The Accidental Crazy Cat Lady

I don't know how I got to this point.  I suppose I sound like all crazy cat ladies.  It was innocent at first......just one wee fluff ball.  Oh how cute!  Such simple happiness in those tiny eyes staring up at me.  Love in an instant inspiring deep heart felt chuckles at all those silly cat antics.  Falling off tables, rolling along the floor, snoozing on sunlit windowsills late in the afternoon.

So where one is good, two must be better.  And how can anyone deny another creature a companion of its own kind? It's only right to add a second cat to the mix.

And then another.....

and another...... two...

and another..... until.......

And soon I wonder what life was like before the cats.  Was there this much laughter? This much adoration?  This same silly type of love and purring affection?

I think not.

And so I, along with my three studio dogs, remain dedicated to the cause and proudly announce my membership in the Crazy Cat Lady Club.  And yes, there is an official club, just in case you're looking for one.

LOVE  &  PURRRRRRR

And Then There Is Life

2014 has been full of the unexpected, the unforeseen, the unpredictable, the slow healing of time, the redefinition of priorities, and a necessary slowing of life lived in full speed. Studio doors have been closed, production reduced to bare minimum leaving nothing but the dull hum of stunted creativity.  And then, without warning.... suddenly, there is life.

 

I am going to be a grandmother!

 A new wee soul to brighten this uncertain world.  A tiny face to smile, a brand new person to hug and hold tight. All the possibilities of hope and love just 7 months away! 

The studio doors have flung open with a softer feel; up-cycled cashmere and tiny whimsical cotton prints drape the work table. There is laughter and excitement among the studio mice and the necessary rethinking of traditional patterns is taking place.

The studio mice will become larger for easier grasp in wee hands. 

Small parts will give way to embroidered features to avoid choking hazards. And time will be spent in the whimsical fabric stacks of childhood themes. Nearly 2 decades have passed since I needed baby themed prints and WOW!! There are so many brilliant designers out there! I'm not certain I can buy enough! 

I'd forgotten the love of small stitches in simple lines to create the necessities of welcoming new life into this world; soft blankies, diaper covers, rattles and bibs.  The splendid repetition of snipping corners, turning and pressing, all the while dreaming how this baby will impact our world.

Some have said we are too young to be grandparents, that our daughter is not yet ready to be a mother.  All I can say after the year we have had is that we do not tell life when we wish it to come and go.  That door opens and closes often without our consent.  Ready or not, life is coming. We are simply blessed to be here to embrace it together.

As for those with inquiring minds: we are sooooo ready!

 LOVE & NEW LIFE!

 

 

 

A Bunny Returns To Bangladesh

Funny how full circles go.  It is the nature of up-cycling: reusing, repurposing, reinventing to reduce waste.  In the case of this wee bunny- his full circle brings him back to Bangladesh.  Back to where the cashmere sweater used to make him was made.

 

So many items sold in America are made in Bangladesh.  Search any closet, store rack or boutique and inside the manufacturing tag Bangladesh surely makes a showing.  I never gave this much thought until my husband began spending a lot of time in Bangladesh.  His job brings him to Dhaka several weeks out of the year- so often in fact that the hotel welcomes him "home to his second home".  That's probably not a good thing. There's no tourism in such a poor city so any repeat guest is highly appreciated.

After Kev's first trip to Dhaka he swore he would never return.  He was appalled by the poverty and desperation.  Now on his eighth return trip, he has an understanding of the culture and a curiosity for how people can be so friendly in a place of poverty unimaginable by American standards.  He has been followed several blocks by small children looking for food.  He sees people bathing in the same water where sewage runs. Dhaka's smog and filth eclipse most sunlight.  The air constantly muffled by an assault of car horns as makeshift vehicles clog roads.  But yet he finds color, beauty and vibrancy in this city.

 

As for bunny, she was born from an up-cycled cashmere sweater made in Bangladesh (most likely in one of the many clothing factories in Dhaka), sold in America, and cast aside after a moth made a meal of it.  She will be a gift to the new baby of my husband's co-worker who lives in Dhaka.  This bunny will be in a safe home.  But this got me thinking about the many children of Dhaka who will sleep on the streets, often fending for themselves for food, shelter and safety. Could a bunny make a difference in a child's life? 

Some ideas are fleeting.  We get a notion to do something bigger than ourselves- feel like there's a spiritual nod in this direction or cause but we get overwhelmed by how to transfer a belief into action. This is where I am- stuck between seeing signs and trusting the direction.  So for now this bunny returns to her roots to bring smiles to a newborn girl as she grows.  And who knows; maybe one day both this wee girl and her bunny will make a difference in this world.

LOVE & MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Jacq The Ripper

Sometimes when I am in the thrift store, I feel a little like a deviant- stalking the ladies' wear for just the right "look"; the perfect specimen.  I touch places I shouldn't. Turning down collars, fondling the buttons, running my fingers along the bust line, and looking under the skirt.  Oh my!  It all feels a little...... naughty!  But I need perfection in the piece.

I've never met an old garment I can't re-purpose but making just the right selection is a skill I've honed over time.  All fabrics beg to live another day; to be spared the dump where their fine lines, petite buttons and natural threads will disintegrate like old magazine pages.  Doomed to return to the dirt, so far from their glamorous retail showroom roots.  But I fancy myself as a pied piper of the lost fashions, a re-maker, a ripper.

Vintage coats are my favorite deconstruction.  They tell a story of fine craftsmanship and simpler times when a dress coat didn't pull double duty and therefore usually survives the decades in pristine condition.  This cashmere coat is a recent find.

Don't be fooled by the simple exterior.  Looking inside, the detail is astounding: hand quilted silk, intricate pocket details, and an owner's label.  I love finding these names, like souvenirs of the hunt, elegantly stitched into the lining.  I wonder who these ladies were and imagine their joy at picking up such tailored lovelies.

No piece of coat ever goes to waste.  What is left after the careful cutting, lining extraction, and label preservation- all those wee "unusable" scraps will become traditional stuffing for rag pillows or dolls to replicate the old lumpy stuffing used in the primitive crafting tradition. No evidence left at the scene, so to speak. ;)

Autumn is fast approaching.  The grounds are primed for closet cleaning and the annual tossing of the old in many homes.  I will be there..... Waiting.....  At the thrift store.... or maybe I'll even show up at the estate sale.... but oh yes.... I will be there...to rescue the forgotten.

 

LOVE  &  UP-CYCLE NATION!

 

Summer Palette

Aaaaaahhhhhh summer!  That time when sales slow, whimsical demands dwindle and time for me to whip up a little something for myself.  My summer bag harbors stowaway projects worked as the sun rises and sets over the hotsy-totsy sands of the Gulf shore. 

I have been busy making linen flags to hang from my patio.  Using patterns from Robyn Pandolph Designs, I am replacing the called-for cotton fabric with my vintage cashmere wool. This dream fabric soaks up the summer dye palette of teal and pink perfect for shoreline living!

No backyard is complete without a summer banner!  To compliment the linen flags I am making a double sided chipboard banner.    The natural aging and buttery soft texture of 1886 paper on bright teal are pure lazy summer afternoons swung away in a shaded hammock!

 As the school year winds to a close, longer hours can be spent tending my personal projects.  I look forward to having my sisters-in-law in town next week for my daughter's high school graduation and know we will spend summer hours stitching, sipping Asti, and wishing such summer days could last a little longer.

 

 LOVE  &  LAZY SUMMER DAYS!