperation with the Baruch Foundation and the Lenore G. Tawney Foundation, browngrotta arts will feature the work of Magdalena Abakanowicz and Lenore Tawney at AIFAF, artists whose work redefined weaving and sculpture in the 20th Century.

Abakanowicz is the best-known Polish artist in the world. She initially gained acclaim for her “Abakans,” monumental woven works of sisal, ropes and other fibers that hung free in space. Next were headless human forms of burlap and later bronze. Large groupings of her sculptures are installed around the world, from Chicago’s Millennium Park to Olympic Park in Seoul to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. In presenting her a Visionaries! award in 2000, the Museum of Arts and Design cited her for “her powerful explorations, dealing with the impact of social and political reality on individual identity, that have demonstrated the potential of fiber as an effective and expressive sculptural material.”

Weavings by Magdalena Abakanowicz at AIFAF. The weavings on the far right and far left were woven in the 1980s; the piece in the center is from the 1960s.

At AIFAF, browngrotta arts will exhibit three weavings by Abakanowicz, one from the 1960s and two, from the Anne and Jacques Baruch Collection, Ltd., created in the 1980s. The Baruchs opened a gallery in Chicago in the late 1960s, bringing work to the U. S. from Central Europe in order to give exposure to the Slavic art that Jacques, who died in 1986, once described as “the finest work of tomorrow…not what is known…the new blood.” Jacques was unable to travel after 1970, but Anne continued to travel to Central Europe to search for art. As the political situation in the area tightened, Anne, began smuggling art into the US, often at great risk. Government agents would seal her packages of approved art before she left; with the help of artists, she would often unseal the packages and reseal them in order to add unsanctioned works. She would travel with a bright red Hartman suitcase with a false bottom, filled with art supplies that the artists could not buy. On her return trip, artworks would be hidden inside. In this manner, Anne amassed a singular collection of contemporary textiles and historical and contemporary Czech photography. The Baruch Foundation was established in 2008, subsequent to Anne’s death in 2006 and is comprised of her personal art collection and the artwork inventory of The Anne and Jacques Baruch Collection, Ltd. The missions of the Foundation are to preserve and foster the growth of the visual arts of Eastern and Central Europe through donations of artwork to museums and schools, and to fund educational programs and scholarships by the sale of artwork.

Works by Lenore Tawney on display in the browngrotta arts booth at AIFAF.

At AIFAF, browngrotta arts will also show weavings, drawings, collages and mixed media assemblages by Lenore Tawney, who died in 2007 at the age of 100. “Luminous is an apt word to describe the entire career of the American artist Lenore Tawney,” wrote Holland Cotter in the New York Times in 2004. In the 1950’s, he noted, “she created a series of monumental open-weave sculptures that were like nothing seen before or since. Astonishing.” About her collages Cotter has written, “Whether she sets cut-up bits of handwriting spinning around a reproduction of a Michelangelo sibyl or turns strips of antique German books into suspended grids, she touches on the roots of the collage medium in language and personal history with a reticent orginality.” The Lenore G Tawney Foundation was established in 1989 by Tawney for charitable and educational purposes. Its aim is to support other artists in their own artistic efforts and to support special projects at art museums and non-profit educational arts organizations; its highest priority is to nurture emerging artists and to provide them with learning opportunities through established educational programs.

Kyle. Oil on linen. 16x20. NFS.

Kyle. Oil on linen. 16″x20″. NFS.

First, let me introduce Kyle. I never got the opportunity to meet this young soul. All I know about him is from the people who love him. And there are so many! I asked his mom Karen Byrd to share Kyle’s story. It brought tears to my eyes:

“I would love to tell you about Kyle — he was a great kid!  Kyle was such a good baby; happy and fun and absolutely adorable.  As a toddler and little boy, he was so full of energy — he kept us on our toes ALL THE TIME!  That part never changed . . . Kyle was always what I like to call “outside the box.”  He was never a bad kid, but he always kept me hopping.  As a teenager, he was really smart.  He never had to study or work very hard, but always made excellent grades; it just came easy to him.  You just had to keep him focused so that he used his power and energy for good and not evil : )  He dabbled in about every sport at some time in his life – baseball, basketball, soccer, football, hockey . . . but his passions were wheels and music.  Kyle could drive anything with wheels and he could almost instantly play any musical instrument that he picked up.  When he was 2 years old, he couldn’t tell you the difference between a football and basketball or a horse and a cow, but he could drive a go cart with unbelievable skill and name all 40+ NASCAR drivers and sing the National Anthem . . . Kyle had a passion for people and for our community.  His entire life, he volunteered along side Jimmy and I at Jaycee events and charity projects — he worked on projects, coached kids’ t-ball, worked with needy kids and so much more.  Kyle also had a passion for the YMCA; he planned to be a YMCA counselor in high school.  Kyle accepted Jesus in March of 2007 at a youth retreat at our church; and he dedicated his life to God at that time, becoming very active in our youth group and with the youth puppet team.  Kyle adored his little sister and he looked after her, even though she drove him totally crazy.  Kyle was also very popular.  He was known by his friends as “The Byrdman.”  He had a beautiful girlfriend, Julieann, who is still and will always be a part of our life.  He was famous for his “neon hair” and his love of pink.  He wore pink clothes and had a pink calculator, pink notebooks and a pink ipod.  One of Kyle’s YMCA counselors said during Kyle’s funeral services ”who else but Kyle could get this many ‘manly men’ to all wear pink” referring to all the men and teenagers in pink that day.  The most defining trait of Kyle would have to be his sense of humor.  He could have me so mad that I would be ready to ground him for life (or much worse) and then he would say something so totally off the wall that I would just bust out laughing…He’d do anything for a laugh.  One time, he wanted a funny Halloween costume.  That particular year, he was playing football and he had a football game that day; then he came home all sweaty from football and changed into his costume forHalloween . . . as a cheerleader.  He was so “pretty” that we had people asking us about our “daughter” — people had no idea he was a boy; and he went out with his peers like that . . . no one could believe he had such guts, but for Kyle. . . anything for a laugh.  Tesh, I miss him ever single second of every minute of every day . . . he was just a ray of sunshine, my waller monster, who loved to waller on me and hug me, unlike most teenagers, he was never embarrassed to hug and love me.  This world is a better place because of his short time here and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Kyle is blessed for the experience.  Kyle James Byrd 1/6/93 – 6/23/07 Beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin & friend . . . Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God ~ Matthew 5:8″

Thank you Karen, for sharing this and for giving me the opportunity to paint Kyle.

I started Kyle’s portrait about a year ago. I was working from a digital photograph shared Karen. This was one of her favorite photos. It was taken at Kyle’s concert under indoor lighting. Kyle, being cool, had his shades on!

I wanted to do an oil portrait and wanted to do a direct painting. I could not finish my first painting while the initial stages were still wet. I decided not to paint over dried layer of paint.

So, I started a new one yesterday. And below you can see the stages of my progress. I started by painting free hand with neutral color. My plan was to follow John Howard Sanden’s system. However, since his system is for painting from life, I had to make changes as I went along. The main challenges which I faced were the quality of light in the photo and the fact that I could not see Kyle’s eyes. However, it was very rewarding doing this portrait and it was like spending time with Kyle, getting to know him.

- Tesh

My work is online at: www.teshparekh.com

At only 25, Taimur Baig is our new couture designer crush, even more so because he is a local, talented Washingtonian (via Dubai and Pakistan).  According to the fabulously simple and eloquent website, “TAIMUR BAIG is a high art clothing line dedicated to glamorizing women. Heavily influenced by art, architecture and world cultures, TAIMUR BAIG redefines the classic elements of style by introducing Scarlet O’Hara to global royalty….” From cocoon tank tops and sheath dresses to jersey draped blouses and structured shoulders, TAIMUR BAIG is a sleek, global inspired look the speaks to high society, adventure seeker. Here are a few of our favorite looks from the Spring/ Summer 2010 collection.

Photos courtesy of www.taiburbaig.com

Barn Spider

Without weaving, there would have been no clothes, no fine altar cloths, curtains, or wall coverings made of wool to keep out the cold.

Spiders are perhaps the original weavers. Using strong silk thread they work tirelessly to create some of nature’s most magnificent webs.

While in college for the second time in my life… and now the third go around and hopefully the last, I wrote this poem in honor of my dear friends, the spiders. Most people, and men in particular, are very afraid of spiders. In our house, we had a spider relocation program. If one of the children saw a spider, we didn’t kill it. We moved it outdoors to live freely ridding the world of mosquitoes and grasshoppers.

I guess some people have every right to be afraid of spiders. Sheila R. told me as a young farm girl she walked into a barn and the ceiling was full of spiders. I’m thinking if I had a bunch of spiders drop on me from above in the dark and musty barn, I might have been a bit leary of making friends with spiders.

Because the hour is late and I must be off to my own web, here is the poem I wrote around 1996 while a student at BSC in Bismarck.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Web wove within a whispering spruce,

Wind whisked it once

it’s threads set loose.

Arachnid weaver quick appeared,

surveying, spinning,

’til weft repaired.

Without complaints, sighing aside

creator worked

with even strides.

In spite of losing everything,

Wee spider built

its web again.

Oh that we note, life lessons learned,

could take our ruin

and upward turn,

much like our eight-legged friends.

White has been in style forever and I can guess it’s not going anywhere. Many of you who have been living with color for awhile are wanting to try this calm and sophisticated ambience.  Creating that serene but chic look can be harder than it looks.  There is a fine line between chic and stark. The key to a successful white room is balance and tone. Choose where you want the white to dominate. Do you want white walls or white furnishings? Are you going for a monochromatic theme?  There are literally hundreds of shades of white. Looking through all these swatches that can seem to have very little difference can be daunting. The key to honing in on the right shade is identifying the underlying tone. The best way to see this tone is in natural indirect light. Looking at them at the right time of day is important because you need good quality natural lighting to really see what is behind the white. Compare many shades against each other. Using various tones will give a layered look, which is important to tie it together.

Choose the pieces that you want to stand out in your space, whether that is a pillow, an uphlostered piece, wood from flooring or furniture or a piece of art.

Textures are detrimental to a successful white room. You should introduce various textures in different shades to promote fluency and interest. For example, use linen and cashmere, go with different textures of fabric. Add natural elements to the space like wood and stone. Here is where the balance is key.

I loved reading Traditional Homes spotlight on white spaces this month. Showhouses from across the county are featured with chic and sophisticated rooms. Here are some of my favorites.

What I like: The rich color of the floor accented by dreamy white drapery and walls, the distressed frame on the chair, the blue tones in the rug and the simple yet powerful B&W prints.

What I like: The ivory cashmere pillows, the simple yet gorgeous cathedral glass in the windows, the black and white offset, the Chinois-style chair.

What I LOVE, the understated taupe wallpaper, the taupe and ivory cabana stripe fabric, the Louis IVI table in my favorite shade of gray, the beauty of the artwork (les gateaux sur la table!)

What I like: The lines on the chandelier, the black frames on the chairs, the alabaster fireplace, the rich slate color on the wall, the way the designer made an objet d’art out of the floral.

Thoughts anyone?

xxj

Found on yahoo.com

Pull a buck from your wallet now and prepare to be amazed.

We’re serious. Did you know a dollar bill has hidden pictures, flecks of color, and mysterious symbols? And that’s just the beginning. What do all those seemingly random letters and Latin phrases mean, anyway?

The Basics: How much is a dollar worth?

The question seems simple, but the answer is quite complex. Since 1973, the dollar bill has had no value tied to it. You cannot trade in a dollar to the government for gold, silver, or any other commodity. The value of the nation’s currency is related to the decree by the government that a dollar is legal tender for all debts. This means if someone attempts to pay a debt using dollars, the person being paid must accept the money or the law no longer recognizes the debt. This is important enough that the phrase is printed on every bill the government creates.

It is also vital for the nation’s citizens to agree that the bills have value. If the members of a society decided that they did not believe in the currency, it would quickly be worth no more than the paper it is printed on. For the record, each bill costs the government 6.4 cents to print.

What kind of paper are the bills made from?

Bills are made from a blend of linen and cotton, which is why they don’t fall apart in the wash the way paper does. If you look closely, you can see red and blue silk fibers woven throughout the bill. The threads are thought to be an anti-counterfeit measure.

Hint: Look in the white spaces on the face of the bill for little bits of the colored thread. They look like lint but you can’t scratch them off!

On the face of a dollar, what does the letter inside the circular seal mean?

The black seal with the big letter in the middle signifies the Federal Reserve bank that placed the order for the bill. A = Boston, B = New York City, C = Philadelphia, D = Cleveland, E = Richmond, Va., F = Atlanta, G = Chicago, H = St. Louis, I = Minneapolis, J = Kansas City, K = Dallas.

The letter also corresponds to the black number that is repeated four times on the face of the bill. For example, if you have a bill from Dallas with the letter K, then the number on the bill will be 11 because K is the eleventh letter in the alphabet.

Can you find any tiny owls or spiders hidden on the front of the bill?

Many people believe they can see a tiny owl (some say it is a spider) next to the large “1″ on the upper right of the bill. If you look at the shield shape that surrounds that “1,” the tiny owl rests on the top left corner.

More than likely, the markings are nothing, just a point where the webbed design of the border varies. That won’t stop some people from associating the peculiar detail with Masonic symbols, or with more practical things, like anti-counterfeit measures.

The Great Seal of the United States

The green back of the dollar bill features the two sides of The Great Seal of the United States. The founding fathers approved its design in 1782. Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson all had a hand in devising it. The seal provides great insight into the values of the newborn nation and, like the Constitution, provides a direct link to its formative days.

What does Annuit Coeptis mean?

The first of three Latin phrases on the back of the bill is translated as “God has favored our undertakings.” Many founders, Franklin and George Washington among them, believed that God’s will was behind the successful creation of the United States.

Beneath the pyramid, what does Novus Ordo Seclorum mean?

These Latin words mean “New order of the ages.” Charles Thomson, a statesman involved in the design of The Great Seal of the United States, proposed the phrase to signify the beginning of what he called “the new American Era,” which he said began in 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The letters are Roman numerals for 1776. M is 1,000, D is 500, CC is 200, L is 50, XX is 20, VI is 6. Add the numerals on the pyramid together and you get the year 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, and when the Novus Ordo Seclorum began.

Why is there an unfinished pyramid with a glowing eye?

Thomson explained the sturdy pyramid as a symbol of “strength and duration”. He did not explain its unfinished state, but many believe it signified that our nation remained unfinished. The pyramid also stops at 13 steps, the number of the original colonies.

The “Eye of Providence” is a visual representation of the words Annuit Coeptis, and reinforces the founders’ notion that God looked upon the endeavor of the new nation with favor. Many theorists mistakenly believe the symbolism of the eye is related to the Freemasons (a secret society whose members believed they were under the careful scrutiny of God), but the symbolism of the glowing eye is far older than any Freemason thinking. Scholars have traced versions of the symbol as far back as the ancient Egyptians.

What does E Pluribus Unum mean?

“Out of many, one.” The 13 disparate colonies came together to form one nation.

Why a bald eagle? The founders wanted an animal native to America to be the new nation’s symbol. In its talons the eagle holds arrows and olive branches, signifying war and peace.

Fun activities you and the kids can do with a dollar bill

Track your bills. Go to the website Where’s George? and enter the serial number of the bill. If the bill has been in circulation long enough, you might be able to see where your bill has been as it travels from wallets to registers and back. After you enter your bills, check back later to see where they have gone.

Play dollar-bill poker. Each of you takes a dollar bill and examines the green serial numbers as if they were a hand of playing cards. Make your best poker hand and see who wins.

Why is MDCCLXXVI on the bottom of the pyramid?

Vintage Blouse

Aqua Green Linen Blouse.

Size:

Excellent Condition.

STUDIO PRICE: €40.00

Almost done with this one… some of the stitches need better anchoring, because it was hard to control the tension pulling through fabric that had been gessoed.

The little single chain crochet that is couched on the edge was tinted in a pot with onion skins and one lone black walnut shell which appeared in the kitchen the morning I had the pot going.

What I notice — There is a tension pairing marks made by me (the script, the stitches) and ‘found’ marks, as printed on commercial fabrics (those little vegetal shapes — which look like a primitive form of writing and those pink upstrokes on the linen, which I repeated with my black marker).   What I want to see now is a piece that ONLY has marks/writing made by me.

OK. I have always been  “particular” about my bedding. Look, it’s where you spend 1/3 of your life! There are certain things that are really “standard” in my opinion and everyone who sleeps should adhere to these simple rules. Life is so much better when you have a delicious bed to jump into every night. So here are the basics.

#1: White goose down comforter or eco-equivalent with at least a 250 thread count cover. The fill needs to be a minimum of 550. This is critical.  It’s what makes a comforter fluffy and so wonderful to sink into or under. The higher the fill, the fluffier the result. The only thing to consider here, is the weight. The more ounces of down, the warmer. It needs to be baffled or box-stitched to prevent shifting.  

An awesome example is the Legends Premier from The Company Store. http://www.thecompanystore.com/parent/Comforters+Luxury/3103/CY15X/ another awesome brand is Down to Basics.

#2: High thread count cotton sheets and duvet cover.  Anything over 40o is good, if they are made by a reputable brand. There are some new kinds of sheeting that I have not tried, like bamboo and silk blends. They look really good, but I haven’t tested them.

#4: Down or eco-equivalent pillows for shams and decor pillows. The pillow you sleep is a personal choice, but it’s important to have all those awesome pillows to pile up behind you for watching TV and reading (and eating ice cream- which I am trying to give up).

xxj

First, a little business and a reminder that my new class at Joggles starts Feb. 18. If you are signed up for the class, you will receive a supply list email one week prior ( Feb.11). I’m considering trying out a few new interactive ideas with this class. What if once a week for the five weeks I set aside an additional 30-45 minutes to take a few 5-10 minute Skype calls from students? We could make appointments through the forums. I don’t know- it could be fun. Kind of like the teacher having office hours. You could show me your work and ask me questions via video conference. Of course this assumes your computer has isight or a camera.
Just a thought. Well, I simply have way too much to do right now but wanted to remind you about the class- go ahead, sign up and learn some techniques for creating some beautiful silk fabrics with Colorhue dyes. Colorhue is simple to use but does have it’s limitations in regards to making certain colors. The techniques you will learn can be applied to any dyeset of your choice.

I’ll leave you with some indigo I worked on today. All of this is already spoken for but in time there will be more posted in the etsy shop.

January 10, 2010

Three pieces of music. Each of them unique. All passion and pop.
Three musicians foot printing the paper
Three sessions of hard work
Three takes.
Trio

Three sheets of linen. Each of them the same. All tight and twill.
Three weavers painstaking the fabric
Three hours at the task
Three breaks
Trio

Three wishes at dawn. Each of them awry. All safe and taut.
Three movers developing a plan
Three breaths of air
Three clouds
Trio

I made this little kidlet tote using the tutorial from JCasa Handmade. It is a great project for a beginner, or maybe someone that wants to get into bag making but is intimidated by a bigger project. It is essentially, a tote bag with only one handle, so can basically be adapted into a normal bag too. They look really cute with patchwork pockets too, but I had this japanese linen blend lying around so decided to use that.

It’s sweet isn’t it? And I also had some (read: tons) of gorgeous linen and cotton blend fabric from Namolio which matched perfectly. It wasn’t intentional, but I like how the printed red stripes match up on the bag bottom really well.  There’s also a stripe just at the top of the bag too.

The red lining is a thick suedette upholstery fabric, a remnant I found in the Designers’ Guild showroom. I used it for the baby shoes I made a while ago too.

1. sugar
shining like frost
over antique yellow triangle
of ginger scone
day olds
delivered
from two doors down

2. two droppersfull
of aubin’s
echinacea
under my tongue
washed with water

3. broken (chapped) things:
salad spinner
sandwich cooler
rubber non-slip mats
floor squeegee
red concrete floor paint

4. fabric store
closed on mondays
i tug at the doorhandle
anyway

5. tea house
full
instead of waiting
i turn away

6. staedtler markers
paper
ball point pen
splayed

7. man at the next table
says peace
instead of goodbye
before hanging up

8. chapter #2
afloat on green couch
bowl full of dinner
balanced on thighs
wool blanket draped
wishing for a fire in the fireplace

9. itunes shuffle fortune:
fortune #1
fortune #2
fortune #3

10. in a time of meltwater
and anticipations of steamer trunks
the answer
is softness
linen on linen

I hearted this piece when I found it , so let’s not waste any time…

Day 58 - Before

Most fabulous of 50s finds!  Gorg buttons, 3/4 length sleeves, black linen.  Looks good, right?  Yeah, not so much – check it out…

Day 58 - Before (from the back)

Agasp, both areas beneath the arms were completely torn open – the left side was pretty thrashed and the right one was not looking so hot either.  It must have been a “fat guy in a little coat”/Chris Farley moment to get these puppies ripped this much.

I mean…

ECU!!! (Extreme Close Up!!)

On my little over 2000 mile journey two days ago, I had time on the airplane to do get some hand sewing done.  We had our own individual TV’s and even though I was listening, I couldn’t bring myself to actually watch The Real Housewives of Orange County.  I’d like to think that listening doesn’t count, but it totally does…

The first thing I did to prep the jacket was to pin up the open seams.

Pin that seam!!

I then took my trusty needle and began my hand stitching journey.

Hand stitchin' away in seat 29E

Closed up those puppies and then tossed it back into my carry-on bag along with my travel pillow/blanket/sleep mask combo from Pechanga Resort & Casino.  I know, as much as I love gambling I won’t drive to Temecula, CA for a casino – this was a total freebie that was included in the gift bag from some event that was actually a bit too practical to donate.  To answer the question you may be thinking, yes, I am totally horrified each time I bring this out of my bag during my travels…

Yikes...and it's yellow!

The after…just like brand new!  The holes have been all sealed up and it’s ready to wear.

Day 58 - After

Looking at this now, I feel like a total equestrian wearing the jacket – the hat assisted in making me look like a total jockey, but whatevs. I like horse racing, gambling is fun, and yes, I was at the Breeders Cup.

Hello Seabiscuit

‘Twas a comfy jacket to wear as we enjoyed some meat.  Yep, y’all, we ended our long day with some filets at the Longhorn Steakhouse accompanied by some stuffed baked potato action.

Hello meat!!

Probably the reason the last button on that jacket wouldn’t close

Amazing oil on linen paintings by Alyssa Monks.

http://www.alyssamonks.com