patch (entranced)

i'm overflowing with patchy love for the following: this strip patch tote that goes by the name spring fever by jenny of frecklewonder! it exudes a lovely vintage charm. the bright colors are more than ace!:

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this patchwork tote by cyn contemporary over at etsy is a bit more subdued and not my typical colors, but i love the octogons, the wooden handle, and the tabs at the top edge that add a little extra detail:

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i covet these patchwork blankets and pillows by mes textiles, out of the netherlands. i'm actually going to amsterdam at the end of april. i'm hoping to seek out their work when i'm over there...

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i'm not into metal, but i think these handmade patchwork blankets by seattle quilt artist boo davis (aka quiltsryche...killer name!) rock:

i love the juxtaposition of something sweetly homespun with something some might consider devilish. awe. some.

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all photos belong to the artists. click on any photo to learn more about that artist and their products.

11.5.2006 + the apartment, in progress

i looked like an elf on sunday. just being crazy and mixing up what's left in my closet after the big post-cross-country purge of '06. also, making kissy faces at my black cat, girl.

-rust colored hand-knit alpaca cowl: knit by me -chartreuse linen shift dress with giant chrysanthemum print: marimekko -green 70s square-neck vintage tee: thrifted in florida. -black leggings worn like tights: newport news (from when leggings were hard to find several years back) -black ankle boots, folded down: thrifted last week @ thrift town, SF. -red-orange plastic bangle: thrift town, SF. -green plastic bangle: beacon's closet, williamsburg, brooklyn. -red-orange enamel earrings: thrifted in florida. -green lucite cocktail ring: alexis bittar

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the apartment is starting to come together:

will likely replace these ikea chairs with the eames plywood lounge chairs i've mentioned before around these parts, most likely in walnut. when we can afford them, of course. no huge hurry. for now, i'm happy with the IKEA lounge chairs we have...

the table is a new acquisition. it's a mid-century piece, which was hand-tiled by an artist, perhaps a potter?

new jonathan adler pillows! made in custom colors i chose. i heart them. i am also considering making my own needlepoint pillows, to join these on the couch, in shades of red, orange, and green, of course.

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still need a rug (perhaps a tan or off-white flokati, as mentioned), a small side table, and a nice lamp for said side table in the living room. i'm really loving this lamp from crate and barrel:

or, as i kind of like the idea of adding a little white into the decor, in small doses... this cute giraffe lamp from jonathan adler is mighty cute: http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/product.php?cat=385&productid=16768

or any from him, really...he's amazing!

my tiny little office.

i finally got off my duff and cleaned up my desk area. it's still a work in progress and seems chaotic to me, but i guess that's the nature of the beast. work spaces almost always invite some messiness, right? i always get crazy and make a mess everywhere, and then afterwards clean it up. something about a somewhat tidy space makes my head somehow feel clearer and i can be more creative, as if a blockage is being released. i now feel as if i can actually get to work and start making things.

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these old yarn bobbins belonged to my now deceased grandmother, josephine. she died the day after christmas last year (2005), in the middle of the night. she was a knitter and a crocheter and a seamstress. a tiny, thrifty sicilian, a child of the depression and of bootleggers who brought liquor across the canadian border into new york state. she taught me to sew at age eleven, when i was in sixth grade. we made a pink linen straight skirt together, when she was staying with our family in florida for the summer.

every time i knit or crochet a stitch, or see the color purple, i think of her.

i want to turn these bobbins into some mixed media art piece, dedicated to her. the colors delight me.