Hello, Halloween.

Each year, there are two reasons that I insist on driving down Hwy 1 along the Pacific: picking strawberries for strawberry jam and collecting pumpkins for Halloween. Growing up in rural NY, there is still something confusing about bundling up to wander around a pumpkin patch overlooking the sea. Somewhere in my childhood heart the ocean still conjures coconut-scented sunscreen, plastic tools for sandcastles, and over-sized umbrellas. In this same thinking, pumpkin patches conjure tumbling golden leaves, itchy wool hats, and high stacks of firewood. Here in Northern California, oceans and wool hats and pumpkins all go hand in hand.

My husband effortlessly selected a near perfect storybook pumpkin--light orange and round with a curly stem--while I paced the rows blissfully considering shape, color, and texture as I strolled. Ultimately, we packed the farm's red cart with our selection, drove until we found pumpkin pie, and then chased the setting sun back up the coast. The two large pumpkins are now proudly positioned by our front door, keeping the wilting purple mums good company. The smaller collection of orange, beige, and yellow gourds are nestled in a large bowl on the kitchen table, awaiting the Halloween brunch we'll host on Sunday.

I love this time of year. All the brightness of summer still lingers and the promise of winter is still just a few weeks out of reach. Dear friends, may your Halloween costumes be inspired and your candy very sweet. xoxo, k.

Clear the Dust: Shop Update!

Sweet friends,

Clear the dust, sweep out the cobwebs, toss on your favorite party dress (or bow tie), and then sound those pretty tiny trumpets, please! (Okay, you don't really have to wear a fancy dress but you can if you want to.) I've updated my Etsy shop with a new batch of letterpress goods and a few original works on paper too. My dear little shop was in poor shape by the summer's end, but I've recommitted for the fall season. (Yes, I pinkie swear.) In the shop, you'll find letterpress cards, limited edition prints with brief poems, original art on paper, and in the coming weeks you'll find more fabric goods and maybe a few photographs too. Here's a peek:

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Take a stroll on over, if you like. Imagine silver bells clang as you push through the shop door, the smell of ginger peach tea wafts through the air, the whir of my sewing machine spills out from behind the heavy vintage cash register, and perhaps I am the one in a party dress, after all--that 1950s, below-the-knee, teal prom gown of my mother's that I just adore. Sigh. A girl can dream... xoxo, k.

Interior Design & Methods of Inspiration

(My new living room arrangement.)

(The inspiration: Oct 2010 House Beautiful.)

(I love to combine various patterns, colors, and prints.)

(If I had my way: dark wood floors, soft white walls,
and all the textiles would be bright bold prints.)

(This week's farmers market flowers: dahlias.)

(I love this wall arrangement SO much.)

(From an old favorite: Domino March 2009.)

(My own wall arrangement inspired by Domino.)

Hello you,

A few weeks ago I took the better part of a Sunday morning to rearrange our living room. It is always such a relief when I make time for some nesting. Lately, I'm taking comfort in a bit of calculated inspiration. I used to believe I had to fully imagine the idea, object, or concept on my own or it wasn't completely "authentic".

But I've changed my view. After all, is there really any intuitive or "authentic" image that wasn't somehow influenced by my own life experience? And isn't my life experience a collage of the people, places, conversations, dreams, images, books and even color palettes around me?

I think so. I'm going to try to follow this calculated inspiration and see where it takes me: I want to collect a series of ideas and images and then create artwork based on that collection. Ideally, I'd like to combine concept and intuition; thinking and feeling; knowing and not knowing; research and impulse; heart and head, I suppose.

xoxo, k.

One-of-a-Kind Necktie

Hi friends,

I've been commissioned to make a one-of-a-kind necktie for a very special author. I've made a bunch of dresses in my day, a smattering of handbags, a stack of pillows, a pair of quilts, one (and only one) pair of pants, batches of fingerless gloves, but nowhere in my list was there a necktie. I thought the ever-dangerous thought, "How hard can it be?" and that's where I slipped. Argh! As it turns out, the point on a necktie is a tricky little point, indeed. Hmm...

I've chosen mostly muted hues but I couldn't completely put my penchant for print and color aside. I love this fabric so much that I had to use it for the lining.

Otherwise, the necktie is mostly gray, plum, and lavender with just that peek of orange.

This fabric makes an appearance again, from The Dresses/ Objects Project, as he wanted a Gertrude Stein necktie after he saw the show.

I only had a few panels of the printed fabric left, so I used Denyse Schmidt's book, Quilts, as inspiration to make a patchwork, or rather "patch-stripe", necktie.

In my opinion, sewing patterns are best used as paper for handmade books! I have such a hard time reading sewing directions. I appreciate the size templates, but then I pretty much have to abandon the pattern and figure it out on my own.

Once I had the pieces for the front sewn together, the biggest challenge was getting the point of my tie (right) to look like my husband's tie (left) including the lovely shape of that lining.

Eventually, after watching this video on Threadbanger and reading this post on Purl Bee, I took matters into my own hands and used a hand stitch to get the effect I wanted. Finally, it's starting to look like a necktie! Now, I just have to stitch the two sides together and then I'll be finished.

Oh, and this week's flowers, you ask? Those are orange Diablo cosmos from the farmer's market in Oakland. One of my greatest farmer's market pleasures is an armful of fresh cut flowers wrapped in newspaper print for the amazing price of just 5 dollars. Yes, yes, please.
xoxo, k.

P.S.--I just came back to show you the finished tie. (See below.) I think it turned out okay in the end. Thank goodness!

xoxo, k.