to have and to hold

Jake's grandmother Tinka and I got along right away, bound by our mutual love of things... beautiful, handmade, thoughtful things that make every day a little more pleasant. So for her birthday, I wanted to make her something simple and lovely that could live up to both of our high standards - and I knew just where to look.

Inspired by the PurlBee's beautiful Wedding Clutch, I chose a classic starched linen as a base and a muted Liberty for the lining. For a special touch, I created an embroidery pattern based on the wood and wire fences that line the beaches near her family home in Sagaponack. 

It was a meaningful project and well worth the effort - I was flattered that Tinka loved it so much, she immediately commissioned two more for friends!

susie's sachets

Let's admit it, it's way more fun to shop for someone who shares your taste. The same goes for handmade gifts. Not only are you spending time on a project you're actually inspired by- an opportunity that can be rare in the life of a "creative professional"- but it's also gratifying to know that someone out there is enjoying something you've put energy into.

I'd been wanting to make sachets for a while, now that I'm on this little drawstring bag kick. Jake's mom Susie likes simple, rustic elegance as much as I do, so her birthday was an ideal opportunity. The combination of lovely high-quality linen, simple free-hand embroidery and Green Market lavender produced a set I would have loved to keep in my own drawers... but I was more than happy to pass them along to her.

in the bag

I’ve finally discovered the the perfect gift for “the person who has everything.” No- it’s not homemade granola. It’s a tote! The person who has everything undoubtedly needs something to carry all that “everything” in, so why shouldn’t it be carried in style?

This realization came on the heels of another discovery- my new favorite loose weave linen. It has just the right amount of structure and is instantly made elegant when lined with high-quality muslin.

Even better, the linen is the ideal blank canvas for free-form cross stich. Using sashiko thread and stitch patterns from Mariska Karasz’s Adventure’s in Stitches, I loosely traced seam patterns from some of my favorite Gee’s Bend quilts.  

contain yourself

It shouldn't come as a surprise that our apartment is littered by little (...ok, not always little) stacks and piles of my different projects. I mean, why waste time cleaning up one project when I could be working on another?

Sara on the other hand, while just as crafty, keeps her workspace spotless. So to encourage her mild OCD- and perhaps inspire some of my own- I decided to make her a simple stash basket. It's great for hard-to-organize supplies and the structured linen, muslin lining and subtle emerald border stitch won’t fight with the neutral palette of her apartment.

In fact, it was so easy and satisfying to make I think I might whip up a few for myself... organized chaos would be progress.

better late than never

Few things please me as much as finding a perfect match- whether it's compatible paint swatches, a new flavor combination, or that new belt that goes with absolutely everything. So it only makes sense that I can't get enough of quilting. Not only do I get to play with endless colors and shapes, but I can meditate with the slow alignment of points and seams.

My first quilt was designed to fit the generous dimensions an unfinished cross-stitched tablecloth found at a roadside antique shop. Luckily, the fabric scraps I'd been holding on to since my fashion school days were almost enough to complete the project. After stitching the year and holiday onto the front I gave the blanket to my Aunt as a housewarming/holiday gift. ("Jul" translates to "Christmas" in Swedish.)

Note: Thanks to Purl for a few extra pieces of fabric, goldenrod sashiko thread and my very first life-changing rotary cutter.