There's nothing like waiting to pick strawberries until they're perfectly ripe and having the time between picking and eating them be mere minutes. It makes up for the year we had to wait until the plants established themselves. We also have blueberry bushes (which look promising for this year) and fruit trees - apple, cherry, peach, and pear (that need another year or so). Gardening is an exercise in patience.
So, what does this have to do with inspiration? Once I started thinking about fruit I realized that I had lots of fruit-related things in my collection of linens and fabrics. I hadn't paid attention but much of what I was buying fit that theme. With the addition of a few coordinating fabrics and some vintage transfer patterns, the idea grew for a fruit collection. And what better time to do it than summer.
You may have seen a few fruit items already on my web site. Tomorrow, just in time for the first official day of summer, I'll be adding a small group of fruit pillows. And I'll add more pillows and tea towels as I get them finished.
6.20.2005
Inspiration
With the warm (OK, hot) weather we've been having lately, all the hard work in my garden this spring is really starting to pay off. And to bear fruit, literally.
There's nothing like waiting to pick strawberries until they're perfectly ripe and having the time between picking and eating them be mere minutes. It makes up for the year we had to wait until the plants established themselves. We also have blueberry bushes (which look promising for this year) and fruit trees - apple, cherry, peach, and pear (that need another year or so). Gardening is an exercise in patience.
So, what does this have to do with inspiration? Once I started thinking about fruit I realized that I had lots of fruit-related things in my collection of linens and fabrics. I hadn't paid attention but much of what I was buying fit that theme. With the addition of a few coordinating fabrics and some vintage transfer patterns, the idea grew for a fruit collection. And what better time to do it than summer.
You may have seen a few fruit items already on my web site. Tomorrow, just in time for the first official day of summer, I'll be adding a small group of fruit pillows. And I'll add more pillows and tea towels as I get them finished.
There's nothing like waiting to pick strawberries until they're perfectly ripe and having the time between picking and eating them be mere minutes. It makes up for the year we had to wait until the plants established themselves. We also have blueberry bushes (which look promising for this year) and fruit trees - apple, cherry, peach, and pear (that need another year or so). Gardening is an exercise in patience.
So, what does this have to do with inspiration? Once I started thinking about fruit I realized that I had lots of fruit-related things in my collection of linens and fabrics. I hadn't paid attention but much of what I was buying fit that theme. With the addition of a few coordinating fabrics and some vintage transfer patterns, the idea grew for a fruit collection. And what better time to do it than summer.
You may have seen a few fruit items already on my web site. Tomorrow, just in time for the first official day of summer, I'll be adding a small group of fruit pillows. And I'll add more pillows and tea towels as I get them finished.
6.08.2005
The Appeal of Aprons
This month Country Living magazine has several articles about aprons. There's also an exhibit traveling the country called "Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections" that showcases 200 vintage aprons along with memories and photos of contributors (see www.apronchronicles.com for more info).
Why are aprons suddenly making a comeback? Maybe it's the nesting trend of recent years. Maybe it's the fact that you can buy them at all the hot stores like Anthropologie and Cath Kidston. Or maybe, to quote one apron designer, it's because they just make sense. "Aprons protect your clothes—and they celebrate the spirit of the women who wear them." That makes sense to me.
There are several great places to buy new vintage-inspired aprons but why buy new when you can still find so many vintage ones in perfect condition. And for comparable prices. Check the Apron category on Ebay. Or visit the Kitchen category on my site where I've just listed five aprons, including the one shown above.
If you're like me you might not want to use a vintage apron for cooking. I'm a bit messy in the kitchen and have an old denim bib apron for that. But they're perfect for display in a vintage or retro kitchen or to wear for entertaining. Or, like some stylish young women are doing, wear them over jeans. As a prized collectible or chic fashion accessory, vintage aprons are small bits of history and symbols of pride in women's handiwork skills. To quote the title of one of the CL articles—"tie one on"!
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