A New Place to Nest!

(From the Feb 2011 issue of Elle Decoration UK)

(From Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces.)

(Also from Big Book...)

(Detail of above living room, love the double-sided pillows.)

(Quick sketches of our new rooms.)

(From Oct 2010 issue of House Beautiful. Blogged here.)

(From Recycled Home by the Baileys)

(My notebook: Doodles & lists & dreamings.)

Hello friends,

I'm *so* excited to report that my husband and I have found a new apartment in Oakland and we'll be moving in just two weeks. Eep! I can't stop squealing with delight.

We've been in our current place for 5 years and I'm thrilled to start the next adventure in nesting. We are spending our off-time purging, packing, and painting. The new place was a kaleidoscope of brown, cream, white, sage, and purple walls so we are taking this opportunity to paint the whole darn thing white. We might add more colorful walls as time goes on but for now, all white.

I figure, if I keep the walls mostly white then my love for bold patterns, bright color, and sumptuous textiles can be focused towards pillows, curtains, rugs, blankets, artwork, and other found treasures. Seems logical, right?

So, while I should be packing, instead I've taken all my interior design books off the shelf and I'm turning corners of magazines and slipping bookmarks into favorite pages left and right. My notebook is filled with new doodles and lists and dreamings. I cannot wait to move in!

The thing is, this doesn't just feel like a new apartment. It feels like a whole new beginning. And how I adore new beginnings: full of promise and sunlight and stories waiting to be told.

But mostly? Mostly, I'm excited for the worn hardwood floors, the pretty claw foot tub, the overgrown yard just waiting for us to sculpt a garden this spring, and the smattering of windows ready to let the sunlight into every single room.

xoxo, k.

TTV Photos & Dreamscapes

I thought I would mostly keep quiet today and let the photographs do the talking. Though I'll mention that "dreamscape" is the word that keeps coming to mind. Something about these images makes me feel like time has been collapsed or altered. Like place and time and waking and dreaming have all been collaged together here in film.

More soon. xoxo, k.

Inspired by Slow Design

I recently received Natalie Chanin's second book, Alabama Studio Style, and it's just as inspiring as the first. And the designs and photographs are just as beautiful. Her sentiments about returning to her hometown to work with local artisans to create contemporary clothing based on traditional crafting techniques... Well, it just about breaks my heart in all the right places. I'm not only inspired by her design and her use of materials, but I'm also inspired by her philosophy and her cultivation of that philosophy too. Swoon, swoon.

In reading through her second book my heart raced with her mention of Slow Design. Living in the Bay Area, I've known about the Slow Food movement but I hadn't heard much about the theory of Slow Design. It's one of the things I miss the most about graduate school: the study of creative theory and the space to gather around a large table to hash it out. So, I've taken it upon myself to do a little research and I'm happily basking in a few new-to-me sites: One, Two, and Three. I currently can't read enough about this movement and its thinkings and principles. I'm inspired-- my heart's aflutter.

I'm staying cozy in these first few weeks of the New Year, glad to have a little time between art deadlines to read, bake, research, and daydream when I'm not at the office. I'm also excited for a few events this weekend: EmSpace Dance, The Companion Piece, and Alison Pebworth at the Smiths storefront. Between dreaming and reading, I'm trying to pencil in the time to get out and about too. Soon February will be here and everything will be full of frenzy. Le sigh.

(PS--The winner from last week's giveaway is posted in the comments section of last week's post. Thank you very much for your feedback, you're a blogger's best friend, you know? xoxo, k.)

My First Tutorial: Simple Prints on Fabric (And a Giveaway)

Hi friends,

Today, I want to try my very first blog tutorial. I'm not going to show you every single step, but I want to see if you get the idea by these 10 steps. Okay? I'll be so grateful if you play along. Actually, if you leave me feedback in the comment section by 8pm on Monday, January 17, I'll pick one of you for a giveaway of either of these new fabric goods. Sound good? Here we go...


Tutorial: How to make simple prints on fabric and then turn the fabric prints into either lavender sachets or zipper pouches. (For beginners, I strongly recommend the lavender sachet as the zipper pouch was very difficult with the lining, though much easier without a lining.)


Step 1: Draw a simple shape you want to print on fabric. I used the bottom of a spool of thread to create a circle, then drew the pointed star sides away from the circle, making a somewhat symmetrical but organically-shaped star burst.


Step 2: Cut out your simple shape with any craft scissors, part of the charm of block prints is their imprecision and proof of "the hand".

Step 3: Trace the outline of your simple shape onto a MasterCarve block--available at most art supply stores. (I usually use linoleum blocks for printing, but these blocks really hold up to their promise and "cut like butter". Use linoleum or MasterCarve blocks.)


Step 4: Using a Speedball Lino Cutter carve your shape out from the block. This material is much easier to carve than a linoleum block, but it won't last nearly as long. If you decide to use linoleum, chose a simple shape until you're used to carving. If you chose the MasterCarve, be careful not to crack the edges of your design as you carve--it's very soft and can tear with too much pressure.


Step 5: Now your shapes are carved, hooray! Select a fabric print such as Jacquard Screen Printing Ink. I've tested several fabric inks but I like this one because it's thick enough to use for block printing.

Step 6: I didn't show you this step, but you'll want to scoop out a dollop of ink and roll it smooth with a brayer. I usually use a piece of glass or marble for the ink and you can find these at most art supply or hardwood stores. Roll your brayer in the smooth ink, then coat one side of the carved shape. Flip your shape over and "stamp" your fabric but leave the shape face-down.

Use the back of your hand to press the shape into the fabric or you might want to use a rolling pin or the bottom of a canning jar. To avoid smudges, be careful the block doesn't move while you are applying pressure.


Step 7: Voila! You have printed on fabric. Now, you'll want to let the ink dry, iron to fix ink if necessary (your ink should indicate if heat-setting is needed) and then cut your fabric to desired shapes. If you have a specific project in mind, you can design your prints especially for the project.


Step 8: I decided to follow this wonderful zipper pouch pattern, but I had a very hard time with the lining. Every time I would finish a pouch, the zipper would catch in the lining when trying to open. So, I resulted to making the pouches without linings so the zippers wouldn't catch. Much easier.


Step 8 detail: You can see how I altered the pattern to make my pouches without a lining so I could trust them to zip and unzip.


Step 9: A simpler sewing solution is the lavender sachet. Simply cut two pieces of fabric the same size, place them right sides together and pin. With your sewing machine sew three edges together and then sew just the ends of the fourth side. (Make sure you do not sew the fourth side completely or you won't be able to turn the fabric back to the right sides.)

Then, flip the fabric back to the right sides, fill with lavender buds, pinch together so the buds don't spill (I used binder clips), then sew the fourth side by hand using a simple blind stitch. (For more detail, use this pattern.) Voila! Now you are truly finished.


Step 10: Enjoy your handmade goods. Stash vintage buttons in your zipper pouch or add a lavender pillow to your sweater drawer. I keep a lavender sachet on the desk in my studio and it makes the whole room smell wonderful. (I also have pouches and sachets in my Etsy shop if you'd rather purchase one than make one, but I do hope you'll make your own too!)


PS--What did you think? Could you follow the steps that were missing photos? And were the tools obvious even when not shown? Eep! So exciting. Would love your two cents and I'll pull a comment on January 17 to win either one lavender sachet or one zipper pouch, as seen here. Happy 2011, friends. And thank you for your feedback. xoxo, k.

Dear 2011, My List.

Dear 2011,

Our trip down the coast was quite magical and full of reflection and pause and gratitude and my favorite slow easy mornings. Now we are inching back to the day-to-day and I'd like to put in my requests and resolutions. There are a few things I'd like from you so I've written all the things down and then edited all the things down to this more manageable list of 10.

List of 10:

1. Make another quilt, even if it takes all year.
2. More yoga and then probably more yoga.
3. Take photos on film with my old cameras.
4. Wear the blue silk dress.
5. Wear the blue silk dress twice.
6. Draw with pencil, just because.
7. Plant sunflowers along the back fence.
8. Be brave!
9. Learn to screenprint and try to work with stencils.
10. Make a 3-minute movie about love. (Make this movie with my mister.)

My fingers are crossed that you and I are going to get along just fine. As you know, I turned a year older on New Year's Day so, please 2011, let's get off to a good start and fill January with some sunshine.

xoxo,
k.