Upcycled Sweaters and Applique

My fingers are happiest stitching and sewing and sketching and printing and writing and making.

I showed you the blue whale sweater I recently made here, but I've made a few more and wanted to share those too. I found adorable thrift store sweaters and added original applique, vintage buttons, and hand stitches for "up-cycled" embellishments. Three sweaters for three little ones on the way--mine and two others.

Detail: barn swallow sweater with pink felted hearts and a blanket stitch at the collar.

The sweater front-side, kept company by one adorable MODify/d elephant and a Gentle Giraffe (gifts from friends).

My favorite handmade barn swallow stencils are at it again--this time in hot pink.

Front side: a circus-inspired sweater complete with an elephant and balloons. I was happy to find a home for a few vintage buttons.

It's amazing how gendered clothes are for the little ones. I do love Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby for her thoughtful approach to baby design and gender too.

Back side of the circus-inspired sweater. Elephants are supposed to be good luck, no?

This yellow elephant was once a thrift store sweater himself. A few times through the washer and dryer and it was felted into a lovely buttery texture. (Hooray for cashmere.)

This whale sweater is a gift for my own little mister. I've been researching and writing about whales and marine mammals, so this blue whale made its way into my stitches.

Blue whale sweater front-side.

Blue whale back-side with breaching water drops.

I like how they look all together--as if they are assembled for a crafty child's circus!

Today is my first day of scheduled maternity leave. After working for three years with the same arts organization, a scheduled leave feels so strange. And also liberating. And somehow calming. And certainly exciting. And also nervous-making. But mostly, exciting.

xoxo,
k

Gold, Amber, and Orange: Autumn Too

(35 weeks along, 5 weeks to go: grow, baby, grow)

(a weekend trip to Little Farm in Tilden Park)

(the sweetest mama cow with sunlight on her ears)

(concrete, denim, amber and gold)

(soft ambers and baked goods for autumn too)

This is a dreamy time of year-- summer spills her last batch of vibrant pinks and greens and purples to make way for autumn's golds and ambers and orange. Every spring I'm reminded of promise and optimism and everything budding up green. And every autumn I'm reminded of reflection and gratitude and everything cozying up for the winter ahead.

In the Bay Area, the seasons are a bit less predictable than in my native New York. September does not necessarily mean cooler days and the beckoning of wool and plaid. Instead, it usually means warmer days as the temperatures inland start to cool off and the fog can swing back out over the mighty Pacific. Instead of wool and cashmere it calls for sundresses and sandals. Come September, we typically get a burst of summer heat before the rains.

But somewhere in my seasonal clock, September means autumn. It means back-to-school and bursts of foliage and the beginning of wood fires and temperatures conducive to baking pies. Regardless of the warm days here in Oakland, my internal monitor is seeking out autumn instead. I want to knit, bake, wear fingerless gloves and sweater tights and cardigans, collect gourds and mums, and simmer spiced chai. Everywhere I look it's full of gold and amber and orange.

xoxo,
k.

Barn Swallow Shawl: Stitch Work

I love Natalie Chanin's work. I love the hand work and all those stitches and how the designs incorporate the stitches not merely as "fasteners" but also as important aesthetic elements. Her stitches feel intentional and thoughtful and necessary and I like that very much.


I've just finished my second Alabama Chanin project. This is my second barn swallow shawl (modified from the "rose shawl" pattern). You can see my first one here and the makings of this second one here. They are made entirely of up-cycled thrift store t-shirts.


This one is a gift. It will soon be packaged and sent on its way. It's an offering of gratitude and thanks for continued love and friendship.


And I tucked a special secret note into the underlining of this shawl. An added reminder that this one was made with love.


I always love to look at the underside of embroidery and applique. Something about the silhouettes of the shapes pleases my eye. How the applique on the front becomes abstracted from the underside--as if the stitch work left a shadow underneath. This look at embroidery and applique always makes me think of Lisa's beautiful work.


Lately, most of my studio time has been spent crafting utilitarian objects. Some for me. Some for the baby on the way. Some for friends. But as we rush around to prepare our home and our hearts for this sweet little babe due to join us in just 6 weeks--I can't help feeling like I'm 6-weeks out from an exhibition or production deadline. The to-do lists, research, websites, shopping lists, and design sketches feel very much like preparing for a big show. Perhaps, this is just the biggest show yet!

Hope you like the shawl. And hope you are having a happy week, friends.

xoxo,
k

Flea Market Marvels

My heart races when I enter the gates of a carefully curated flea market or not-so-carefully curated thrift store. Antique shops, flea markets, thrift stores, good wills, auctions, and even yard sales have had this effect on me since I was little.

Practically? It's still the greenest way to shop. But mostly? I know there are treasures waiting to be found. And I know that if I look closely and carefully I will be the one to find them. And when I find them amidst the castoffs and giveaways, well, it's just true love forever.




This weekend we went to the Alameda Flea Market. We left the house earlier and foggier than usual and headed over to join the thrifting, junking, treasure-hunting masses. We didn't have much time, but just being there for a bit was worth our early morning efforts.




What I didn't need and didn't come home with is this little box of hand-painted eggs (below). But my pulse climbed when I saw them and I stood marveling at their detail well after I snapped these photos. Aren't they gorgeous? I love their bright colors and folk painted prints. My mother always had an Easter egg tree and these little lovelies reminded me of her treasures.



We did manage to find a tiny bookshelf perfect for the soon-to-be nursery, a large vintage watering can, and a gorgeous glass door knob--a rather practical list of treasures. However, I did not come home with more plaid wool blankets, Pyrex dishes, vintage dresses, or medium-format cameras (photos above).

No, I did not. But next month if I have more time to browse and if the weather is more agreeable, well, I can't promise I'll be able to resist. Those eggs, for instance, are still making me marvel.

xoxo,
k.