favorites and other randomness

(see more favorites on my ye olde flickr favorites page)

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i've been busy, not so busy, and a little (no, a lot) sad. ups and downs are the name of my game lately (when lately is really defined as the past few months).
at any rate...
things i'm obsessed with of late:
-that sickeningly good blood orange soda from trader joe's (especially good with some procecco or other sparking wine) -scrabble -sunshine and warmth (there's very little of it in san francisco in the summer, believe it or not, and that's very depressing.) -these colors and shapes from the prada fall campaign are quite nice...and inspiring (thanks for posting, fly!). rich and jewel-like. -finishing my quilt, or making strides toward finishing it, anyway. since this photo taken the other day, i have finished the top (i.e., i have sewn all the blocks together). now to make a back, then baste it all together with the batting, and quilt. the home stretch is sort of in sight...i think? this being my first quilt and all. ha.
and hrm, not much else at the moment. sorry.

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in other news, peter & i's apartment was featured on apartment therapy: san francisco yesterday as a home tour.
go here: http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/080107/house-tours/ house-tour-tricia-and-peters-hip-colorful-sf-pad-026218
those lurking around have probably seen some of those photos before. but for those who haven't...there ya go. a peek inside the pad of moi (and the mister).

dallyings and dabblings

two in-process projects: objects to beautify my home.

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these blocks will be the beginnings of my first-ever quilt. i've been yearning to make one for years. patchwork is actually an old friend of mine, but i have never turned it into a quilt or something for my home, choosing instead to usually put it to use as clothing.

i am starting with a simple string/strip quilt, using old and new fabric from my scrap pile. some of the fabric was thrifted, or salvaged from thrifted clothes or linens, while others were left-over bits remaining after much of a piece of fabric was turned into clothes. there's even a bit of hand-tie-dyed fabric (the orange slice on the bottom left) that i dyed myself many a year ago. i am loving how the fabric looks together, and how they form a chevron. something about it feels very beachy to me...it sort of reminds me of florida, where i lived for much of my life.

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and my first ever afghan, of crocheted granny squares. i have a huge amount of bulky-weight lamb's pride taking up room in my supply closet, so i figured i would put it to some use and make it into a blanket. each square will have a goldenrod colored final row, joining them all together. then i plan to felt the whole thing, so it will sort of muddle together some and be less fuzzy (the mohair is a bit nuts when it comes to shedding). it's been fun playing around with the colors, to say the least.

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purl's swatch portraits (and) the work of jen stark

two amazing, beguiling forms and ideas from the 'net ether that have invaded my creative mind and entranced my always searching eyes: these so-called "swatch portraits" made from liberty of london fabrics that have been framed by embroidery hoops were created by purl soho, a fabric and yarn purveyor out of new york city.

i first spotted them purl soho's blog, the purl bee (to whom the above photo originally belongs and where it was originally posted). their blog is simply amazing and always inspiring...packed full of lovely and innovative ideas for stylish needleworking fiends and friends, and their store(s) are dangerously, dangerously fabulous and brimming with aesthetically pleasing piles of decadently delicious yarn and fabric. if you are in new york, do yourself a favor and stop by.

i love that they are simple circles and i think it's neat how they frame and elevate each bit of fabric, making each one stand out as something important and special. when grouped together, using the various sized hoops, they become EVEN MORE special, almost perhaps like a bit of conceptual art, a miniature installation of sorts.

as i don't have direct access to a passel of liberty fabrics at the moment (wish i did!), but do have access to my own collection of riotously colored and printed vintage fabric and scraps, i'd love to recreate this idea to decorate and further brighten up some corner of my house...

i can also envision painting the embroidery hoops to add an extra element of color and interest...

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i simply adore these geometric yet organic construction paper sculptures by artist jen stark:

the top ones remind me of topographical maps...and (big surprise!) i love the rainbow colors.