Monday, May 30, 2011

heather

So you know Heather Bailey, right? No? Well. She is the best pattern writer in the world. I couldn't follow a pattern until I made Effie & Ollie the elephants. I learned SO much from that pattern. I love her style, her wit, her ideas, her fabric, her blog, her photos, her recipes, her studio...she inspires me in everything she does.




There are so many of her patterns I have yet to try...



And so many fabrics too...



So of course I follow her on Twitter. So she tweeted that she would be at Material Girls for a meet & greet on May 13th. I got there early. Really I did. But only cause I thought she said 5, not 6.



And I brought miss Claira pig- my most prized sewing accomplishment. She was so very difficult, but so very worth it! And Heather loved her.

And- while waiting at the fabric store for her to arrive, all the gals at the fabric shop were stunned by my pig. One lady even asked if she could take a photo of me and my pig. They didn't have one made up to showcase because she looked too hard. Yep. I like me a challenge.

And you can't tell at all- but she is 5 1/2 months pregnant! (Heather, not the pig.)

Congrats Heather! Keep writing patterns! And designing fabric! And challenging me to be a better sewer!

P.S. I had her sign this pattern...



Then I made a lil butterfly with the new bamboo felt I've been itching to try out. It's sooo soft.



I love all the little details.

Friday, May 27, 2011

anniversary, part 6: the grotto

...pssst...

it's loo-loo's birthday today!


The Grotto. A catholic garden sanctuary. Last time in Portland we went to the Japanese Garden, so this time I wanted to a different one.



This is part of the outdoor chapel. It's a sort of cave in the mountain that they have turned into an alter. It's so gorgeous. If we were catholic, went to church, and lived in Portland, we would go here.



It was lightly raining when we were there, but there are so many trees that we didn't get wet.



I love the candles. We asked what the white ones were for- but the guard didn't know. He said it was one of the many mysteries of the grotto.



Green things grow everywhere here, I love it.



You could buy these candles at the gift shop and light them for your loved ones.



Roses on the altar.



One of the many trees that shade the outdoor pews.




Flowering bushes everywhere.



The indoor chapel.



Simple.





The patron saint of cancer. I never knew there was one...



I love mosaics.



Little waterfall.




It was so peaceful and quiet walking through these trees.



And did I mention how green it is?




On the way back to the hotel, we spotted the widest rainbow either of us had ever seen.



We went back the next day to explore the top part of the gardens, since is was on the way to the airport.

This is the meditation chapel. It sits on the edge of the cliff, that overlooks the bottom part of the garden. The wall is floor to ceiling glass.



I wanted to actually meditate here, but there was a wedding going on and it was kinda noisy. I don't know where they were from- but the wedding party was gorgeous. The bride and groom were dressed head to toe in gold, the bridesmaids in a shimmery coral, and the groomsmen in black. They were speaking a language I didn't recognise, but I thought it was the perfect place to have a wedding.



A tiny chapel that looks like a fairytale cottage.





This is the monastery where the monks and nuns live. There is a huge rose garden in the front- but it was just getting started. I'd love to see it in full bloom...







As I've said a million times, I love moss.



There was this teeny leaf poking out of the moss...




While trying to get this shot, I had to bend over quite a bit- and Danny was embarrassed as my dress got shorter, and shorter. I got it though. That's whats important.



It was the perfect end to a perfect vacation.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

anniversary, part 5: shopping

I found this adorable alpaca panda at the SAM in Seattle. Even though he was pricey- I had to have him.



Crafty Wonderland. It's like Etsy in a store. I want to live in Portland just so I can sell my stuff there.

I got some stuff at the store- then they had an event at the convention center, and I bought more handcrafted goodies.


I found this amazing artist, but didn't buy any of her stuff...yet. Fernworks. She layers resin and paint to add depth to her work. I love it. I find her work so calming and pretty.



She also makes jewelry. How gorgeous are these necklaces? She uses grass, saffron and other "found" objects in the layering process. (images borrowed from her website)



You have to check out chet and dot's Etsy shop...

This sweet little whale now resides in my miniature shelf...



And a house almost exactly like this one was the thank you gift I gave to Nan for taking such good care of my house and kittens. (images taken from her etsy shop)



A Woolie Original. I love this piece. It's mounted on wood and hangs to the right of my desk in my studio. Love it. I like to stare at it whist I'm sewing.



This knitted kitten pillow? Are you kidding me? I hug it all the time. Knitted by Emmakat.




Ohhh, the tail. So it sits on it's own. Independent, like a real kitteh!



Can you even believe this little freaked out felt carrot? They also had cheese, bacon, tofu, a tooth, some toast, and a drumstick. He had a pin on him that said "I heart veggies" but it was obscuring his smirk, so I removed it. Handmade by buttonarcade.

So after all the art buying- I limited myself to only 2 (out of the ten) fabric shops that I wanted to visit. I have so much fabric hoarded already- it seemed stupid after finding all that gorgeous art to bring back a ton more. So I just got a few cuts...


I found this fabulous Alexander Henry 60 inch home dec weight fabric at Fabric Depot. Half off. For reals. I may just have to re-upholster my kitchen chairs...



I got these amazing Japanese fabrics at Cool Cottons. I've only ever seen this brand online, so seeing them in person made me giddy. The top two are going to be aprons. The linen owls are waiting for the perfect project, and the other fabric...



...it's a double gauze. Yes, that's right- just like the Aden and Anais blankets. It's so so soft. And I love those little pigs!

Obviously, I spent all the money I have been saving. Money well spent.