10.29.2010

oh. god.


i don't really need to pay the mortgage this month, do i? i'm sure the bank won't mind if i just get this instead.
and with that, i wish you a lovely weekend!

10.25.2010

maker monday: lina peterson






i've been thinking more and more about incorporating textiles into my work.
lina peterson does does it beautifully.

10.22.2010

mildly obsessed with fall...










some days, you just have to play hooky and head to the pumpkin patch. tuesday afternoon was amazingly gorgeous, and the perfect opportunity to take my inaugural trip to the pumpkin patch out on sauvie island. there was a hay ride and everything! found the perfect pumpkin for carving, plus a couple wee ones for baking. also managed to pick up a few squash, an entire bucket of flowers (for $6! dana had a coupon!), and some local honey. i seem to be having a problem with amassing local, seasonal produce these days. i can't get enough of it! suppose there are worse things i could be into... which brings me to last night's dinner: this butternut squash + caramelized onion galette with a simple salad of spinach, arugula and herbs and balsamic vinaigrette. divine. i heart fall foods.

10.08.2010

hello weekend





on a little mini vacation weekend in the bay.
today: hanging out with the cutest baby in the world, who is down for a morning nap at the moment. todays activities include trying to sit up, eating some squash, and maybe even going for a walk in a bit. we are getting wild over here! she has already put her seal of approval on the new quilt by spitting up all over it. and if puking on something isn't high praise, i don't know what is.
tomorrow, my amazing friend elijah's second annual birthday pig roast. can't. wait.
above: melting rainbows by taisuke koyama, from the best time of day.

10.06.2010

vintage color wheel


love this.
via imprint.

scarf shop!



i'm having a serious scarf problem lately, and martha mcquade's recently opened scarf shop isn't going to help any with curbing my desires for dreamy swaths of fabric to wrap up in. i love the light, gauzy look of these. perfect for the bright and sunny fall days we've been having over here.
i'll take one in every color please!

10.05.2010

urban goats!







happened across these little dudes yesterday on my way to lunch. went back by today to take a few pictures and feed them a little clover through the fence. they're mowing the empty lot a few blocks down from my studio for the next couple of days apparently. looks like there are about 2 dozen or so on the job. i love them. so much cuter than some guy on a riding lawnmower.

i wanna be a quilter: part 2




after many a long night of cutting, sewing, pressing, squaring, and more than a few um, 'stern talks' with my sewing machine, quilt number one is all done and ready to head to oakland! i decided that before i jump in to the big huge dreamy dream quilt for me, i should do a practice run on a baby quilt for my favorite tiny friend (who also happens to be my namesake!). i did a zig-zag pattern with half square triangles, and machine quilted it to follow the lines of the overall pattern of the quilt. i hadn't really planned on making something this girlllllllly, but i think that all in all, it came out quite well for a first quilt, and is super appropriately baby-ish.

and with that, i am officially hooked. i think this is the part where i start clearing out my closets to make room for piles and piles of fabric, and dream of the day that i can fit a long arm quilter in my garage. next up, the big quilt: queen sized triangle madness based on a print by bauhaus textile maven, annie albers. should keep me busy for a good few months through the winter. i'll try and post updates as that one comes along.

10.03.2010

hood river: or, how i spent the day in a crazy beautiful orchard harvesting tons (literally!) of organic pears













pear harvesting was so much fun!!! even better than i expected it would be. gorgeous day, good people, and an all around excellent project. i really can't say enough good things about the portland fruit tree project, and if you're in portland i highly recommend you check them out. the basic premise is this: PFTP works with people in and around portland who have fruit trees that they either aren't going to harvest, or just have too much fruit to use themselves. groups of volunteers get together and harvest the fruit, which is then split between the volunteers and local food banks. simple, smart, and beneficial for everyone involved. lest you think that this is just some small time operation, last year, PFTP harvested a total of 15,000 pounds of fruit that would have otherwise gone to waste.
yesterday's harvest was really extra special, as PFTP was granted access to an entire d'anjou pear orchard in hood river. (harvest parties are usually just in people's back yards here in town.) there were around 40 volunteers, and we picked a total of about 4,000 pounds of pears from 50 trees. not too bad for about 4 hours of work.
we all got to bring home as much fruit as we wanted, and i can't wait to get to preserving, baking, and sharing. i feel super lucky to have been able to experience such an awesome day. extra thanks to my pal michelle for nudging me to come along with her. (and driving. and the drinking of post-harvest cocktails...)
now, what should we make with all these pears???

10.01.2010

saturday is for pears!



just returned from the last, and sadly meager, swifts viewing of the season. only a tiny handful of little birds made the trip down the chimney tonight. oh well. still a good excuse to sit on a grassy hill at sunset, eat snacks, and sip on fig bourbon. all in all, a pretty excellent way to spend a friday night.
tomorrow, i'm headed off to hood river with the portland fruit tree project for a full day of pear picking fun. then it's back to the homestead with my pal michelle to can the night away. what should we make with all of our pears???

image: old chum.